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Daihatsu FC ShowCase concept: who doesn't want a 60-inch TV in a van?
Here's a funny one from the Tokyo Motor Show. Daihatsu's squarish concept EV van, dubbed the FC ShowCase, is basically a spacious four-seater packing plenty of goodies: a giant wing door, some blue lights on the wheels, an LED panel on the left skirt, side-view cameras instead of mirrors, a funky touch panel steering wheel, a small heads-up display and a 60-inch TV. And no, this isn't a mod from Pimp My Ride. According to one of the designers, the idea here is that the FC ShowCase acts as a mobile theater, which can keep travellers entertained while camping or fishing. With the seats folded down (except for the driver's seat, of course) on top of the 35kW solid polymer fuel cell stack, this vehicle also makes a great delivery van apparently, but don't expect FedEx to turn up at your door with Daihatsu's dream ride any time soon. Or ever. Video after the break. %Gallery-140614%
Daihatsu Pico concept commuter EV hands-on
Using LEDs to display messages on the back of a car? Looks like we have yet another contender with the same idea, except this time all four sides get an LED panel each. The idea behind Daihatsu's Pico concept EV is that it can interact with surrounding pedestrians and drivers using messages with matching colors. For instance, the LED belt can issue a red warning on the back if a car is following too closely; or when driving past pedestrians in close proximity (think rascal scooters but with front and back seats), the belt can turn green and indicate that the car's limited to a safe top speed of 3.7mph. Other than that, the Pico's very much just a cute little EV with a driving range of up to 31 miles (with a full two-hour charge), plus a top speed of 31mph. We also dig the touchscreen console inside the car, but with just the two LED bars acting as doors, we sure hope it'll withstand a bit of rain. Video after the break. %Gallery-140615%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: electric cars, solar planes, and really sweet lights
This week several ultra-efficient transportation stories got Inhabitat's engines running as we watched a custom built Daihatsu Mira EV travel a record-breaking 623 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately we don't expect to see that hypermiler hitting the states anytime soon, but at least we won't have to wait long to get behind the wheel of Toyota's Prius Alpha MPV, which is set to launch next year. And if air travel is more your speed, why not take to the skies aboard this zero-emission Elektra airplane, which spends its downtime soaking up the suns rays in a solar hangar. While the iPad and its kin are making waves today, we can't wait to see the next generation of devices that implement Sony's new energy-efficient OLED displays, which are thinner than a strand of human hair. This week Inhabitat also showcased an incredible spectrum of eco-efficient repurposed designs as we unveiled 23 finalists in our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest. Perhaps you recycle your cardboard and Coke cans, but if you're looking for a bit of inspiration from master design-recyclers check out this pendant lamp made from hundreds of soda tabs, this Cone Light made from repurposed traffic cones, and this chandelier composed almost entirely of six-pack rings. We were also wowed by these garments made from recycled video tape that showcase an analogue take on high-tech couture and this stunning lamp made from strips of old film.
Electric Daihatsu Mira goes 623 miles on a charge, but not to a showroom near you
Want an electric vehicle with more than a piddly couple-hundred mile range? Apparently you have to build it yourself and follow in the footsteps of the Japan Electric Vehicle Club, which broke the Guinness World Record last weekend by driving 623.76 miles (just over 1,000km) on a single charge in its customized Daihatsu Mira. The trip took 27.5 hours traveling around what appears to be the famous Tsukuba circuit in Shimotsuma, Japan. The car was powered by 8,320 Sanyo li-ion cells, each weighing about 44 grams, for a grand total of 807lbs -- more than half the weight of a stock Mira. While we're sure Daihatsu helped with this build, it's worth noting that this is not an official project of the company, meaning the 100 mile Nissan Leaf is about as close as you're going to get to this feat for the near future. [Photo credit: Japan Electric Vehicle Club]
Daihatsu and Provision building HLXX 3D holographic dashboard, the future
If those darn kids would get out of the way, what you'd see before you is a fancy new dashboard that Daihatsu teamed with Provision Interactive Technologies to build for its latest concept car. They're calling it HLXX, and it's pretty straightforward: there's a traditional flat screen 2D dashboard that is used for all the usual driving infos, with a 3D holographic screen in front that overlays warnings or alerts so they're more easily seen by the driver. Daihatsu hopes to have HLXX in production vehicles by 2012, but until then we suppose we'll just have to pretend these gauges and dials on our dashboards are 3D. Oh wait.
