BMW has Mini fans charged up with news that they plan to sell the much talked about all-electric versions of the Mini car in the U.S., starting summer 2009.

As gas prices rise and impact all of us on a daily basis, we are all going to have to face the shift to green cars sooner or later. As Toyota’s numbers show us, the green movement is on.

Well, we did it – we made a family decision and now have a white Honda Fit in the driveway, proudly driven my 21 year old daughter.

Last week the Detroit Auto Show showcased the latest innovation in green technology in autos. As green and environmental issues are more and more important to consumers and as gas prices threaten higher levels, most Auto makers have new green innovation as part of their portfolio, from hybrids, to electric, to fuel cells.

Honda announced the FCX Clarity as a next-generation, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the entirely-new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform. The vehicle's only emission is water.

This week’s Podcast features an interview with Christina Page, Yahoo!’s (YHOO) Director of Climate and Energy Strategy discussing their mandate and progress on becoming "carbon neutral”.

As consumers, myself included, search for their next car and try to make an educated choice in purchasing a green or environmentally friendly car- there are a lot of car-rating sites to sift through.

Battery Manufacturers Altair and Advanced Battery Technologies Battle for Market Share

Battery Manufacturers Altair and Advanced Battery Technologies compete in the Electric Vehicle Market

I would like to touch on some recent headlines and developments in the fuel cell car arena as we look at the highways of the future and see when and where they will enter markets.

In my first intro Driving Green Podcast I touched on biofuels and the total green cycle and the concern of farm chemicals sprayed on crops and in particular corn crops and the run off into the water systems and some of the consequences on both wildlife and human life.

This is Dawn Van Zant back with another edition of Driving Green at Investor Ideas.

Driving forces for the increased sales are noted as higher gas prices and incentives. Seven new Hybrid models are anticipated to come to market in the second half of this year.

As Ford (NYSE: F) posts profits and warns about future earnings we also hear simultaneously that Ford gave Paris Hilton a new Ford Hybrid and she is now going green to save the environment. Fresh out of jail for a DUI she will now be influencing all the Paris wanna be's to go green. Apparently she is planning to replace her gas-consuming Range Rover SUV with her newly gifted Ford hybrid.

The Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council recently released a report discussing how widespread use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) between 2010 and 2050 can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

Join me as both consumers and investors on my quest to find opportunities, resources and solutions for green highways of the future.