InhabitatsWeekInGreen
Latest
The Prius Prime's efficiency, and more in the week that was
What does Tesla have up its sleeve? The automaker is planning to unveil a mysterious new product on Monday, and speculation so far ranges from the finalized Model 3 to a major Autopilot update. Meanwhile, the Toyota Prius Prime received a spectacular 133 MPGe rating, making it the most efficient electrified vehicle you can buy in the US. A new European law could require all new homes to install electric vehicle chargers. And Vello launched the world's first folding electric bike that can power itself.
Tesla's plan for world domination, and more in the week that was
Tesla is known for producing some of the world's best electric cars, but founder Elon Musk has even bigger plans for the company: world domination. Musk's new masterplan will grow the company to produce trucks and buses while using battery technology and solar infrastructure to transition the world away from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the world's first "Tesla Town" is coming to Australia, and every home in it will feature solar panels and a powerwall. Driverless cars are almost here: This week Mercedes-Benz unveiled the fully autonomous bus of the future, while a GM exec confirmed plans to launch a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV with Lyft. And we spotted a crazy truck that's able to lay its own road across treacherous terrain in just six minutes.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Flying cars and an urban underground park
The Tesla Model X is the best car in its class - but it's also prohibitively expensive with a MSRP of $83,000. That's set to change, as Tesla just launched a new version of its electric SUV that is $9,000 cheaper. If you're holding out for a flying car, you won't have to wait much longer - Aeromobile just unveiled a brand new prototype and announced plans to launch a commercial flying vehicle by 2017. The European Space Agency backed a new hypersonic plane that will be able to travel from London to Sydney in four hours flat. And a Welsh company created a truck that carries its own road surface, lays it down, and then picks it back up.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: A modular airplane, and more!
Is the age of the solar-powered car upon us? Hanergy thinks so. The Chinese company just debuted four new vehicles that source all of their energy from the sun. Meanwhile, Clip-Air announced plans to test a crazy modular airplane that carries passengers and cargo in detachable pods. Eleven electric cars set off on a 15,534-mile race across 20 countries and three continents. And cycling infrastructure made huge strides as Paris launched its first bicycle superhighway and the US made progress on a colossal bike path connecting the entire East Coast.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Solar Impulse's record flight and more!
This week the Solar Impulse made history by becoming the first sun-powered airplane to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, a team of Swiss students built an all-electric race car that smashed an acceleration record by going from 0-60 mph in 1.5 seconds flat. Sweden rolled out one of the world's first electric highways, while two ex-Google employees are developing self-driving big rigs that slash emissions. And we showcased the Super 73 -- a bike/motorcycle hybrid that'll add some serious kick to your morning commute.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: The first freeform 3D-printed house
After 20 years of construction, Switzerland just completed the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel. The 35-mile Gotthard Base Tunnel runs 1.5 miles under the mountains connecting northern and southern Europe. In other transportation news, Paris just banned all cars made before 1997 in a bid to reduce air pollution. Tesla's battery Gigafactory is set to host its grand opening on July 29th, while a new report claims that Volkswagen is spending $15.5 billion to build a gigantic battery factory of its own. Consumer Reports ranked the Toyota Prius as the car with the best gas mileage it has ever tested, and Ford announced that the Fusion Energi can travel further than any other plug-in hybrid on the market.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Self-driving Uber cars, and more!
The self-driving cars are coming: This week Uber unveiled its first autonomous vehicle, while Google patented a sticky "fly paper" car hood that could protect pedestrians caught in self-driving car crashes. Los Angeles celebrated the completion of its first new metro line in 60 years, while France transformed its trains with beautiful impressionist art. And Taga launched an affordable cycle with built-in cargo space that could be the ultimate family bike.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Hyperloop One's public test, and more!
The Hyperloop promises to one day transport passengers at blazing speeds -- and the technology just took a big step forward. This week Hyperloop One launched a cart from 0 to 166 miles per hour in 1.1 seconds in its first public test. In other futuristic transportation news, a European Space Agency incubator just unveiled the world's first flying car capable of vertical takeoff and landing. In Japan, there are now more electric vehicle chargers than gas stations. And researchers in Mexico have developed a new type of glowing cement that could light up dark highways.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Toyota's wooden roadster and more!
Auto tech is advancing by leaps and bounds, but Toyota's latest car is a blast from the past. Meet the Setsuna - a gorgeous roadster that's hand-carved from 86 wooden panels. In other transportation news, Dutch politicians are hatching plans to ban all polluting cars by the year 2025. If the thought of sharing the road with self-driving big rigs makes you uneasy, this may put your fears to rest: six trucks with driverless technology just completed a 1,300-mile journey across Europe. We also took a firsthand look at VanMoof's new Electrified S smart bike, and a startup launched the world's first cargo scooter, which can easily tote up to 50 pounds.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Elon Musk's solar energy plan
It's been a good week for environmental news. For starters, world leaders sealed the deal on a historic climate agreement in Paris, President Obama announced the largest energy efficiency rule in US history and congress extended solar and wind tax credits for another five years. Elon Musk found a way to power the entire United States with solar energy, and Bernie Sanders declared war on global warming in his ambitious climate plan. Google expanded its free online solar power calculator to nine more states, while SolarPod launched an innovative line of photovoltaic panels that can be installed on any roof without drilling a single hole.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Concept cars and betting big on solar
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. The World Health Organization handed down some heavy news this week: Bacon causes cancer. Fortunately, scientists are developing healthier meat alternatives. One lab discovered a type of seaweed that tastes just like fried bacon (and it's two times healthier than kale), and Impossible Foods is working on the next generation of plant-based burgers. Watch out for veggie dogs though -- a new study shows that one in 10 vegetarian sausages contains meat.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: superdogs and a cave museum
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. So far Elon Musk has created next-gen spacecraft and some of the world's best electric cars -- could a futuristic airplane be next? This past week, Musk announced that he'd like to build a "pretty cool supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing electric jet." In other transportation news, automakers had a Back to the Future field day last week. Stanford rolled out a self-driving DeLorean; Toyota showcased a special Mirai with gull-wing doors and a flux capacitor; and students built an all-electric version of Doc Brown's time-traveling car. A sleek solar-powered car won the World Solar Challenge by rocketing across the Australian Outback in four days. And we took a test-drive of the all-new, completely rebuilt 2016 Chevrolet Volt, which just hit the market in California.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 'Iron Man' prosthetics and a creepy Airbnb
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. Want to see the state of the art in solar-powered architecture? Check out eight of the world's most efficient sun-powered homes built by students for the 2015 Solar Decathlon. In other solar news, Panasonic just shattered a world record by building the most efficient photovoltaic panel on the planet. A Dutch firm recently announced plans to build the largest wind farm in Africa near a remote Kenyan lake. And Washington, DC, unveiled the world's largest waste-to-energy system, which will generate electricity from the city's raw sewage.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 3D-printed pavilions and cardboard cars
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. What will the homes of the future look like? If this year's Solar Decathlon is any indication, they will be self-sufficient, hyper-efficient and 100 percent powered by the sun. How about a home that grows all the food you need, so you never need to take a trip to the produce aisle? Or a super-durable disaster-proof house that's strong enough to fight tornadoes and win? However, the coolest one might be this tiny home that can be emailed to a woodshop across the world, CNC cut and then assembled like a giant puzzle without a single nail.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: the Model X and man-made islands
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. After three years of anticipation Tesla just launched its latest electric car. The company says the Model X is the world's safest SUV; it can go from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds; and it comes with a "bioweapon defense mode" in case of... well, the apocalypse. Meanwhile the Volkswagen emissions scandal continues to develop, and this past week, we asked just how many people have died due to pollution emitted by affected vehicles. Perhaps the worst part is that Volkswagen may actually avoid criminal charges due to a loophole in the Clean Air Act.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Off-grid homes and fold-up planes
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. What does it take for a house to go completely off-grid? A diverse range of energy sources is key -- and this new 3D-printed house can be powered by built-in solar panels or tethered to a hybrid car. We also love this pop-up transparent dome shelter that lets you sleep beneath the stars. In other architecture news, Apple just launched its first store under the guidance of Jonathan Ives -- and it's warmer and more curvaceous than the company's previous brick and mortars. MAD Architects unveiled out-of-this-world plans for a futuristic George Lucas Museum in Chicago. And a team of researchers found a way to build a functional 24-foot rope bridge using drones.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: new EV concept cars and Napmobiles
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. Up until now, Tesla has blazed a trail in the electric vehicle market -- but the major automakers are finally starting to catch up. This past week Porsche unveiled its new Mission E electric car, which packs over 600 horsepower and recharges in 15 minutes flat. Meanwhile, Audi showcased a sleek all-electric SUV to rival the Tesla Model X, and Mercedes-Benz debuted a car that can actually transform at high speeds. Even LA is jumping on the green-car bandwagon -- the city just announced plans to launch the largest electric vehicle fleet in the US. If you prefer pedal-powered transportation, don't miss out on a chance to win a Public V7 bike in our back-to-school giveaway -- it only takes a second to enter!
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 3D-printed suites and a new Prius
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. Researchers at the University of Michigan are making waves in solar panels -- literally. It turns out that their undulating photovoltaic strips can collect up to 30 percent more energy than flat arrays. In other energy news, China and Pakistan just announced plans to build the world's largest solar farm in the Punjabi desert, and Aspen, Colorado, just became the third city in the US to be powered entirely by renewable energy. Heads up students -- we're giving away three solar energy-generating Voltaic backpacks and you can win one here. Voltaic also just launched a new solar-powered light that shines for 30-plus hours on a single charge. And designer Pauline van Dongen debuted a solar parka that keeps you charged when you journey off the grid.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: artificial leaves and green roofs
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. Silicon Valley is a hotbed for technology, but it will soon be known for green building as well. Last week architects unveiled plans to build the world's largest green roof just down the street from Apple's spaceship campus. In other architecture and design news, Sky Greens has developed a hydraulic vertical farm that can grow 10 times more produce than a traditional farm, and Caltrans proposed the largest wildlife overpass in the US for Los Angeles' 101 freeway. As much as we love to celebrate good examples of architecture, there's also fun to be had in panning bad ones -- this past week, London's "death ray" "walkie talkie" skyscraper was crowned the worst building in Britain. Summer is winding down, but there's still time for one last road trip -- and this tiny camper that telescopes to three times its size is the coolest RV we've ever seen.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: robot wars and edible batteries
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. Tesla gets a lot of press -- but just how good are its vehicles? Well, Consumer Reports just awarded the Model S P85D a rating so high that it broke the scale. The Model S also put range anxiety to rest this week by traveling a record-breaking 452.8 miles on a single charge. Are you in the market for an electric car? We just rounded up the best EVs of 2015 -- from the perfect city car to a family-friendly EV and a midlife crisis sportster. Water and electricity might not mix, but EVs are also taking to the seas -- check out this solar- and wind-powered self-driving boat and this all-electric personal submarine that lets you explore the ocean deep. And in Europe, Paris announced plans to go completely car-free for one day in September and all Netherlands Railways trains will be 100 percent wind-powered by 2018.
