Toyota is now officially the global leader in automotive sales, overtaking General Motors. I’d like to believe that part of this has to do with the company’s commitment to fuel-efficiency, including its pioneering efforts with hybrid-electric cars. Perhaps time for some serious self-reflection by the U.S. automotive industry, which talks the talk on efficiency but has struggled to walk it. Left to be seen is whether this symbolic milestone will raise the bar higher on N.A. automobile efficiency. Here’s hoping.

Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, is seriously exploring the idea of a congestion pricing system for America’s largest city, similar to the downtown toll system currently in place in London. Under consideration is a “proposal to charge motorists for driving into Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” according to Associated Press. “Trucks would be charged $21 a day and cars would be charged $8, on top of the city’s already expensive parking.” It’s sure to be controversial, but it’s nice to see Bloomberg taking a tough stand on this issue by highlighting the necessity of sustainable growth in New York City. What will be interesting to see is whether NYC modifies the approach currently in place in London, which is simply a toll to get in and out of the city. One potential is to charge people by the number of kilometres they drive in the downtown core, and to have prices be reduced as the vehicle moves out of the city or into less congested areas. Toronto-based Skymeter Corp. is working on just such a scheme, which instead of high-tech tolls uses satellite tracking. Check out the Grush Hour blog for more information on this.

Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, is seriously exploring the idea of a congestion pricing system for America’s largest city, similar to the downtown toll system currently in place in London. Under consideration is a “proposal to charge motorists for driving into Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” according to Associated Press. “Trucks would be charged $21 a day and cars would be charged $8, on top of the city’s already expensive parking.” It’s sure to be controversial, but it’s nice to see Bloomberg taking a tough stand on this issue by highlighting the necessity of sustainable growth in New York City. What will be interesting to see is whether NYC modifies the approach currently in place in London, which is simply a toll to get in and out of the city. One potential is to charge people by the number of kilometres they drive in the downtown core, and to have prices be reduced as the vehicle moves out of the city or into less congested areas. Toronto-based Skymeter Corp. is working on just such a scheme, which instead of high-tech tolls uses satellite tracking. Check out the Grush Hour blog for more information on this.

I had the fortune of getting Xantrex chairman Mossadiq Umedaly into the Toronto Star studio last week to chat about his company’s growth prospects in the renewable energy sector and in rising geographic markets such as China. Burnaby, B.C.-based Xantrex, one of the world’s leading makers of power electronics for wind turbines and solar systems, has completed a turnaround and is now positioned for some strong growth. A recent acquisition and a joint venture in China are expected to give the company a boost as it drives into new markets and aggressively expands its standing in existing ones. Click here to check out the podcast.

My Clean Break column today looks at some of the latest quarterly investment numbers supplied by the Cleantech Venture Network. The outlook is encouraging. Venture capitalists continue to be excited about the space and there’s little sign of that changing. But perhaps more important, the level of awareness around climate change and its potential impacts on the economy and our way of living has reached the point where venture capital investment is being complemented by the increased purchase and implementation of clean technologies. This is no longer just about investing in the future, but about putting money behind action today. I’m seeing more and more evidence of this happening. Not to say that investment in R&D isn’t necessary. There are some really cool innovations coming out of university labs and start-ups, but we’ve got to continue to spend on technologies that exist right now if we’re going to have a measurable short-term impact on emissions.