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Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla's Model 3, and more!
After years of anticipation, Tesla just unveiled its most affordable electric car to date. The Model 3 is a svelte EV for the masses that starts at $35,000, and it can drive 215 miles on a single charge. Meanwhile, Hyundai set a world record by driving a hydrogen-powered car for 6,096 continuous miles. In other transportation news, India announced ambitious plans to become a 100 percent electric vehicle nation by the year 2030. A Colorado startup unveiled a supersonic jet that can travel from New York to London in three hours flat. And we rounded up nine of the best cargo bikes for carting around kids and goods in style.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Toyota's new Prius, and more!
Tesla is set to unveil its most affordable electric car ever next weekend, but Chevrolet stole a bit of its thunder by rolling out the first pre-production Bolt EV. Meanwhile, Toyota debuted the Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid with a record-breaking 120 MPGe rating. Hybrid Air Vehicles launched the world's largest airship, which can fly for three weeks straight without a crew. And frequent fliers will be relieved to learn that Airbus has developed a new plane designed to eliminate jet lag.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: A solar-powered plane, and more!
Everyone's heard of hybrid cars, but what about hybrid airplanes? A solar and biofuel-powered plane is set to make history this June by completing the world's first zero-carbon trans-Atlantic flight. We also spotted an incredible underwater exosuit that allows you to fly through the ocean like Ironman. In other transportation news, Mexico City banned over one million cars as air pollution levels skyrocketed. And a Swedish company created an amazing bicycle cafe that actually purifies city smog.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: BMW's car of the future, and more!
What if installing solar panels were as easy as rolling out a carpet? That's the promise of the Roll-Array, a powerful, flexible solar system that can be set up in two minutes flat. Meanwhile, Deltec has launched a line of solar-powered prefab homes that start under $100,000, and we spotted an amazing teardrop trailer that can operate completely off-grid thanks to roof-mounted photovoltaics. In other building technology news, Boeing debuted a new self-cleaning airplane bathroom that uses UV light to obliterate germs.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Highlights from the Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva Motor Show kicked off this week, and one of the stars of the show was the Koenigsegg Regera, an insane plug-in hybrid with 1,500 horsepower. Meanwhile, Goodyear rolled out a crazy spherical tire that lets cars drive sideways and Nissan unveiled its vision for the Fuel Station of the Future. We also spotted a "zipper truck" that snaps bricks together to build tunnels in just 24 hours, and Schwinge launched a futuristic pyramid-shaped superyacht.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: A flying car by 2018, and more!
If you've been waiting forever for a flying car, you won't have to hold out much longer: The Terrafugia TF-X will take to the skies by the year 2018. In other transportation news, Singapore-based Vanda Electric unveiled an insane 1,500-horsepower supercar that can go from 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds. Tesla partnered with Radio Flyer to roll out a tiny Model S for kids. And a NASA scientist thinks that in the far future lasers could send a spacecraft to Mars in just 30 minutes.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Riversimple's hydrogen car and more!
Is the age of the hydrogen car upon us? This week Riversimple announced plans to launch a 250-mpg fuel cell vehicle that's as affordable as a gas-burning car. The craziest part is that the company won't be selling it: Drivers will instead purchase a monthly plan that includes maintenance, insurance and hydrogen fuel. Meanwhile, Lexus unveiled the LC 500h, a 470-horsepower beast that could very well be the sexiest hybrid ever made. And three friends developed one of the craziest-looking vehicles we've ever seen. It's called the Cedar Rocket, and it's the world's fastest electric log car.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: VW's microbus concept, and more!
Volkswagen is still reeling from the Dieselgate emissions scandal, but it's trying to turn over a new leaf. So far the automaker has announced plans to launch 20 electric vehicles by the year 2020, and this week we learned that the BUDD-e electric microbus will be one of them. In other transportation news, a team of MIT students took top place in Elon Musk's Hyperloop design contest with plans for a streamlined pod that uses maglev technology. Uganda launched its first solar bus, and Google wants to bring 5G internet to off-grid areas with fleets of sun-powered drones.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 'Deathproof' vehicles and more!
Many automakers are working on self-driving cars, but Volvo is the first to announce plans for completely "deathproof" vehicles by the year 2020. Meanwhile, General Motors invested $500 million in Lyft to create a network of autonomous vehicles. Snowstorms snarl traffic, but engineers have a solution: electric roads that de-ice themselves without the need for road salt. We also spotted a unique circular bridge in Uruguay that encourages drivers to slow down and enjoy the view. And Ford teamed up with fashion designers to debut a collection of couture made from recycled upholstery.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Fisker Karma gets a price cut, and more!
Architects are constantly pushing boundaries to redefine what buildings can do. Baca Architects just unveiled the UK's first "amphibious house," which is able to rise up and float when floods strike. Designer Michael Weeks has developed a self-sufficient dome home called the Life Pod that can be transported virtually anywhere. In Kazakhstan, architects are proposing the world's first apartment building topped with a ski slope. And Franek Architects just unveiled a spiraling mountaintop walkway in Czech Republic that features a 330-foot slide.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: The Detroit Auto Show, SOTU and more!
The North American International Auto Show kicked off this week in Detroit, and we hit the floor to bring you seven of the best green cars, including a hot hydrogen sedan and the world's first electric minivan. The Obama administration heralded the age of autonomous vehicles with a new plan to invest $4 billion in self-driving car technology. As usual, Tesla is ahead of the curve: This week Elon Musk announced that the automaker's first fully autonomous cars will hit streets by the year 2018. And Tesla also took honors as the Model S was declared the world's top-selling electric car of 2015.
Inhabitat Week in Green: All the EVs at CES, and more!
Want to see the future of transportation? Look to CES 2016, where innovators debuted the state of the art in high-tech mobility. Chevrolet kicked things off by launching the first electric car for the masses, the 2017 Bolt EV. It gets 200 miles per charge and will cost around $30,000. (Check out our interview with GM engineering chief Pam Fletcher here.) Meanwhile, the mysterious startup Faraday Future showcased an insane 1,000-horsepower electric vehicle that looks like a rocket ship and Ehang showcased an autonomous helicopter that can carry you up to 11,000 feet without a pilot. And a Chinese "hoverboard" company made the news when federal marshals raided their booth over copyright concerns.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: A Volkswagen van, and more!
Sea levels are rising as arctic ice melts, so what will cities do to combat rising tides? According to architect Vincent Callebaut, they'll set sail. This week Callebaut unveiled plans for a futuristic floating village that can be 3D-printed from plastic waste. Meanwhile, the team behind the world's largest 3D printer announced plans to create a life-size replica of Syria's Palmyra arch, which was destroyed by Islamic State militants. In other architecture news, Thomas Heatherwick wants to build a tree-covered mountain in the middle of Shanghai, and a team of Harvard students built an amazing tiny home that you can rent for $99 a night.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Ford's self-driving cars, and more!
Energy bills tend to spike in the wintertime, but this incredible UK home costs just $2 a month to run. The secret? Tons of insulation and a massive set of rooftop solar panels. We also spotted a futuristic Russian dome home that's able to withstand massive loads of snow, and a team of Finnish engineers are building the world's longest ice bridge at the start of next year.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Paris climate talks, and more!
This week marked the close of the COP21 climate talks in Paris, where world leaders from 195 countries voted to adopt a climate change agreement on Saturday that aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a historic move that has been decades in the making. Meanwhile, we took an in-depth look at the rise of clean energy in the United States, and researchers revealed a road map for how the entire planet can switch to renewables by the year 2050. Uruguay in particular is way ahead of the curve: The nation currently gets about 95 percent of its energy from sustainable sources. We also showcased several energy innovations, including a sea wall that harvests electricity from the motion of the ocean, and a new floating solar plant that's coming to the US next year.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla Model S recall, and more!
When a problem comes along, you must fix it. This week Tesla noticed a defective seatbelt in one of its Model S sedans, so the automaker immediately issued a recall for all 90,000 vehicles on the road out of "an abundance of caution." In other transportation news, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin beat out Elon Musk's SpaceX in the race to develop a rocket that can return intact from space. Porsche announced plans to offer a hybrid version of one of the most-loved sports cars of all time. We also spotted several outlandish infrastructural hazards: a three-day traffic jam snared drivers in Kenya and a highway suddenly lifted towards the sky and splintered into pieces in California.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: The new Prius and a two-legged puppy
2016 is shaping up to be a tremendous year for green transportation. This week Honda announced plans to launch its Clarity Fuel Cell car next year in the US, while Gogoro is getting ready to roll out its battery-swapping Smartscooters in Europe. Chevrolet scored a grand slam as the 2016 Volt won the Green Car of the Year award, and we jumped behind the wheel of the completely redesigned 2016 Toyota Prius to give you the scoop. We also showcased two wild pedal-powered vehicles: a folding bike that weighs less than a watermelon and the world's longest bicycle, which stretches an absurd 117 feet.
Inhabitat Week in Green: An EV that could last a million miles, and more!
Here's something we never thought we'd hear: Wind farms in Texas are generating too much energy -- and some utilities are actually giving it away for free. In other news, the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor is set to switch online this month, and it could unlock the key to limitless cheap electricity. Clean energy is on the rise around the world: A new study shows that renewables account for half of all power plants built in 2014, Taiwan is building the world's largest dual axis solar tracker station and a Swiss company built a giant machine that sucks up CO2 and transforms it into electricity.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Obama's Keystone XL pipeline veto
The world's oceans contain an immense amount of energy -- and this week two pioneering projects sought to unlock it. First Australia announced the world's first wave energy microgrid, and then Scotland gave the green light to construct the largest floating wind farm on the planet. Germany is betting big on clean energy: The nation just announced that it's on track to produce 33 percent of its electricity from renewable sources this year. Meanwhile, Sweden is moving ahead with plans to become the world's first fossil fuel-free nation by the year 2050, and President Obama officially vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline ahead of the Paris climate change conference.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: gigantic LED cube, synthetic bones and a playground from recycled wind turbines
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Happy April 1st! In honor of the day, we've rounded up some of Inhabitat's best April Fools stories for your reading pleasure. Our collective jaws dropped this morning when we were sent an anonymous photo from a tipster which hints at intergalactic plans for Apple's new Cupertino campus. Google also surprised us today when it announced a partnership with the city of New York to replace NYC taxis with driverless Google Cabs. In other NYC news, it was revealed today that New York City's ever-popular High Line park is going to bring a train back on the High Line to keep up with the growing crowds, and satellite photos divulged that Dubai appears to be building a series of Dubai-shaped islands off of its coast. In more serious news, the New York Auto Show is hitting Manhattan next week, and in preparation this week Fisker released the first sketch of its highly anticipated Nina Plug-in Hybrid. Inhabitat will be on-scene at the reveal on Tuesday to bring you the first photos of its unveiling, so stay tuned for Inhabitat's live Fisker Nina coverage on Tuesday! We also brought you a sneak peek at several more innovative eco vehicles that will displayed at this year's New York Auto Show -- including NYC's taxi of tomorrow and Infiniti's new Nissan Leaf-based EV. Meanwhile, Lexus divulged that it is considering producing the sexy LF-LC hybrid sports coupe, and Chevy Volt's sexier European twin the Opel Ampera racked up 7,000 orders, putting it well on its way to meeting sales targets. In two-wheel transportation news, bicycles kicked into high gear as Specialized launched the world's fastest E-bike and Jose Hurtado designed a hubless 'Twist Bike' that can be turned into a tandem in a snap.
