New York City continues its efforts to go green under its PLANYC, a plan from late 2006 where Mayor Michael Bloomberg challenged the citizens of NY to work toward achieving 10 goals for a greener future.

Last year the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) officially addressed the city’s plan to turn the taxi fleet hybrid. Expectations are that taxi cabs purchased after September 2008 must get 25 miles per gallon or better. The plan graduates in an increase of 30 miles per gallon in the following year on all new taxi cabs added to the fleet in the fall of 2009.

It was announced this week that Coca-Cola will purchase a record number 120 hybrid trucks this year from Eaton, their largest sale to North America to date. This number is up from the twenty Coca-Cola purchased in 2007 for its test run of the hybrid electric drivetrain that proved successful. The test boasting a decreased 32% in emissions led to this purchase with 120 trucks expected to be added to the Coca-Cola fleet before the end of 2008.

This turns out to be just one of the efforts Coca-Cola is making to go green in its day-to-day operations. On top of Coca-Cola’s fleet of diesels and their use of the new hybrid electrics on order and in the test field, a Coca-Cola subsidiary, Montevideo Refrescos SRL is using an electric truck from Zero Air Pollution (ZAP), called the Xebra. The Xebra is estimated to run as fast as 40 mph. Each charge produces enough power to travel 25 miles until the next charge.

The Central Vermont Public Service donated a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a modified Toyota Prius, to University of Vermont (UVM) for research in two projects. Researchers will test the plug-in vehicle for its adaptability to cold weather conditions and hilly terrain. As plug-in hybrids contribute less to carbon emissions by 30-percent or more, UVM hopes to find out how they compare to non-hybrid vehicles in similar conditions.

Meanwhile across the states in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom is requesting city and county leaders to voice a commitment to purchase plug-in vehicles from auto makers if they start making more of them. He will share his efforts at the U.S. Conference of Mayors this summer. Currently a local garage converts hybrid vehicles to hybrid plug-ins for the city.

After launching its line of green automotive products in October of 2007, Green Earth Technologies Inc. (GET) has found a partner to manufacture its “G”-Branded automotive performance products. A new relationship with Bio-Tec Fuel and Chemicals LLC will join the technologies of the two entities to further the development of green automotive products.

GET’s product line has been produced from organic feedstock. Products to date have included automotive and marine motor oils; and 2-cycle motor oils. Bio-Tec will share their formulas that have transformed biomass from animal fat-tissue into similar motor oils.

This news is on the coat-tails of GET announcing their partnership with Philadelphia’s Inventek Colloidal Cleaners LLC who will assist in manufacturing GET’s environmentally safe carwash and windshield rain repellent.

It appears that consideration to land-use changes were not studied in great detail in determining the effectiveness of corn-based biofuel as a viable solution for environmental concerns. The journal Science will soon be publishing accounts from two studies conducted by independent research teams from Princeton University and from the Nature Conservancy that looked at these issues in more detail.

The growing concern is that the solution to use corn-based ethanol in the future will further increase greenhouse gas emissions. Producing ethanol = global warming? That could be the case according to the researchers which included co-authors from Iowa State University, the Woods Hole Research Center and the Agricultural Conservation Economics. It seems unfortunate that this is being reported after a push in the U.S. to increase the use of biofuels in the next decade or so; and it obviously warrants some future study into the questions raised.

Some of you may have done your 2007 taxes already and more may perform well under pressure and prefer to wait till the April 15 deadline. Whatever your preference, one thing is for certain, if you’re considering claiming a tax deduction on the purchase of a hybrid car it is no simple task. It is easier to figure out what makes up your credit score then what your possible tax credit will be for purchasing a hybrid car.

Some things to consider when applying for your tax credit:

1. The purchase date of your vehicle

2. When you actually acquire the vehicle

3. The type of vehicle purchased

4. The number sold of that particular type of vehicle

5. Whether the vehicle is leased or owned by the purchaser

6. Whether the vehicle is new or used

The above factors into what the credit amount of the vehicle is to start and what percentage of credit the buyer will realize upon tax time.