The G-8 summit is underway in Japan, and green innovation is on display; Germany goes for windpower; and the latest from Tesla, GM, and Ford.

Energy-frugal Japan toots horn at G8 summit: The G-8 summit gets underway today, and host country Japan is wasting no opportunity to strut its environmental stuff. A zero-emissions model home and the latest hybrid offerings from Japan’s auto industry were on display Sunday at the summit venue in Toyako. The summit media center — constructed for the equivalent of $28 million to coordinate the three-day event — features a number of green design elements, including cooling by an under-floor snowpack that has been in place since winter. (AFP)

Tesla Roadster takes 30 hours to charge from a standard wall socket: Owners of the new Tesla Roadster might want to consider having their garages or carports rewired. Engadget reports this morning that standard 120 volt wall sockets won’t really be up to the job, taking up to 30 hours to fully juice Tesla’s state-of-the-art battery pack. A 220 volt/80 amp circuit should get it done in 3 to 3.5 hours, with a more modest 220v/40a socket talking up to 7 hours. Save that 120v extension cord for your electric lawnmower.

Germany wants to build 30 windfarms: French energy giant Areva will step in to help Germany meet an ambitious renewable energy goal: 30 offshore windfarms by 2030. Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee says the two thousand turbine project will be built-out in the Baltic and North seas, and should produce about 11,000 megawatts. The first windfarm should go live off off Borkum Island later this year. (Physorg.com)

GM Marching to a New Beat — Expect Mutiple Volt Versions: So has General Motors gotten the memo, after all? After a crusty Wall Street Journal article questioning the company’s overall marketing strategy, the GM press is suddenly full of encouraging news. First came word that GM might be eyeing a Stateside version of the Beat minicar. Now there are rumors of a light truck along the lines of the Montana (now sold in Latin America). On top of this, GM is hinting that the Volt may come on more “variations” than previously expected. We’ll see. (GM-VOLT Blog)

Ford’s capless filling system could be a problem as fuel thefts rise: This is from our could-have-seen-it-coming file. Ford’s convenient new capless filling system is a huge hit — with gas thieves. The system is actually quite slick, reducing evaporative fuel losses and eliminating the need to mess around with a dirty filling cap. But it’s also an open invitation for siphoning, since there’s no cap to lock. A lockable fuel door on capless vehicles is probably the answer. In the meantime, don’t be parking on dark streets.