by Jen Pennington
Photos by Robert J. Pennington
When you think of mobile home travel, a really big, gas guzzling RV or motor home comes to mind. The kind that needs a hook-up to a water and power supply and seeks to impose itself on the very environment it’s meant to enjoy. At SEMA 2009 amidst all the hundreds of show cars, while looking for greener vehicles, I stumbled upon a compact, tricked-out towable trailer made for overland travel. The little trailer from Adventure Trailers came complete with tent, rack, cooking oven, mini fridge and a portable rollout solar pad that sits atop the tent structure. Along with other amenities, the solar pad generates enough electricity to power the rotary, variable-speed compressor for the refrigerator and freezer. Continue reading Overland and Off-The-Grid
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by Jen Pennington Today at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association (SEMA) 2009 show in Las Vegas, in the midst of some very sweet cars, parts and accessories, it’s easy to get sucked into the shiny beauty of gorgeous machines. An unveil by color master/designer Chip Foose and builder Peter Klutt on their Super Cuda collaboration was stunning. The guys from Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) and Ford rebuilding a 69′ Mustang live for the MTV crowd had all the right glam. But what was really disappointing was the fact that SEMA’s “Making Green Cool Zone” might have referred to the Siberian-like space it occupied at the back of the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center. This was a shame because this area was the most exciting in terms of design, innovative engineering, and new eco-friendly automotive products. Continue reading Green automotive is ultra cool, but featured Green Zone gets cold highlight at SEMA 2009 By Robert J. Pennington, Edited by Clifford Guren This year’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) provided more insight into how Detroit hopes to navigate the sharp curves of the rapidly evolving auto industry. The economic downturn and global climate change have created a perfect storm for the automotive industry. Government and consumers alike are calling for a significant change in direction. Detroit has finally embraced the electric vehicle (EV) as its flagship in its turnaround campaign. EVs have come to the forefront because of their ability to make a positive impact on critical issues like the environment and foreign energy dependence. In previous NAIAS shows EVs were sidebars or part of the general green-washing of the auto industry. In 2009 EV’s are the crown jewels of the show. Continue reading Detroit Navigates a Changing World |
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