Few land vehicles are capable of hitting 300 miles per hour – it is, after all, a pretty impressive speed for a car to achieve. That figure becomes even more incredible when you enter the realm of alternative transportation. However just last week the Buckeye Bullet 2 became the first hydrogen powered vehicle to exceed that speed, smashing the world speed record for fuel cell vehicles with a scorching 304mph run!
Harnessing daylight in the busy and narrow streets of London is a remarkable challenge for any architect. Recently ALA met that challenge in their remarkable renovation of the 10 Hills Place office. Using a bit of ingenuity and a bit of shipmaking technology, the architects created a sculptural facade that is as beautiful as it is effective. It’s been said that you can’t judge a building by it’s facade, but for this building, that is precisely what we are going to do.
In the summer of giant robots, red matter, and aliens in South Africa, one little movie has managed to do what no other has done: have an impact on the real world. The Cove is a documentary film that follows Richard O’Barry and a team of experts as they work to uncover and show to the world the extreme dolphin killings that occur in the town of Taiji, Japan, beginning every September. Well the 1st of September has come and gone, and believe it or not, the dolphin killings have stopped – all thanks to this great little thriller of a movie!
Nissan recently unveiled an all-electric vehicle that stands to break ground as the company’s opening foray into the EV fray. Rather than aiming to create a high-end supercar, Nissan has decided to target an altogether different market. Enter the Nissan Leaf, an economical fully-electric vehicle designed with the family in mind.
We’ve all heard the term “vehicle of the future” being tossed around by everyone, but what does it mean? BMW’s response is the Vision EfficientDynamics concept vehicle, a low carbon plug-in hybrid supercar geared towards the premium end of the market that they hope will point the way for their future in this increasingly fuel-efficiency-minded market. Read on to see how it stacks up.
The next frontier in green transportation is bound to be flight travel, which is why it is not surprising to see that NASA just announced the Green Flight Challenge. The competition will be awarding a prize of $1.5 million to the first plane to achieve 100 miles per hour, for 200 miles. That may not sound that impressive until you realize that the plane must achieve an efficiency of 200 passenger miles per gallon – not an easy feat!
With major auto manufactures rushing to green their upcoming vehicle lines as quickly as possible, Ford Motor Company has announced that it is researching an innovative material that may one day become as ubiquitous as plastic – liquid wood! The material is derived from waste wood, can be molded into different shapes, and the best news is that according to Ford, it is almost carbon neutral.
Do you enjoy cars, but feel it’s a bit tedious to actually hold the wheel, step on the gas and shift the gears? No sweat – industrial design studio, Mike and Maaike, has just thing thing – the ATNMBL, a car that drives itself! Did we mention that it comes with a bar?
Students at MIT recently announced that they are developing an extended range electric vehicle capable of achieving the same performance as its gasoline-powered counterparts. Dubbed the elEVen, the electric dream ride is capable of achieving a top speed of over 100 mph, a range of 320km (200 miles) and can completely charge in 10 minutes flat!
We’ve made no secret of our never-ending love for bikes here at Inhabitat – as one of the world’s most efficient modes of transportation they’re also an emission free, healthy, and enjoyable way to get around. There’s no better season to ride a bike than in the summer, so we figured the time is right to bring you a collection of our favorite pedal-powered rides. Without further delay we present to you our picks for the sexiest cycles around!
What could be more fun than gliding along on an eco-chic bicycle? How about shooting through the skies in a pedal-powered monorail capsule! A bunch of entrepreneuring New Zealanders has created just such a human-powered monorail system, known as the Shweeb. Their creation does double duty, acting not just as an innovative transportation system, but also an amusement ride. Are our cities the next step?
The U.S. postal service currently owns of one of the largest vehicle fleets on the planet, and they recently announced a monumental measure to replace 6,500 aging gas guzzling vehicles with more fuel efficient vehicles. The plan includes 900 hybrids and 1,000 alternative fuel vehicles purchased by the U.S. General Services Administration as part of a $210 million dollar plan to green the government’s fleet. Since these vehicles see heavy use and are essential for many of the USPS’ operations, their introduction stands to create a massive reduction in carbon emissions and fuel costs.
London’s iconic double-decker buses recently received an eco update as six highly efficient hybrid Volvo vehicles hit the streets for the first time. The new B5L two-story buses retain their classic red color, but under the hood a hybrid drivetrain saves 25% on fuel consumption while significantly reducing emissions and noise. The buses have entered service in the city as part of a trial run, and if all goes according to plan they will be joined by additional vehicles in the future.
The small Australian town of Bundanoon just set a new standard for sustainability by voting to do what no community has ever done before: ban bottled water! The measure was founded over concerns about the tremendous amount of resources used to extract, package, and transport bottled water, and it passed nearly unanimously in a town hall meeting. Will this be the beginning of a trend?
There is plenty of water in the world for everyone, the problem has always been trying to convert it into a form we can drink. German Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute recently announced that they have developed a new method to convert air humidity into drinking water using renewable energy. They are proposing large water harvesting plants to be located even in the most remote of places, such as the Sahara desert. Is this the solution to our water problems?
Students from Turkey’s Sakarya University have unveiled a remarkable attempt at creating Europe’s most fuel efficient vehicle. The SAHİMO is a hydrogen powered vehicle that is capable of traveling 568 kilometers on 1 liter of fuel (about 353 miles on a quarter gallon). The students’ ultimate goal is to trek SAHİMO across 3,000 kilometers of the Australian Outback on just 3 liters of fuel in the inaugural 2009 Global Green Challenge. And you thought you were getting good mileage out of your Prius!
In the search for a low-cost, fuel-efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly alternative to motorcycles, the mayor of a city in the Philippines recently rolled out two incredible taxis crafted from one of our favorite renewable materials – bamboo! Rustico Balderian, mayor of Tabontabon, has commissioned the construction of two taxis made from 90% bamboo that are powered by coconut biodiesel – take that steel-based cars!
When you hear the term ‘green restaurant’, greasy fast food chain McDonalds is pretty much the last thing that comes to mind. With a reputation for fostering obesity, bad health and environmental destruction by peddling rainforest grown meat, McDonald’s has been fighting a less-than-rosy public image for years. But now the country’s largest fast-food restaurant is hoping to change all that with the opening of their first ‘green’ restaurant in North Carolina — dubbed ‘green’ because the restaurant will offer electric vehicle charging.
Flight pioneer Bertrand Piccard, an aeronaut who made the first nonstop round the world balloon flight, recently unveiled a prototype of an incredible solar-powered airplane that will one day circle the globe. Dubbed the Solar Impulse, the plane first caught our attention when it was being developed, and we’re thrilled to see a working prototype of the vehicle. Is the age of the solar powered airplane upon us?
Delft University recently unveiled a sleek solar-powered vehicle that they hope will score them their fifth trophy in the World Solar Challenge race. Dubbed the Nuna5, the vehicle is entirely propelled by the sun’s rays, and is designed to cross one of the most difficult terrains on the planet, the Australian outback. Think that your fossil fuel vehicle is up to the task? These students know that theirs is!
Last week, millions of TV sets became obsolete, all due to the switch from analog to digital television. So, what does an eco-minded individual do with an old, ugly, lead and toxin filled box? Well, throwing it away is not an option! You could always recycle your old television — but that doesn’t quite do the trick, does it? What is a true green geek to do? Thanks to Make Magazine, we now have a few, very clever ideas for repurposing your defunct boob tube.
After a successful series of trials in London, Daimler has just announced that the Smart Fortwo Electric is officially ready for small series production! The all-electric version of everyone’s favorite ultra-efficient minicar will feature a 41 hp Zytek electric motor capable of propelling it up to zippy top speed of 60mph with a range of 72 miles, making it perfect for inner-city driving and daily commutes. Now that seems like a smart <sorry> idea to us!
Recently supercar company Koenigsegg revealed that it has obtained a controlling interest in Saab, and according to a Swedish website, their plan is to not just keep Saab running, but to use its facilities to manufacture the solar powered Quant supercar in the near future. The Koenigsegg Quant is a fully-electric four person solar powered vehicle with a top speed of 170 mph, and a 0 to 60 speed of around 5.2 seconds. The entire body is covered in a photovoltaic thin-film solar coating designed by NLV that powers the vehicle.
Ohio State University recently took top honors in the 2009 EcoCAR Competition, which challenged students across the US and Canada to redesign a standard Saturn VUE into an ultra-efficient vehicle. Their winning EcoCAR utilizes a lithium battery and an ethanol-fueled engine to achieve an incredible 300% increase in fuel efficiency over its standard model counterpart! The vehicle took plenty of man hours, good design and well-honed math skills, but the end result proves that future-forward vehicles can be built with the technology of today.
Next time you feel like generating a little energy, just roll into your local Sainsbury’s! The third largest British supermarket chain has just unveiled a new energy system that generates power from the vehicles entering the parking lot of its new store in Gloucester. Think that’s neat? It’s just the tip of the iceberg lettuce for this new lean, green market.
Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) believes it’s time to go above and beyond when designing green rooftops. Exceeding the typical environmental and economical benefits of green roof systems, BAM’s green rooftop design supports a functioning biotope for migrating birds. This rooftop aviary will give our feathered friends a bird’s eye view of Manhattan.
Last week the Time Trials Xtreme Grand Prix (TTXGP), the world’s first ever zero carbon, clean emission, motorcycle Grand Prix was held on the Isle of Man; and the race proved to be every bit as exciting as its fossil fuel equivalent. Team Agni Pro-Class driver Rob Barber made history by winning this inaugural electric motorbike competition with an all-electric Suzuki GSX-R 600.
Personal flying vehicles may be a bit on the esoteric end of the transportation field, but they are still fun nonetheless. Earlier this year, two single-seat lightweight aircraft made their maiden flights from the British Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton. Not very exciting, you may think to yourself, but what if we told you that the planes were completely propelled by electric motors?
By far one of the most wasted spaces of every residence is the roof – of course it is there to protect us from the elements, but surely it can be put to better use. Aiming to innovate upon conventional roof cladding, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently unveiled a new breed of flexible and moisture resistant solar panels that are designed to be rolled out en masse as energy-generating roof tiles!
Have you ever thought to yourself while riding a bike “Gee, I sure wish that I could cross that river.” Well now here’s your chance! Li Wieguo has come up with a relatively cheap and practical DIY project that lets you modify your bike to make it float and work on water. Sure beats taking a boat.
Starting this coming spring, a slick new solar-powered electric vehicle will be hitting the streets of Europe. Italian car designer Pininfarina and French battery manufacturer Bolloré have officially announced that the five door Blue Car hatchback is now ready for production. A fully-electric vehicle with solar panels by 2010? Count us in!
Designing and building a LEED Platinum house is reason enough for us to take notice. When the house is also the work of graduate students at the University of Kansas and it is designed to function off-grid, you can bet that we will anxiously follow its development. Studio 804’s 3716 Springfield House is a two-story residence that is exactly these things, and with the school year just wrapped up, so has the construction of this eco-friendly house in Kansas City.
Texas is famous for having the biggest of everything, from the biggest capitol in the nation, to the largest population of livestock cattle. And while one may not immediately think of Texas as a green state, that will soon change, as Gemini Solar Development has been selected by Austin Energy to install the United States’ largest solar power facility. A green Texas? Why not!
If you happen to be idling your car’s engine on the streets of New York, you may find yourself face to face with George Pakenham, the Verdant Vigilante. The 59 year-old Wall Street mortgage broker is a man on a mission: To stop idling vehicles from polluting the air, causing health issues, and wasting money and precious resources.
Tesla has been bringing innovation and green style to auto industry, ever since the groundbreaking launch of the Tesla Roadster – and more recently with the announcement of the Model S sedan. But is Tesla content to rest on its laurels for now? Not likely. Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, sat down recently for an interview in which he revealed that the next version of the Tesla Roadster will ditch its Lotus roots and will be bigger, better, stronger, and, most importantly, roomier!
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