In Silicon Valley, a region known for some of the worst traffic in the nation, Google, the Internet search engine giant and online advertising behemoth, has turned itself into Google, the mass transit operator. Its aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers — and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.

And Google can get a couple of extra hours of work out of employees who would otherwise be behind the wheel of a car.

The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily — nearly one-fourth of its local work force — aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners’ laps if the buses run full.

I know that it would be an understatement to say that Google’s online advertising has been successful, but it’s almost hard to believe that they can shoulder this kind of expense. “They run 132 trips every day to some 40 pickup and drop-off locations in more than a dozen cities,” the article says, “crisscrossing six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and logging some 4,400 miles.”

Unfortunately Google won’t discuss the cost of the program. It would have been interesting to know how much money they’re spending on a bus system that rivals any other company.

via rough type

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Related posts: The rise and fall of the electric car, Video of the day: Seinfeld, the lost episode, The politics of ‘24′

One of the more promising inventions was the electric car, which would give off zero air pollutants. Whatever happened to it though? This BBC article explains:

The General Motors EV1 had a top speed of 80mph. It had a range of over a hundred miles. It could do 0-60mph in under eight seconds. And it was an electric car.

Not a milk float or a rinky-dink little two-seater runabout, but a normal car, and a milestone in the development of the electric vehicle, something that could swing the battle against air pollution in California.

And yet the ignominious demise of the GM EV1 is charted in a new film, Who Killed the Electric Car? In his documentary, film-maker Chris Paine, says cynical and conspiring car makers and oil firms, as well as apathetic consumers and weak government and regulators, helped end the electric dream in California.

There was a law made in 1990 (in California) that aimed to get all cars sold in that state to give out 0% air pollution, but GM and others sued until the law was rendered useless. Combine this with strong lobbyist influence, and all work on electric cars have come to a complete stop.

Be sure to read the comments posted by readers at the bottom of that article. They add in good insight on the other side of the story.

Related posts: Geek Heaven: an apartment building filled with gadgets, Matthew McConaughey’s 1971 Corvette convertible on ebay

From Matt:

Back in 98 I went to a California car show and was lookin at gettin a 1962 Vette, but this 71 Stingray caught my eye. I was at the show for 8½ hours and I kept circlin back to spend time checkin it out. By the end of the day I drove off in my 1971, mediterranean blue, Chevy Stingray Convertible. I call her Mako…like the shark.”

“The lines on this Vette are my favorite lines on any sports car…it’s got the shoulders & the hips. The Vette always has that long front end with the shoulders where the wheel wells come up and then continues on back to where it widens nicely at the hips. This year, Corvette really knocked the design out of the park…it’s got muscle and it’s built for drivin. You don’t get it for the gas mileage…it’s not a tiptronic Porsche. When you wanna get it, you feel the horse power in your backside. The music in this car is listenin to the engine…for me it’s the quintessential, bare bones, badass American sports car.”

“I’ve gone to Mexico & back in it, driven across Texas in it…lotta late night drives…take off at midnight and get on the open highway with the top down…top was very seldom up in my drives. Enough room in the trunk for one persons back pack, or two for real light travel.”

“I admire and enjoy this car, but it’s a luxury that I’m willin to relinquish at this point because I am fortunate enough to have everythin I need, and the sale of it will help so many with the necessities in life…part of stayin connected with an on-goin cause to help those in need for the long term…besides, I can’t pull my Airstream with it!”

- just keep livin, McConaughey

As of this writing, the current bid is $42,400.