Today all that nomadic telecommuters need is internet access, a phone, and some strong coffee. Waskman Design Studio’s stunning mobile home, designed for Vodafone, has all of those things (except the caffeine). The solar powered trailer was created for Vodafone to show off its fixed phone and wireless internet service, and is currently occupied by blogger Marcos Morales and his family as they travel through Spain on a family vacation!
Not to be beat out by the slew of electric carmakers that seem to be emerging from the woodwork these days, ExxonMobil has teamed up with Electrovaya, a pioneer in lithium-ion battery technology, to bring us the Maya 300. The little electric car has 5 doors and is capable, so they say, of a 120 mile range. In 8-10 hours the car can be fully charged from a normal 110 volt household outlet. As of now, the Maya is still in development and is set to be available for purchase in 2011.
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!
If you’re an eco-minded cyclist looking to tote your tots alongside groceries or library books on your next jaunt, a ride aboard Madsen’s kg271 Bucket bike may be just the ticket. Ideal transportation for parents, this cargo bike enables bicyclists to make errand running with small kids in tow a green undertaking. Or, on solo ventures when …
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.
The Strida 5.0 series of slick folding bikes are revered as some of the most sturdy, lightweight, and compact cycles in their class, with everyone from urban cyclists and eco-geeks to space-starved city residents singing their praises. Recently designer Mark Sanders rolled out the latest and greatest folding cycle to grace the lineup, the SX Limited. This souped-up folding bicycle features extended handlebars, a classic comfy leather seat, and thinner, larger 18″ Schwalbe tires for faster and smoother cruising.
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?
WIN A $950 STRIDA FOLDING BIKE!
As the weather gets warmer we’re looking forward to spending plenty of sun-soaked days outdoors - and what better way to take full advantage of the beautiful weather than by breezing along on a slick bicycle? We here at Inhabitat want to encourage the use of the world’s most eco-efficient (and fun) mode of transportation, so we’ve teamed up with our fantastic friends at Areaware to give away a styling brand new STRiDA 5.0 SX Limited folding bike!
All you have to do to win is provide us with photographic evidence of why you need this awesome bicycle - is your current ride a crusty old clunker? Is there a mammoth mountain of steps leading up to your 6th floor walkup apartment? Whatever the case, upload your photos after the jump and leave a comment explaining why we should pimp your eco-ride, and we’ll be selecting one lucky winner to receive this beautiful limited edition Strida bicycle valued at $950!
TO ENTER:
1. Sign up for our newsletter
2. Leave a comment on this post, and upload a photo explaining why you need this fantastic folding bike! All photos must be sized to 537 pixels wide and should be under 100k in file size.
*Our image uploading is a bit tricky - sorry! Please don’t forget to copy and paste the image tag for your photo submission in the comment form or it will not show up in the comments. It has come to our attention that many of you are submitting comments without photos. As this is a PHOTO CONTEST - entries without photos will be deleted.
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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!
It’s all about context. Meal with friends: normal. Meal with food gathered in a one mile radius: art. Traffic jam on highway: normal (and boring). Traffic jam in the Spanish mountains: art (and very curious). In 2005, artist Maider López put the call out for willing participants to create an intentional car cluster muck in the Aralar Mountains. In response, more than 400 folks drove up to the countryside in 160 vehicles to get stuck. The result: an unexpected invasion to illustrate the automobile’s impact on the landscape.
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!Â
Seeking to expand the horizons of future-forward transportation, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince has set out to create the world’s first zero-emission, wind powered supercar. The vehicle is based upon a heavily modified Lotus Exige that has been retrofitted with an electric engine that will be charged completely by the wind!
This past Sunday, in New York City, the unthinkable happened: Broadway was officially closed… to cars that is. As part of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to reduce traffic in the city, two sections of Broadway, from 47th to 42nd and from 35th to 33rd Streets, were closed to all vehicular traffic. For the first time ever, happy New Yorkers were able to traverse Times Square without feeling the need to compete with cars. If you think that’s impressive, wait till you read what they have planned next!
There’s little good news coming out of the American auto industry these days, but here and there we’re seeing glimmers of hope from major car manufacturers. GM has announced that it is developing a more efficient combustion engine that is designed to improve the performance of its vehicles by almost 15%. Dubbed the HCCI, the next generation engines work by compressing fuel rather than igniting it with a spark plug, resulting in both reduced gas consumption and increased mileage.
It’s been several months since we brought you news of the Plastiki, a boat made of 12,500 plastic bottles, so we figured it was time for an update. When we left the Plastiki expedition last, David de Rothschild, the founder of Adventure Ecology, was making preparations to steer his plastic sailboat towards the floating landfill in the Pacific Ocean. Some time has passed, but we’re excited to report that Plastiki is nearly ready to set sail upon the open sea!
Up-and-coming Swiss auto company GreenGT recently unveiled plans for a fully-electric vehicle that is heralded to be the most powerful and cutting-edge electric race car ever built. Designed with the famous Le Mans race in mind, their Twenty-4 vehicle is currently undergoing development and will boast two 100-kw electric engines that provide 350-400 horsepower and a top speed of 171 mph.
We keep on saying that smaller, more efficient vehicles are the way of the future, but we never thought we’d see one this tiny! In a bid to create the world’s smallest car, Perry Watkins of the U.K. has repurposed a “Postman Pat” children’s ride into a street-legal vehicle that pushes far beyond clown-car dimensions. The car measures 39 inches tall by 26 inches wide, is capable of accelerating up to 40mph, and gets 70 miles per gallon!
Nissan’s prototype EV-02 may lack the streamlined curves and svelte sex appeal of today’s electric super sportscars, however Nissan is hoping the technology behind this vehicle will power the first mass marketed EV! The milestone electric vehicle is set to make a splash when it hits the states in 2010 with a 100 mile range and a price point of $20,000-$30,000.
The Arizona sun is strong–so strong that one Phoenix man is using it to power up his motorcycle. Richard Gryzch’s Solar Flyer motorcycle, named after the Radio Flyer red wagon, has a 50 mile range and can supposedly top 90 MPH. The inventor is so sure of his bike that he sold a home and a number of other motorcycles to finance it.
Travelers going from Tucson to Phoenix may soon be blazing across the desert in speeding solar bullet trains propelled by the sun’s rays. Hot on the heels of President Obama’s plan for High Speed Rail in the US comes the news that Arizona-based Solar Bullet LLC is proposing a new 220mph bullet train that will be entirely powered by the sun and will make the trip in 30 minutes flat.
Last week, we were excited to be the exclusive media sponsor of the Green Room, an eco-focused space within premiere fashion trade show Designers & Agents. Although we were technically ‘working’ at D&A, the bright and cheery Green Room looked so much like an eco-fashionista’s dream boutique, complete with bubblegummy eco-art and elegant furnishings by Uhuru, that we couldn’t help but want to go shopping! And we did! From ruffly sweet sweater dresses to sleek silver recycled tyvek tops, we tried on so much eco-goodness that we knew we had to share our favorite looks with you. So without further ado, here are our favorite new green styles from the D&A trade show - modeled of course, by yours truly….
This week, we’re psyched to be reporting live from the ‘Green Room,’ a devoted space within premiere fashion trade show Designers & Agents featuring the hottest emerging eco-collections. Things may have been dreary outside, but this bright, airy green fashion wonderland has been providing us with plenty of eye candy to keep our minds off of the weather. From futuristic shift dresses made from Tyvek to cozy alpaca wool frocks adorned with ruffles, the creative use of materials and masterful craftsmanship of each unique design is a testament to how far sustainable style has evolved from the bland, hempy looks of yore. Read on for a sneak peek gallery of the brightest budding talent in sustainable clothing and accessories!
The New York Auto Show recently took place, and just like last year’s show, small and green is what caught everyone’s eye. Take the Scion IQ concept, a micro-subcompact tricked-out version of the Toyota IQ. A bit bigger than a smart car and a tad smaller than a mini, the vehicle strikes the perfect balance between between fuel efficiency, size and capacity, making it perfect for city driving.
What to do if you are a creative young artist with a defunct Skoda Fabia? Why, you make it disappear of course! When University of Central Lancashire art student Sara Watson found herself in possession of an old junker from a local recycling company, she decided to turn it into an incredible piece of environmental art. By painting the vehicle to match the parking lot in front of her art studio’s entrance she created a wonderful and mind-bending optical illusion that acts as a call to recycle.
Being the sustainable style junkies we are, Inhabitat is joining forces once again with premiere fashion trade show Designers & Agents to bring you the best and brightest in cutting-edge eco fashion coverage from today through Wednesday. The NY Inhabitat team will be on the scene in the ‘Green Room,’ a gallery space dedicated to showcasing environmental design and eco fashion collections (not to mention green furniture, books and products), so stop by and say hello! Remember, emerging designers can only show once in the Green Room, so this is your chance to glimpse the newest budding talent (before everyone else knows about it).
The Mayor of the fine city of San Francisco has a bit of blogger in him. Just yesterday Mayor Gavin Newsom wrote a guest post on our favorite beyond petroleum blog gas2.0, kicking off the race to build the first electric vehicle grid in the US! Newsom’s post is a response to Portland’s Mayor Sam Adams’ move to be the first city to implement a EV charging infrastructure to support a city of gas free cars. Gas 2.0 has said it best: The EV wars have begun! This is exactly the kind of civic pride and commitment coupled with healthy competition that is necessary to push electric vehicles along to new places - pay attention Chicago, Austin, Boston, and New York! Don’t let these west coasters have all the fun, jump in and let’s see what we can do. Game on!
Just yesterday we had the chance to sit down with John Viera, Ford Motor Company’s Director of Sustainable Business Strategies, to talk about how the Big Three manufacturer is going green. Viera touched on a number of topics, but we were most interested in what he had to say about Ford’s future in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV). Read on for our exclusive interview!
Earlier this year we introduced you to Chargepoint, a network of electric vehicle charging stations that have been installed cities across the US and Canada. Well, making a great idea even better, Carbon Day Automotive recently announced the installation of a Solar Powered Chargepoint station in the city of Chicago. Solar charged electric vehicles? Fantastic!
At the Society of Automotive Engineers‘ recent world congress in Detroit, hybrid engine developer Raser Technologies unveiled a whopper — a plug-in, extended-range Hummer powered by Raser’s E-REV power train engine. Yes, you read that right - an electric Hummer H3 that has 268 hp, a 40 mile all-electric range, and a fuel efficiency of over 100 mpg.
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