BMW, one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, has jumped aboard the electric-bike bandwagon. The German auto manufacturer has unveiled the Cruise, a 250-watt electric motor-powered bicycle that can touch nearly 25km/h! the bicycle’s motor is an assist and has four different modes to choose from that include Eco Tour, Sport or Speed/Turbo.
Sweden seems to have taken the cause of going green seriously. Recently, the Swedish company Scania and German company Siemens have joined hands to develop electric-powered commercial vehicles that power up with a roof-mounted apparatus connected to wires. These will be similar to the Muni buses that do the rounds in San Francisco Bay Area and will be used by commercial trucks on Sweden’s highways.
There is no denying that present-day modes of transport are in for a greener and more eco-friendly transition. In the future, the way we travel will turn more environment-friendly and one of the concepts contributing to this change is the Rinspeed microMAX EV concept, a networked swarm car. An efficient, space-saving mode of urban transport, these network-based vehicles could very well be the taxi fleets of the future.
Mass transit systems around the world work as an eco-friendly way to travel, given the fact that these transportation modes encourage people to leave their personal vehicles at home, decreasing the use of fossil fuels and the levels of carbon emissions. Now, bus transit systems are all set to go green with Bombardier’s electric transit technology.
As part of its eco-friendly delivery scheme, UPS is putting 100 new electric trucks on Californian roads. It already has 30 electric trucks delivering goods on the roads of Europe and New York, as well as 2,500 alternative fuel vehicles – run on electricity, hybrids, natural gas and such like – in its worldwide fleet. The latest vehicles will take goods as far as Cali’s West Coast cities of Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento and San Bernardino. With each vehicle boasting 75 miles per charge, let’s hope they don’t run out before they reach their destinations. No-one likes to receive dead flowers or melted ice cream on their doorstep!
Hungarian not-for-profit organization, Antro, has developed an eco friendly fold away scooter – the MOVEO. It has taken five years for Antro to get the prototype on the road, and it is still not expected to go into full production until 2014, which makes me hope that the scooter itself is a little faster than its producers. At present, the scooter’s top speed is 28mph. It weighs 55lbs and has a battery life of 21.75miles per recharge. Aside from the absence of polluting exhaust fumes and fossil fuel consumption, the MOVEO’s fold away design means parking hassles are removed. Antro claim it takes approx 2 minutes to fold the MOVEO into its draggable form, which is small enough to take into your office and store in a corner somewhere. The estimated price tag of the MOVEO is between $3,100 and $4,600.
Nissan Motors have developed a refrigerator truck kitted out with a fully functional fridge, powered by a rechargeable-battery-powered motor. Whether the motor is running, in idle, or off, the fridge keeps food chilled, so deliveries do not spoil. The Atlas F24 will be modified to suit the specifications of Yamato Transport Co, who will rent it in 2013 and run tests for a year. Funding for the project came from Nissan Motors and Sumitomo Corp, which was founded to help new businesses develop their potential through
Solar ship seems just too good to be true! A helium-filled, zero emissions cargo plane, with a huge wing span that absorbs maximum solar power, at a lightweight 1,200lbs, solar ship gains lift from buoyant gases from the earth. Its wing-ship design allows it to land in strange places, devoid of roads or runways. Solar ship has recently been awarded a grant to build a new model to fly emergency supplies during times of crisis, man-made and natural disaster, to communities in North America. In addition, solar ship has been operating out of Cape Town to take medical supplies to remote areas of Africa.
Determined not be snowed in during the harsh Canadian winter, eco-eccentric Dan baker has pimped his golf cart into an emission free, fully enclosed, electric snow blowing machine. The oddly-named ‘Snowpig’ is as far as we are aware, the only one of its kind. Since ‘Snowpig’ is 100% electric, it is far more environmentally friendly than the standard trucks normally contracted to clear Canadian roads. These would normally guzzle up to 3 gallons of gasoline per snow-moving expedition.
Two new vehicles from Organic Transit are about to hit the market. The ELF and the Truckit are both solar powered, but with different functions and audiences in mind. The ELF is designed for commuters. Its slim design will enable you to by-pass traffic and take bike paths instead. There is plenty of storage space for laptops needed for a day in the office, and space for groceries bought on the way home from work. The battery pack can be recharged when the ELF is parked in the sun, or by plugging it into a standard outlet. Battery pack upgrades are also available if you like a little more oomph. The ELF will retail for approximately $4,000.