Green Wheels

Doing battle with the likes of the Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu, Toyota's Camry is a sensible, efficient and comfortable sedan that can be ordered to fit just about any family's needs. Available with four cylinder, six cylinder or hybrid power, Camry caters to owners looking for a precise blend of performance and environmentally sensitive operation.

The race to create the first hydrogen-powered vehicle is still on, and several companies are already well on their way. It's the case with Honda and its FCX Clarity, for example, and with GM and its Chevrolet Equinox assembled in Oshawa, on the outskirts of Toronto. But the Germans, far from lagging behind, are ahead of the field, thanks to the Hydrogen BMW 7 Series among others, around 100 of which have been driving the world's, but mostly North America's, roads for nearly two years.

To commemorate the Model T, Ford recently challenged five universities from around the world to a design contest, charging them with the task of creating a revolutionary vehicle concept for the 21st century. The four-month contest has come to a close- and a hundred years after the Model T first revolutionized the modern world, the winner has been announced.

A new category has been added to the 2009 Shell Eco-marathon Americas, a competition where students are asked to design, build and test vehicles to see who can go the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. The point of the "Urban Concept" class is to create vehicles that are more fuel-efficient, yet that resemble cars seen on roads today.