The other thing to note about the list is that out of ten cars with top fuel economy, only one is not a hybrid, the Smart ForTwo. If you take a gander at the top two cars in each category at FuelEconomy.gov, the fuel type varies a bit more, with Audi and Volkswagen scoring well with their diesel wagons.

1. Toyota Prius Hybrid: 51/48
2. Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41/36
3. Honda Civic Hybrid: 40/45
4. Honda Insight Hybrid: 40/43
5. Lexus 250h Hybrid: 35/34
6. Nissan Altima Hybrid: 35/33
7. Ford Escape Hybrid: 34/31
8. Smart ForTwo: 33/41
9. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 33/34
10. Lexus RX450h Hybrid: 32/28

Let’s start with what you want to know about the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: I drove it for one week on city streets and freeways, in traffic and on clear stretches, and got a combined 37 mpg.

There are two things I love about the Fusion Hybrid: the LCD instrument cluster and its car-like appearance. The instrument cluster is as addictive as a video game — even though its designers were asked to tone done the gamey-ness of it. A green box to the left of the speedometer pops up when driving to let you know when you’re using EV mode, and I was obsessed with driving under battery power alone as much as possible. Not just for the good of the environment, mind you. Eco-friendly driving earns you a bushel of leaves over on the right side of the LCD screen. I wanted leaves! More leaves!

The exterior styling might not strike some people as anything to write home about, which is exactly why I like it. Personally, I prefer a bit more adventuresome designs, but the Fusion Hybrid looks like a regular car, not a lunar lander. This is a four-door sedan my mom, or even my grandmother, would feel comfortable tooling around in. The change from electric to gas power and back again is seamless, as is the start/stop technology.

When you turn the car off, the LCD readouts slide behind the speedometer and a trip summary pops up so you can see the number of leaves you earned and get detailed numbers on your fuel consumption. I delighted in telling everyone things like, “I drove all the way here — 12.5 miles — and only used .2 gallons of gas.” Everyone I told this to suppressed an eye roll, which I appreciate.

2010 Ford Fusion Specs

• 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine
• CVT transmission (no gears)
• Full hybrid with regenerative braking
• EPA fuel economy: 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway
• My fuel economy: 37 mpg combined
• MSRP as tested: $27,270

This car was provided for review by the manufacturer at no cost to the reviewer.

The big, bad Peterbilt will be used to haul furniture and office supplies around the Washington, D.C., metro area with 30% better fuel efficiency and reduced tailpipe emissions. The truck is built in Texas, making it a home-grown green-power win. The plan, according to Daniel Beard, Chief Administrative Officer for the House, is to replace their aging fleet with newer, low-emissions vehicles.

In advance of its German debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Fisker announced that its Fisker Karma will have lower carbon dioxide emissions than any other production car on the street today. The company also released estimated fuel cost for the plug-in hybrid.

Here are the Fisker Karma numbers you need to know:

• 67 miles per gallon
• 83 grams of CO2 per km
• 3 cents per mile in Stealth (electric-only) mode
• 7 cents per mile in Stealth and Sport (gasoline) mode
• 2010 launch date

The rules for the competition have been recently posted, and the goal is to get better fuel economy. Entries can run on biodiesel, ethanol, or, in the zero-emissions category, on electricity. The snowmobiles will be rated in categories like emissions, noise, and acceleration.The idea is to make internal combustion snowmobiles suitable for use in fragile natural areas, like in national parks. The quieter and cleaner a machine is, the less it will disturb both plant and animal life.

The goal for the zero-emissions category is even more specific: make a snowmobile that won’t skew the research being done at Summit Station in Greenland. Scientists there are working to understand the absorption of atmospheric gases by the ice cap, and any emissions from fossil fuels burned at the site can mess up the results of their measurements.

Can we expect to see any of these in the local Sno-Cat dealership? Probably. The SAE seems to expect that the biodiesel and ethanol versions would be pretty cheap to build for retail sale, and that they’d do pretty well on the showroom floor. Hybrids aren’t allowed in this competition for just that reason — the system is too expensive to be worth it for manufacturers or buyers at this point.

Congress acted fast and added $2 billion more to the program before its summer recess, but the money wasn’t enough to sustain CARS through its intended end date in November. As of Sunday night, Cash for Clunkers was over, with no extensions in sight. Thanks to red tape and the sheer number of people who used the program to ditch their old car and buy a shiny new one, many dealerships put the brakes on CARS at the end of last week.

What’s next for the auto industry? Let’s hope its an infusion of cash for hybrids, electric cars, trains, public transportation, and — hell, why not? — bike riding safety courses for newbies. That’s my post-CARS dream world; what’s yours? Leave it in the comments.

The Ultra Performance film from Solar Gard lets 76% of visible light through, according to the New York Times, while blocking out 99% of UV rays. (Save your skin and gas!) The company’s web site points out that the film can also be used to keep houses cool and lower a/c costs at home.

In addition to saving fuel by not having to blast the a/c, it also saves wear and tear on the cooling system, which means fewer breakdowns, leaks, and replacements, none of which do Mother Earth any favors.

UPDATE: Solar Gard contacted me to make a correction — the Solar Gard film consists of layers of nano particles and a dyed application process in one layer of film. The film doesn’t have to be layered to block out nearly all UV rays, as I had originally written. Thanks for the correction, Bill! – GoodGreenCars.com

It turns out it’s no big secret, the SmartWay Transportation Partnership. The agency has partnered with the trucking industry to reduce fuel consumption and polluting emissions, including carbon dioxide. The aim is to save 3.3 to 6.6 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year, which amounts to about 150 million barrels of oil.

How can they get there? There are a few strategies, some of which are easier to do than others:

• Limit the amount of time truck engines are left to idle
• Improve aerodynamics to increase fuel economy
• Better trip planning to use less fuel
• Automatic tire inflation systems
• Use trucks with hybrid powertrains, or at least start-stop technology

The EPA keeps a long list of SmartWay Transport partners, which includes hundreds of trucking companies. If your green business has grown to the point where you need to get product further than the craft fair downtown, this may be a good resource. Consumers like me notice those little SmartWay stickers, you know.

The latest online app to help drivers track fuel economy comes from Moblu. The site asks for your vehicle’s year, make and model then requires you to create a user name and password.

Where, you might be asking, does the social networking come in? Moblu uses your Twitter user name (no Twitter password required) to share your mileage with other Tweeple. Moblu users can record events that might affect gas mileage, like “Changed Tire Pressure” or “Lots of Highway Driving.” You can also record a fill-up, calculate mileage for a road trip, and find fellow Moblu users on the site.

Clicking on “My Garage” shows fellow Moblu cars, with actual mileage, trends, and number of fill-ups. You can choose to follow anyone who looks interesting, or keep tabs on your friends’ fuel economy.

Here’s the Energy Saver’s claims to fame:

• New construction and tread rubber keep the tire cooler, delivering the 8% increase in mpgs
• Stops 8 feet shorter than similar tires
• Longer tread life means fewer tires get tossed in the garbage
• Available for conventional and hybrid cars

The tires are in the $140-$150 range per tire, depending on the size required for your car. Definitely not cheap, but if you can swing it, they may save on gas in the long run in addition to helping reduce CO2 emissions.