Las Vegas is Going Green with Personal Electric Vehicle Charging Station on the Strip

MGM Resorts International debuted the first Electric Vehicle Charging Station on the Las Vegas Strip. This new Charging Station is located at the valet entrance to The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, between Mandalay Bay and Luxor resorts.

Charging service is available free of charge to retail and resort customers driving personal electric vehicles, like the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt.

“I couldn’t be more proud that Mandalay Place is first with this forward-thinking program,” said Chef Rick Moonen, best-selling author and one of the world’s leading advocates for the use of sustainable seafood in the food industry. “Someone has to take the leadership role and I’m happy MGM Resorts is willing to move toward a better way of doing things.”

Chef Moonen, known for his appearances on national television programs like Bravo’s “Top Chef,” also operates the two rm seafood restaurants inside The Shoppes at Mandalay Place.

MGM Resorts energy experts say this is an important first step that reflects the Company’s continued commitment to environmental responsibility in the hospitality industry.

Go Green and Go to Vegas!

Go Green, Go Electric!

The Racing Green Endurance (RGE) team and Radical Sports cars have built a stunning SRZero electric sportscar. The team is driving the 400bhp twin-motor supercar the full 26,000 km length of the Pan-American Highway, from Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, to the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia. They left Anchorage July 1st and were cruising the Golden Gate Bridge July 23. The goal is to be the first electric car to travel the full length of the Pan American Highway and to communicate sustainability and adventure while educating all along the way!

Electric vehicles have the potential to realize a sustainable transport future, without depleting valuable resources for future generations. The RGE project aims to demonstrate this while pushing the boundaries of EV technology.

The team wants to help encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers through our outreach program. They plan to use the RGE project as an exhilarating example of where maths and science can take you.

The Radical SRZero aims to be the world’s most focused, fun-to-drive alternative propulsion vehicle. By taking on this epic journey, they hope to add a sense of excitement and get people interested in electric vehicles.

Follow their route here.

Give me more Tesla!!

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tesla and Toyota announced today that the two companies will be collaborating on electric vehicle development and production.

A benefit to Tesla from this deal is that it will be able to take advantage of the Toyota production system and suppliers, avoiding many of the logistical problems that hampered early Roadster production and costs.

Production of the Model S is planned to start in 2012.

More information here.

Green Your Body and Drive it Green!

The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory will feature ways to green your body, inside and out, with eco-friendly lotions, makeup and natural oils as well as organic cooking oils, spreads and food ideas on August 7, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., during First Friday, Las Vegas Arts District’s monthly arts, entertainment, and social block party held downtown.

A chance to win a copy of Robyn O'Brien's The Unhealthy Truth will be available and all antics will be broadcast LIVE here on goinggreen.com. If you cannot be with us in person, you can sign up on your left to win a copy of the book.

In addition, a five-passenger zero-emission electric van from rEVolution Vehicles will be on display to showcase greener transportation options available now and what to expect in the future. The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory, located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, connects people, planet and products through interactive displays, internet TV, business to business networking and creative workshops.

Fortune 500 companies go green!

Several Fortune 500 companies, such as Coca-Cola, Staples and Frito-Lay, are going green with zero-emission all-electric delivery trucks. The new Smith Newton electric delivery trucks are powered by lithium-ion batteries and they also convert the kinetic energy produced during braking into electric power.

With a top speed of 50 miles per hour and a range of over 100 miles, it is perfect for around-town deliveries, and makes a significant impact in smog reduction. Electric vehicles in general have lower operational and maintenance costs, better for the environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels.

Electric Jet Car - I want one

The 500th electric Tesla Roadster was recently delivered and a 60-mile road rally with about 30 Roadsters in California commemorated the event, the largest gathering of Tesla Roadsters on public streets.

San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla is the only production automaker selling highway-capable EVs in the United States or Europe. The Roadster beats nearly every other car in acceleration yet is twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. It costs roughly $4 to refuel and can be completely recharged in as little as 3.5 hours.

"People who buy Roadsters are getting a superlative sports car that drives more like a performance jet than a car – and they are supporting a new American automaker committed to building well designed, high performance vehicles with a level of efficiency far greater than any other automaker in the world," said Jeremy Snyder, Tesla's General Manager for the South Western Territory.

The 500th Roadster went to Martin Tuchman, former chairman and CEO of Interpool, and chairman of The Tuchman Foundation and a board member of The Parkinson's Alliance and Parkinson's Disease Foundation of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Tuchman said he plans to charge his Roadster partly with solar energy thanks to photovoltaic panels he helped install throughout his hometown of Kingston, NJ.

Colorado ranch goes green and spreads green

I would not have guessed a rancher in a tiny Colorado mountain town to lead the way in the electric car movement, but my hat is tipped to Jim Duke of El Jebel, an Aspen neighbor. Mr. Duke installed enough solar panels on his ranch to not only generate enough electricity for his entire ranch, but enough to give it away to any electric car that shows up at his ranch. His electric car 'fueling' station, also feeds his own electric cars, purchased for trips to town.

Although a substantial upfront investment, ($84,600 for the panels), he is eligible for nearly $51,000 in federal, state, local and power company credits, to ease the burden somewhat. And while his remaining $34,000 investment is a gigantic chunk of change to lay out for a project that could take decades to pay off, that is OK with Mr. Duke. He sees becoming carbon neutral as an obligation to future generations and the planet, saying, "It's way, way, way past the point for talk. It's time for action."

Mr. Duke has always been known for his environmental streak — back in the 80's he spearheaded efforts to establish recycling and composting programs for Aspen and surrounding communities.