eco-friendly
Latest
Inhabitat's Week in Green: cliffside homes and The Bark Knight
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 if your car was powered by sunlight? It sounds like a dream come true -- but that's exactly what a team of Dutch engineering students have cooked up. The Stella Lux is a four-seater electric car with a powerful solar roof that actually generates more energy than the vehicle uses. In other futuristic transportation news, Local Motors just unveiled plans for the world's first production line of 3D-printed cars. The ultra-customizable vehicles include a sporty racer and a beach-ready buggy. Automakers and tech companies around the world are fervently working on self-driving cars, and it turns out the technology could be a tremendous boon for the environment. A new study shows that autonomous robocabs could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 94 percent. And this week, two electric airplanes made history by successfully flying across the English Channel.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: next-gen EVs and bricklaying robots
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. Now that the first wave of electric vehicles has established a strong foothold in the market, automakers are working on their successors -- and the green cars of tomorrow will blow you away. For starters, they'll be able to travel much farther. This past week, Volkswagen revealed that it's working on an electric car with a 186-mile range; Chevrolet announced plans to begin producing the 200-mile Bolt EV in 2016; and reports indicate that the next-generation Nissan Leaf will be able to travel over 310 miles on a single charge. Hydrogen cars are also gaining traction -- last week, Toyota announced that its Mirai is the only zero-emission vehicle that can travel 312 miles nonstop. Meanwhile, Tesla is tackling the range-anxiety problem by improving its charging network -- and it just launched a next-generation Supercharger that is lighter, faster and cooled by liquid. If you're looking for something even more futuristic, we have just the thing -- the world's first commercial jetpack is (finally) set to hit the market next year.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: garden wheels and 3D-printed fashion
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. Electric car lovers are waiting with bated breath for the release of Tesla's forthcoming Model 3, but some details about the electric car have been revealed in advance of the release. The automaker has announced that it will offer the Model 3 in both sedan and crossover styles. Tesla is the king of electric cars, but other automakers are nipping at the company's heels. Several reports have surfaced suggesting that BMW is planning an all-electric SUV that will rival the Tesla Model X. Meanwhile, electric vehicle sales are taking off all over the world. A British research firm announced last week that EV sales increased by 366 percent in the UK during the first part of 2015, and major increases have also been seen in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria and China. And in other green transportation news, the Human Power Team at the University of Delft, Netherlands, designed the world's fastest bicycle, which has been recorded traveling 133.78KPH (more than 80MPH).
Inhabitat's Week in Green: fish domes and 3D-printed bridges
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. We've seen 3D-printed clothing, cars and houses -- and now Amsterdam is building an entire bridge from 3D-printed steel! Designed by MX3D and Joris Laarman, the revolutionary pedestrian bridge will be constructed by multi-axis industrial robots. In other architecture news, Dubai has given the green light for a fleet of floating luxury islands to be built in The World archipelago. One World Trade Center opened late last year -- and now it looks like New York City's tallest building is about to get a new neighbor. Last week, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) unveiled a set of architectural renderings for Two World Trade Center, a 1,340-foot tower that will consist of a series of stacked boxes.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: hoverbikes, UFOs and a Lego Titanic
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. A couple years ago, Elon Musk unveiled his vision for the future of long-distance travel: the Hyperloop, a superfast train that would travel inside large tubes. The futuristic concept is a long way from becoming a reality, but Hyperloop Transportation Technologies CEO Dirk Ahlborn is already kicking around the idea of making it free to ride. Meanwhile, Musk has been trying to open Tesla dealerships throughout the US -- but some states are still holding out. This week, Texas upheld a ban on Tesla's direct sales model. Musk gets all the headlines when it comes to Tesla, but Ian Wright, one of the companies' other co-founders who left the company a decade ago, is back in the news. Wright is now converting fleets of gas-guzzling garbage trucks into electric vehicles.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Self-driving Audis and free solar panels
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. California is giving away free solar panels to its poorest residents. Between now and 2016, the state will donate 1,600 free photovoltaic systems -- and each array will save a household $22,800 in energy costs over 30 years. Meanwhile in Southern California, director James Cameron gifted his wife a field of solar sunflowers to power her sustainable school. In other energy news, Tesla's battery-producing Gigafactory is starting to take shape in Nevada -- and this week we took a first look at the gigantic building thanks to an aerial drone.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: rain lamps and solar-powered pod homes
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. Everything about Tesla is groundbreaking, including its direct-sales model. Laws in New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Michigan have sought to prevent the electric carmaker from bypassing third-party dealerships and selling cars directly to customers. Last week, Tesla scored a big win in Maryland, when the state's governor signed a bill allowing the company to operate its own dealerships in the state. In other green transportation news, a 28-year-old woman is preparing to row all the way from Japan to San Francisco in a rowboat, with no support vessel. Airplane manufacturers have yet to unlock the potential of 3D-printing airplane parts, but the engineers at GE Aviation recently conducted a test, offering a possible glimpse of the future. The team created a mini jet engine that can roar up to 33,000 RPM, and it comes right out of a 3D printer.
Ecocapsules are pint-sized solar and wind-powered micro homes
Ecocapsule is a small, egg-shaped abode that could be the perfect home for someone who wants to let it all go like Elsa and live off the grid. Its roof is decked with 600W solar cells and a built-in 750W wind turbine that store the energy they harness into a high-power battery. The structure's shape also allows its inhabitant to collect rainwater by placing containers around it. Since it measures just 14.6 feet long by 7.4 feet wide by 8.4 feet tall, anyone who isn't into tiny houses (and we do mean tiny houses) might feel more than a bit claustrophobic inside. Its designers, Nice Architects from Slovakia, made good use of every inch of interior space, though, fitting in a folding bed, a small kitchen, a dining area, a shower and flushable toilet, and even some storage space.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: folding cars and an R2-D2 van
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's on a roll lately -- it's planning to reveal a $35,000 electric car next year, and it just unveiled a home battery that could take your house off the grid. But if you're hoping to get in on the paradigm-shifting technology, you might have to wait -- the Powerwall home battery is sold out through 2016. The enormous level of interest in the batteries has translated to $800 million worth of reservations, begging the question: Can Tesla's battery hit $1 billion in sales faster than the iPhone? On the topic of the iPhone, Apple is seriously greening up its act. Back in 2011, Greenpeace named Apple the least clean tech company. Now, just four years later, Apple rates as the greenest tech company of all. Part of the reason for that improved rating could come from Apple's partnership with World Wildlife Fund in China to create sustainable forests.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Concept kitchens and Google's crabots
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. Hardly a week passes when Tesla doesn't make the news, and this past week the company had two big announcements that are getting people all riled up. First, Tesla is planning to debut a $35,000 electric car in March 2016 that will begin production in 2017. CEO Elon Musk also just announced that barely a week after the Powerwall home battery was unveiled, they're already sold out through 2016, and the company will have to expand its factory capabilities to meet the insane demand for batteries.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla's Powerwall and the 2015 Milan Expo
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 capped the week off with the announcement everyone's been waiting for -- its new $3,500 10kWh Powerwall home battery is coming soon. All eyes were on Elon Musk this past week as he took the stage to show off the stylish new battery that could help take your home off the grid. The internal combustion engine has been around for more than 150 years, and for most of that time it has run on petroleum, which isn't exactly a friend of the environment. But what if we removed gas from the equation and replaced it with something more harmless? Audi recently invented a synthetic "e-diesel," which is made with water, CO2 and electricity derived from renewable energy sources. The new fuel could revolutionize the car industry and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Chevy's concept car, LED bulbs and solar lanterns
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 made headlines again this week with the official (sort of) announcement that it will be unveiling a battery that can power your entire home at the end of the month. In autonomous vehicle news, some of the biggest automakers are starting to roll out self-driving concept cars. Just a few weeks after Mercedes-Benz revealed a self-driving concept, Chevrolet has now rolled out the FNR, a futuristic autonomous concept car of its own, at the Shanghai Motor Show. In other automotive news, automakers from around the world are continuing to roll out more efficient electric vehicles and hybrids. Volvo has announced plans to release hybrid versions of its entire lineup, beginning with the 2016 Volvo XC90 SUV, which is slated to hit the road with a new plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: cheaper EVs, synthetic leaves and clay-pot speakers
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. For more than three years, the Western United States -- especially California -- has been gripped by the worst drought on record. With no end in sight, San Diego County announced plans to build a massive $1 billion desalination plant. The plant will produce drinking water for 300,000 people in Southern California, but opponents have raised concerns about its high energy use, and that it will likely harm marine life. Researchers also discovered what may be causing the drought -- a massive "blob" of warm water in the Pacific Ocean measuring a thousand miles wide is wreaking havoc on weather patterns and local marine life.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: floating cities, solar bikes and a Dr. Seuss house
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 Volkswagen Camper van is one of the most iconic vehicles of the 20th century, but VW hasn't put out a new model of the hippie standby since 2003. That could all change soon, as a VW board member recently revealed that the carmaker is planning to unveil an electric concept Camper in the near future. In other automotive news, Tesla has launched a new edition of its Model S sedan. The Model S 70D will replace the Model S 60, and it will be powered by Tesla's dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. Most industry observers acknowledge that self-driving cars are the future, but one car company believes they're also the present. Korean automaker Hyundai is set to release a semi-autonomous car later this year. The car won't exactly drive itself, but it will have the ability to stay in a lane on the highway and adjust the car's speed in response to traffic conditions.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: oil rig oasis, bio-pyramids and Facebook's new home
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, the Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker, is unrivaled when it comes to automotive innovation, and now the company is moving beyond the garage and into the home. Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed earlier this year that the company is developing a house battery that could help homeowners go off the grid. But Musk isn't done: He also announced that Tesla would release a new product -- one that it isn't a car -- at the end of April. Will it be the house battery? We'll just have to wait and see.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: e-paper shoes, superhighways and solar ovens
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. Fans of green cars are eagerly awaiting the release of the Tesla Model X, but you won't have to wait to see what it looks like on the road -- a YouTube user spotted the new car cruising down the freeway in Palo Alto, California. The electric vehicle, which was originally supposed to be released in 2013, is now set to launch in the third quarter of 2015. In other automotive news, Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to release 10 new plug-in hybrid models by 2017. The new models will be designated with a simple "e" instead of the longer "plug-in hybrid" branding. Toyota is currently testing its i-Road three-wheeled electric vehicle in France. The i-Road is seen as a "last-mile" vehicle, and Toyota wants to see how it can integrate with public transportation to decrease traffic gridlock.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: self-driving cars, library tanks and bionic arms
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. It was a big week for Tesla. CEO Elon Musk just announced the end of electric vehicle range anxiety thanks to a Model S software update that makes it "impossible" to stray too far from a charging station. Tesla also got a big break in New Jersey as Governor Chris Christie lifted the state's ban on the automaker's direct sales model. Elsewhere on the automotive front, BMW just unveiled the X5 eDrive40e, which can travel up to 19 miles in fully electric mode and is rated at 71 mpg. An Audi is set to embark on the first-ever cross-country trip for a self-driving car. The electronics company Delphi is the driving force behind the road trip, and they've rigged up an Audi SQ5 with the necessary sensors, cameras and controls for the trip.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar-powered planes, Audi EVs and custom-fit bikes
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 months of preparation, a pair of Swiss aviators has embarked on the first-ever around-the-world flight in a solar-powered airplane. The Solar Impulse 2 took off from Abu Dhabi last week, and it already set a world record for the world's longest solar-powered flight when it landed in India a day later. Over the next five months, André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard plan to make 12 stops around the globe, showing the potential solar power holds. In other renewable energy news, Goodyear announced plans to develop a heat-gathering, electricity-generating car tire at the Geneva Auto Show.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Solar-powered yachts, windmills and Apple car rumors
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 has owned the electric car space in recent years, but another major Silicon Valley company could be nipping at its heels -- rumor has it that Apple is developing an electric "minivan-like vehicle" of its own. It's not clear if the rumors are true, but this week electric vehicle battery manufacturer A123 Systems sued Apple for poaching its employees. Porsche is also taking aim at Tesla with plans to launch an all-electric rival to the Model S by 2019. In other green transportation news, Volkswagen has announced plan to build 100 fast electric car-charging stations in the US, and it will invest $10 million to support electric vehicle infrastructure by 2016.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Keystone XL, pod skyscrapers and glowing EVs
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. By now you've probably heard of electric cars, hybrids and hydrogen vehicles -- but what about a car powered by saltwater? Enter the 1,075-horsepower Quant F supercar, whose four electric motors are powered by an electrochemical reaction from the combination of two liquids with metallic salts that act as an electrolyte. In other transportation news, Nissan just unveiled the world's first glow-in-the-dark electric car! The tricked-out Leaf features a special paint job that absorbs UV light and glows bright blue for eight to 10 hours after the sun goes down. The UK has already approved testing autonomous cars on public roads, and the nation's first self-driving car is ready to hit the streets. The Lutz Pathfinder pod car seats two, goes 15 miles per hour and it's incredibly cute. PG&E signaled a bright future for EVs in California by announcing plans to build 25,000 charging stations. But France is offering something even more enticing: an $11,000 check if you upgrade to an electric car.