The five finalists for Green Car Journal’s 2009 ‘Green Car of the Year®’ award are the following: BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, smart for two and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. On the morning of Nov. 20, the winner will be unveiled at a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The finalists are currently featured on GreenCar.com.

“There is a sea change occurring in the auto industry that’s finding an ever-increasing number of ‘green’ cars being introduced at new car showrooms,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “That’s made this year’s selection of Green Car of the Year® nominees all the more challenging. This is a real plus for new car buyers, since the trend will continue to gather momentum as automakers re-invent themselves in a changing auto market that’s requiring higher efficiency and greater environmental performance.”

Vehicles using all types of technologies, fuels, and powerplants are eligible for the Green Car of the Year® program. To qualify for consideration as a nominee, a vehicle must exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and be in production by January 1 of the award year. Plus, a potential nominee must be driven by Green Car Journal to allow experiencing driving dynamics first-hand.

The 2009 Green Car of the Year® will be selected by a jury that includes Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; automotive expert and “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno; and automotive icon Carroll Shelby.

Read More … Fuel of the Future

Prices began to rise late Thursday evening in some areas, and by Friday morning news of the looming increases had motorists lining up past gas stations as they tried to beat the jump in price.

The threat of hurricane Ike to Gulf Coast oil refineries, mostly in Texas, sent wholesale gasoline prices in the U.S. soaring Thursday over supply concerns.

As well, U.S. gasoline supplies have dropped by several million barrels over the last week, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Department.

Dan McTeague, a Liberal member of Parliament who has gained a reputation for predicting pump price increases based on the wholesale market in the United States, predicted more increases for Canadian motorists later Friday. He said the threat posed by the hurricane was the “spark” that triggered the increase, he also pointed the finger at the Canadian oil industry.

“The proverbial fuel on the fire is in fact the distortions by an unresponsive, uncompetitive market that has actually been diminishing its output,” McTeague said.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said a sharp rise in gasoline prices on Friday looked like price-gouging.

Asked by reporters in Halifax whether he thought the sudden increase was due to price gouging, Harper replied: “It certainly appears that way to me.”

You can check the latest gas prices in your area at Canada’s Gasoline Price Tracker.

When you do not drive your car, you use no fuel, which is easily the most affordable option of all to save gas. However, if your car stays parked at home, so do you! A car pool is a great option, if you can make it work. Car pools have been around for years and are quite common. With a car pool system, you can reduce your impact on the environment while you also reduce the impact of gas prices on your wallet!

Most people think of car pools as a way to get to work, but if you know someone who lives near you that has other places to go, you can still car pool! If you have to go to the mall, for instance, check and see if one of your neighbors wants to go, as well. Maybe next time, they will return the favor.

Smart trip planning is another weapon that consumers have to fight high gas prices. Plan ahead when you go out to make sure that you consolidate all of your shopping and errand-running needs into one trip. If you live in a small town and must take the highway to get shopping done, it is even more important to plan your trips well to avoid excess driving!

One big “no-no” that is easily avoided is leaving your car’s engine on when you are not going anywhere. This can include when you run in quickly to the store or gas station, or when you are waiting for a friend to come outside so you can go somewhere together. In most cases, it will make much more sense to simply turn your engine off. If you are not currently moving, there is no reason to have your engine on, anyway!

Finally, avoid having excess weight in your car when you are driving around. This means that you do not want to leave items that you do not need in your car for long periods of time, particularly if they are somewhat heavy. This also means that you probably want to make friends with very light people! Well, that may not be true, but it is important to reduce the weight in your car, since every 100 pounds can cause you a loss of 1 or 2 percent of your fuel economy.

It is plain to see that increasing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency does not have to be a complicated or expensive process. It is important to remember that there are alternatives to simply staying home and not driving if you want to save money on gas. The trick is simply to be a bit smarter about where, when and how you drive!