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Nissan's e-NV200 all-electric van earmarked for a London taxi makeover
Buried within an announcement from Nissan about its NV200 diesel compact van hitting the London streets, the company has also outed its plans to trial the all-electric variant for ferrying people around the city. The e-NV200 went from concept to reality earlier this year, shortly after the diesel version got a New York paint job and was branded the "Taxi of Tomorrow." The NV200 has satisfied all legal requirements and is set to challenge the iconic London black cab with its lower emissions, greater efficiency and, of course, competitive pricing. The e-NV200 prototype (not to be confused with the soon-to-be certified diesel version) is scheduled for testing in London during 2013. However, Nissan does note that rolling out the EV would only be realistic if there's "increasing investment in charging infrastructure" across the capital. [Image Credit: Auto Express]
Nissan announces e-NV200 all-electric van, production slated for 2013
So, Chrysler's electric postal van never really took off -- perhaps a few too many mailmen refused to give up those roomy Grumman LLVs -- but now Nissan is giving the electric van concept a go. Yesterday the company announced the e-NV200 compact van (previously teased as a concept), which will go into production in 2013. The van will be Nissan's second all-electric vehicle, following the 2010 Leaf. The e-NV200's design is quite similar to that of the NV200 van, but it swaps taxi-cab yellow for the Leaf's shade of robin's egg blue. Nissan says it's putting $126 million into producing the new model, but so far it's keeping mum on other details. Head past the break for the full press release
Kenneth Cobonpue's biodegradable car: time to ditch the Gremlin rusting in your yard
Is there any sadder sight than a 1958 Plymouth Fury rotting in the woods, Christine-style, its dead headlights staring into the gloaming? We don't think so. That's why we're downright giddy over Kenneth Cobonpue's Phoenix roadster, a biodegradable concept car made from bamboo, rattan, steel and nylon. Style wise, it's propped somewhere between Tata's Nano and Tesla's Roadster, and there's no word yet on what might go under the hood -- presumably a smallish electric engine... or a stardust-powered unicorn, perhaps. That funky-looking body should last the average length of ownership; after five years (or even longer, depending on the composition), it can be replaced or naturally returned to the Ma Earth. One potential downside of biodegradable vehicles? No more "dead car" Flickr albums. Also, no warranties.
Wallpaper* limited edition bikes fold into a briefcase, look great doing it
The intersection of bicycling and gadgetry is often littered with odd-looking contraptions that only the bravest geek would be caught dead on. That's why we were pleased as punch to see the International, designed by Kinfolk and Coat, making the rounds. The one speed racing bike looks great, and it can be quickly broken down and thrown into a (albeit large) briefcase for that part of your journey that involves public transpo. While we're at it, the City (after the break) also fits into its own carrying bag, although it does have the more traditional "folding bike" thing goin' on. Both are available from Wallpaper*, for £2,450 ($3,815) and £1,255 ($1,955) respectively.
Volkswagen Beetle converted to run on methane headed for the UK streets
Meet the Bio-Bug, a custom modded Volkswagen Beetle which has been converted to run on biogas -- fuel created from human waste. The process of conversion isn't brand new, but this will be the first automobile fully converted to run on biogas in the United Kingdom without any loss of performance. In fact, the car is so reliable that its makers believe it can "blow away" electric vehicles, and that consumers won't even notice the difference. The Bio-Bug is a regular old 2 liter VW convertible modified to operate on both gasoline and compressed methane gas: once the methane runs out, the car reverts back to running on gasoline. The cars run on so little methane that just one regular sized sewage plant could run a car (or cars) over 95,000,000 miles per year. Developed by GENeco, a sustainable energy company in the UK, the Bio-Bug is going into a trial period, and the company plans on converting its entire fleet if successful.
