Mercedes recently rolled out some extraordinary news, announcing that it intends to transition its entire lineup of luxury automobiles to alternative fuels by 2015. The development underscores an industry trend of major auto manufacturers pushing the alternative energy envelope, and we’re excited to see Mercedes mobilize its cache of high class-cred in such a dedicated step towards sustainable transportation.
A bicycle is stolen in England every 71 seconds. So how do you solve this problem through the power of design? According to design student Phil Bridge, make a bike so cheap that there’s no incentive to steal it. And the intrepid design student did just that, by building a bike for about $30 made out of cardboard. Yes, my friends, cardboard!
We get revved up whenever we hear any news about Tesla Motors, and the latest just sets the maker of electric-powered roadsters into an all new green vehicle fast lane. Tesla Motors just announced plans to start building the Model S - an electric sedan with a 225-mile range - in the Bay Area with plans to get the five passenger vehicles on the road in two years time!
Rickshaws, or cycle rickshaws, are a popular mode of human-powered transportation all around the world. The higher tech electric version of the foot-pedalled rickshaws has been gaining popularity recently, as it is an important sustainable mode of transport across developing nations. Now, London-based research and design company Solar Lab is working on a solar-powered rickshaw that will be the first human powered hybrid vehicle - combining pedal power with energy from rooftop photovoltaics.
Are traditional bikes a bit too pedestrian for you? Ben Wilson recently unveiled a sleek monocycle at this year’s XXIst Century Man Exhibition in Tokyo. Wilson’s pedal-powered prototype one-ups those tendentious “bi-cycles” with a single center-seated wheel. The elegant nimbus may not provide for the smoothest ride, but it more than makes up for it via its pure awesome appeal.
The beauty of living in a place like New York City is that you don’t need a car for ANYTHING. When I left California five years ago to move to NYC, I sold my car and never looked back - it was one of the most freeing moments of my life. Most New Yorkers - especially those in Manhattan - get by just fine without cars and rely on public transportation for mobility. And everyone knows that streets are more pleasant for walking, biking and shopping when cars are taken off the road. So it makes perfect sense for NYC to try out a no-car zone in Manhattan. Just because Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan was shot down in the spring doesn’t mean we’ve called off our dreams of a traffic free future.
Even though it’s a baby step, a new summer proposal has us excited about the possibilities of moving in the direction of a car-free Manhattan. A new initiative called SUMMER STREETS is an attempt to turn parts of Manhattan into a haven for pedestrians for 3 days in August.
Astro Boy, Japan’s favorite mid-century anime android, was recently immortalized in a stunning metro ticket tableau at the Shinjuku Takashimaya department store. The pointillist portrait is composed of scores of recycled subway tickets folded into black and white squares to create a pixel-perfect rendition of the iconic robot as he ushers in a new era of public transportation. Created to celebrate Tokyo’s new Fukotoshin subway, the mural measures 10′ by 7′ and is composed of a staggering 138,000 tickets.
The state of California passed legislation last week that will mandate the use of ‘Environmental Performance’ labels for all new cars sold in the state. Each vehicle receives a ‘Global Warming’ and ‘Smog’ score ranging from 1-10, 10 being the cleanest. It’s hard to imagine that a person buying a Hummer will be suddenly shocked at its low EP score and rush over to the hybrid dealer, but it may clear things up for the novice environmentalist and weed out potential greenwashers.
Remember Vélib, the Parisian bicycle rental service? Well, get ready for Autolib! Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced plans to provide 4,000 electric car-share vehicles for in-town transit by next year. As part of the city’s Autolib program, the EVs will be located at several spots around Paris and available for drivers looking to make short trips around town.
Hungary is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about cutting edge green vehicles, yet. If the creators of the Antro Solo have their way, the country will be synonymous with green machines by 2012. The Antro Solo is a solar, human and gas-electric hybrid vehicle. It looks like nothing else out there, and has a fuel efficiency of more than 150 miles per gallon!
The Chinese government has announced plans to ban 1 million vehicles from the streets of Beijing beginning July 20th. The intention is to reduce the city’s air pollution in time for the 2008 Olympic Games, which start August 8th. China has also announced that fuel prices will be raised by 18 per cent. While the two news stories are distinct from one another, both have the potential to take cars off the road and, perhaps, allow athletes to breathe a little easier at this year’s summer games.
It’s not often that we get to talk about airports but there is a lot happening in the aviation industry. One landmark development is the proposed construction of a new terminal at Shenzen Bao’an International Airport in China. Positioned as a gateway to China and designed by architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, the terminal will no doubt be a sleek transit destination. What has captured our attention is the incredible double skin canopy intended to let patterned natural light into the space, and significantly reduce energy consumption.
Spurred by environmental awareness or, more likely, the impending oil shortage, public transportation will soon see an unprecedented growth spurt. If our current infrastructures are too cumbersome to handle this kind of rapid expansion, what will the new technologies look like? Which assumptions do we need to re-evaluate about our means of public transportation? Here’s a new take on an old idea: A hybrid between an elevated train and a suspension footbridge.
If you are in the market for a mine haul truck, you may want to consider getting a hybrid model. They are not on sale yet, but GE is working hard to ensure that your next purchase of an off-highway hauling vehicle is as energy efficient as possible. Setting a new precedent, GE’s hybrid has been fitted with a 600hp battery pack and a system that captures its braking energy. It’s a mean, big, hybrid hauling machine!
We first featured the Honda FCX Clarity late last year, when Honda announced plans to bring the fuel cell vehicle into production this summer. Making good on their promise, Honda just announced that the hydrogen powered vehicle is rolling off the factory floor in limited numbers to a lucky few. Two hundred FCX Clarity are in production, and will be delivered to celebrity clients such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest as early as July. They will be leased for $600 a month, and naturally, to people who live near a hydrogen refueling station. The launch of the FCX Clarity marks a major milestone in retail initiatives for fuel cell vehicles and the first distribution of the Honda developed fuel cell platforms.
If you read last week’s Transportation Tuesday, you might be doing a double take - after all, we are featuring another ultra-thin, super cool looking, three wheel vehicle. Last week was the electric Smera. This week’s sleek ride is the distinguished CLEVER concept - a 3 feet wide vehicle that runs on compressed natural gas and is perfect for urban driving.
Early last week, German giants BMW unveiled the GINA Light Visionary Model, a highly anticipated concept set to transform the boundaries of traditional car design. ‘GINA’, an acronym for “Geometry and Functions In ‘N’ Adaptations”, has a seamless outer skin made entirely from a textile fabric (polyurethane-coated Lycra) pulled taut around a moveable frame of metal and carbon fiber wires. This lightweight design requires far less energy to produce than traditional BMW models and the overall car weight is significantly reduced, making it far more fuel-efficient.
We are big fans of the TV show Mythbusters, so when we found out about their tests pitting gas vehicles against electric vehicles in 5 extreme tests, we couldn’t help but take notice. The myth: gas vehicles better perform better than electric. The truth, according to Mythbusters, is that electric vehicles outperform their gas-powered counterparts. BUSTED !
For car manufacturers, creating a green vehicle is finally no longer a case of fulfilling the needs of a small niche market; nor is it a case of having a token nod to sustainability in the lineup for “feel good” purposes or as a way to greenwash a path into American garages. With $4 per gallon gas prices, it is now finally becoming clear to car manufacturers that renewable energy is the way of future, and going green is a matter of economic survival. Thus, we are happy to announce that it appears the SUV has finally come to the end of its road.
Following the success of Ultra Motor’s Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) in India and China, this eco and economical form of urban transport is set to go on sale in the U.S. this summer, and in Europe later this year. The 2008 electric bike, the “A2B”, offers the style of a bike with the power of an electric motor, offering ‘unassisted power’ for up to 20miles, with a top speed of 20mph/33kmph.
With oil prices at a record high, it comes as no surprise to find alternative vehicles such as the Lumeneo Smera catching the eye of car enthusiasts everywhere. The Smera is a two seat, four wheel electric vehicle that is narrow enough to maneuver as a motorcycle. We’ve heard of small vehicles, but the Smera is taking thin to a new transportation extreme.
This bizarrely named but beautiful Cinelli Bootleg Magic Bus Rat bike was one of the many highlights of this year’s Well-Tech Awards at Milan Design Week 2008. Folding up in 20 seconds and weighing less than the average trekking bike at 11kg, this little cycle offers a particularly nimble, stylish way to get around town. With a totally sustainable street attitude, high-tech attributes and miles of bike experience behind it from one of cycling’s top stars, the Bus Rat is a tricked out two wheeler we can’t ignore.
The long-awaited competition results for the Design 21: Power to the Pedal contest have finally been announced, and although there are some outstanding and innovatively green winners in the top finalists list, there is one entry that did not receive a top award that we were particularly impressed by – enough to give it some call-out attention. The Bloom bike device by Society Creative, LLC, puts a whole new spin on ‘exhaust plumes’ by attaching a reservoir-like-tube that emits bubbles and seeds as you peddle along pathways and paved surfaces. We think that Bloom is a clever way to encourage bike transport as well as greening strategies that literally clean up the streets with vegetable based soap and seeds. What better way to subversively draw attention to guerrilla gardening tactics than on a bicycle built for (seeded) spew?
What if your car consumed carbon monoxide instead of spewing it out? Just such a vehicle was unveiled at last month’s SAE Congress in Detroit, which showcased some exciting green trends in the automotive industry. BMW stole the spotlight with its hydrogen-powered 7-series sedan that emits less carbon monoxide than is present in its environment. The car’s engine breaks down and converts carbon monoxide, essentially cleaning the air as it is driven.
Our loyal love for the Tesla is being tested by this super sexy and sustainable new sportscar. Hybrid Technologies‘ sleek designed entry to the Automotive X-prize promises to do the one thing that no other car can do: produce a ride that can give you the power of a supercar, with an unmatched efficiency of 220 miles per gallon. Wow, we are definitely being wooed.
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