I'm all for hybrid yachts but the DSe Hybrid may be a challenge for all but the greenest among us. The 40-foot yacht uses diesel, solar and electric power (hence the "dse"). The yacht's most dramatic feature has to be the large solar array that covers the roof. The yacht also has narrow, wave-piercing hulls that keep her stable but also conserve energy. Wind turbines also generate additional power. The yacht can hit six knots on solar power (13 knots with diesel included). The bow has room for four loungers and a picnic table.

Inside the yacht features a large main area with a 26" HDTV and a Bose home theater system as well as a modern galley that features energy efficient appliances. The master stateroom has a queen-sized sleigh bed and a panoramic view. The guest suite has a queen bed that can also be converted into two twin beds. The dinghy uses an electric motor which can be charged using the solar array.

The DSe Hybrid 12m starts at $600,000 and is being shown at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

[via Born Rich]

Hybrid powered boats like the Chris-Craft Frauscher one shown above are just starting to enter the market but Travelers insurance is ready for them. They have announced an industry-first discount of up to 10 percent on hybrid boat and yacht insurance. Many of the hybrid boats are making their debut at upcoming boat shows or recently came out this year so Travelers may be jumping the gun just a little.

Travelers defines a hybrid boat as one that is specifically designed to reduce green house gas emissions and conserve fossil fuels, as compared to an internal combustion engine boat. A hybrid also uses an integrated propulsion system that incorporates in its original design, both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor. They also offer the same 10 percent discount on electric boats.

I've been hearing whisperings about this one for months but Italian yacht maker Ferretti is set to show of the the Mochi Craft Long Range 23, a yacht they say is the first hybrid yacht over 20 feet long that produces negligible tailpipe emissions. The yacht is a 75-foot tri-deck that has a a hybrid propulsion system. When running on diesel and cruising at eight knots, it emits 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide for each nautical mile. And the engine charges a battery pack that can also power the boat. In this diesel-electric mode, it emits less than half a kilogram each nautical mile.The NY Times reports that the yacht will cost around three million euros. The boat is being displayed at the Genoa International Boat Show, October 4-12. More pictures can be found at a listing for the boat on The Yacht Market.

It's red, it's sleek, it's the Scorpion from the newly formed Ronn Motor Company. It's main features include the fact that it goes from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and gets 40 mpg. So what's so special about that? How about the fact that it's also a hydrogen burning hybrid?

I'm no mechanic (couldn't be farther from it, actually) but the description on AutoblogGreen of how the engine works is really interesting. This car sounds like a really satisfying way to satisfy both a need for speed and an interest in preserving the planet (too bad it looks like a refurbished Viper).

The Scorpion will be manufactured in Texas and should be available to consumers this fall.

A sleek new hybrid yacht was debuted recently in San Francisco -- it's the Chris-Craft Frauscher Hybrid boat and it's a small, sleek yacht that's powered by both a 256hp diesel engine and 4 12-volt car batteries. The boat can reach speeds of up to 40mph and its exceptionally quiet engine can troll at 10mph on electric power alone for over an hour before the diesel engine needs to kick in to recharge the batteries.

The hybrid features a leather, teak, and mahogany interior and a fiberglass exterior. Available in a few different lengths the Frauscher Hybrids sell for $115,000 - $200,000.

Our friends at Autoblog are at the Detroit Auto Show this week and one of the cars there that is drawing a lot of attention is the Fisker Karma. The Karma, designed by Henrik Fisher, is a premium hybrid sedan. Autoblog reports it is powered by the Q-DRIVE, a system from Quantum Technologies in which a four-cylinder engine powers a generator to move the car. It can do the zero to 60 hop in 5.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 mph. It can run on just electricity or in sports mode which uses the four-cylinder engine. Luxury features of the four-door sedan include a navigation system and DVD player with headrest-mounted displays. The first 99 will be signed by the designer. The cars won't be available until 2009 and sell for $80,000.

BMW recently gave Placido Domingo something to sing about -- his very own Hydrogen 7. As part of BMW's Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program, Domingo will use the 7 for his everyday use, serving to educate and inform the masses about hydrogen as an alternative source of energy. Domingo joins many others, including public, entertainment and governmental figures, in the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer program.

The Hydrogen 7 is the world's first production model hydrogen-powered luxury sedan, emitting nothing but water vapor when running in hydrogen mode.

[Source: PRNewswire]

Check out BMW's full press release after the jump.

Hybrid-electric vehicles seem to be all the rage these days, and the prototypes in the stables at Ferrari's home of Fiorano is no exception.

As part of its 60th birthday celebration, Ferrari unveiled the Mini Chili, a mere 1,000 kg beast almost completely made of carbon fiber sporting fixed seats and carbon ceramic brakes. The need for a dashboard is gone with the driver information systems all being condensed down into the steering wheel, making for a compact little ride. The light weight is offset by an Active Aerodynamics system, which kicks in at the most opportune of moments.

Don't get your hopes too high, though -- Ferrari claims it won't make this car, but be on the lookout for similar technology in future Ferrari vehicles.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Luxury need not come at environmental cost (depending upon your view of the environmental friendliness of hybrids, of course), what with Porsche reportedly borrowing technology from Volkswagen in order to develop hybrid versions of its sporty Cayenne SUV and Panamera four-door coupe.

Porsche has been licking its chops as it considers the possibilities inherent in its beefed-up partnership with Germany's largest automaker, and hybrid technology is just one of the many options on the table. Partnering with such a large force also means access to a large development team -- something Porsche couldn't afford as a small automaker with its sole focus on high-performance vehicles. Now, Porsche can offer the best of both worlds -- hybrid engines tuned for as much performance as feasibly possible.

The Panamera and Cayenne are the cars Porsche says it will offer as full hybrids, meaning that the vehicles can travel up to speeds of 20-25 miles per hour without kicking on the gasoline engine.

For the cynics, it may be of interest for us to mention that offering up hybrid vehicles would also have the benefit of lowering Porsche's emissions average, keeping it in the ballgame as governmental agencies throughout the world aren't exactly legislating in Porsche's favor.

Gas is getting more expensive, both politically and economically, yet we cringe to see the likes of Cameron Diaz and George Clooney in such un-glamorous vehicles as the Toyota Prius hybrid or Tango electric car.What's a politically and environmentally-conscious luxury car lover to do?

Hybrid Technologies has the answer. Check this out:

Ferrari F430: 660 hp, 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, mileage of 8 city/12 highway.

Hummer H1: 300 hp, maximum towing capacity of 9,303 lbs., mileage data not available because its curb weight exempts it from EPA testing, but estimates put the H1 at about 10 mpg... on diesel.

Hybrid Technologies' 2007 L1X-75: 600 hp, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, runs on lithium batteries charged by a simple household 110-volt outlet.

In addition to sweet Italian-inspired roadster styling, lithium battery action means no gas guzzling. Plus, the only emissions coming from this vehicle are in the form of smoke rising from squealing tires.

With Hybrid Tech wooing potential distributors at the New York International Auto Show press preview this past week, you may be able to pick one of these babies up at a dealership near you in the not-too-distant future.

I love situations in which luxury and conservation mingle, proving that it is possible to do good and give well. Green Limousine, which was started by Seth Bounds in Vail, Colorado offers rides in a Ford Excursion that runs on biodiesel. The drinks and snacks served in the car are organic and the car is cleaned with environmentally friendly products. An article in the Vail Daily News says that for the most part, the clientele aren't looking specifically for a green service but that they are glad to know what he's doing.

Bounds isn't the only one creating a green limo company. A recent LA Times article profiled Y Fray and her company Eco-limo, a Santa Monica, California company that uses hybrids, biodiesels and any cars that are seen as environmentally friendly. Ecolimo has become a big hit with celebrities who want to be seen doing something positive for the environment.

Well, somebody had to do it, and we're quite happy that the guys over at BMW decided to bolt a hydrogen/gasoline hybrid onto their luxury-performance 7-series, proving that we auto-loving Americans can have our eco-friendly cake and eat (drive) it (fast) too. The BMW Hydrogen 7 has a fully functional hydrogen engine that emits only water vapor and will get you 124 miles per fill up while the gasoline engine will get you another 311 miles on a full tank.

The Hydrogen 7 will be available to a limited few in 2007, but look to 2008 for the rest of us schmucks to be able to see this bad boy on our local showroom floors. Click here to see the Governator unveil it this morning, and here for lots more pretty pictures.

Soon, hippies people looking to reduce pollution will have an option other than a hybrid or an electric car (which really doesn't reduce pollution, it just moves the source from the car to a power plant). BMW officially announced their hydrogen powered 7 series today and the numbers on it are pretty impressive. It's got a hybrid gas/hydrogen V12 that get 260 horses that can get the ride up to 143 miles an hour. Bimmer says it's the "first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile for everyday use." Do any of you readers out there know of another luxury hydrogen car period? Feel free to comment.

Kermit the Frog says it isn't easy being green but that isn't the case for our new blog sibling, AutoblogGreen. The new enviro-friendly spin-off of Autoblog will focus on alternative fuel vehicles. Given the recent gas prices ($4.09 in Beverly Hills!) this is a blog we should all be interested in.

Blog Retro Thing reports that Vespa is testing two different hybrid/gasoline scooters in Milan, including the Vespa LX 50 pictured here. According to the site, the scooter can charge its batteries from the gasoline motor, while the electrical battery can be charged via a standard European plug outlet. The combination of the gas and electricity reduces gasoline consumption by up to 20 percent. Plus, via the hybrid feature, the bike can operate in the electric-only mode in such areas such as tunnels, where fumes would be bothersome. Here's the official company release, translated (not always so easily) to English.