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Green Vehicles' Triac officially coming in July, for reals this time
In the latest of a series of when-can-I-get-the-Triac false starts, the three-wheeled electric car of obscene cuteness has a real launch date. No, really. According to AutoblogGreen, Green Vehicles is accepting pre-orders for July delivery of the Triac, which means you could actually be silently cruising the beaches in this thing come summer. For those concerned about safety and all that "not dying" stuff, Green Vehicles has assured the press that a safety cage designed by race car fabrication experts has been integrated into the car's design. Also, they promise that the lithium-ion batteries are good for at least 2000 cycles, which should last you about 5 years. We're being told that the Green Vehicles site will be updated today with reservation info, so keep an eye out.[Via AutoblogGreen]
More details about the Triac highway-capable three-wheel electric car emerge
We can't help but find Green Vehicles' Triac three-wheeled highway-capable electric car anything but stupidly adorable, and it looks like it's even better than we hoped. Our friends over at Autoblog Green scored some more info on the buggy, and found that the top speed it actually 80mph, and that range is just about 100 miles on a full charge, down from 120 miles as originally estimated. The Triac will also roll with a five-speed transmission, and charge from either a 120V or 240V power source. On top of all that, Green Vehicles is apparently working on a truck called the Buckshot based on the same motor, but with a three-speed transmission that will enable it to be a "true work truck." Sure, sure -- but when can we have a Triac? Seriously, we want to hug it.
Hummer O2 concept brings shame to the nature-terrorizing brand
In a humiliating blow to the once proud, gas-guzzling Hummer SUV, engineers at GM have re-imagined the poster child for environmental apathy as a completely green vehicle that not only leaves a small "footprint" in its wake, but actually promises to give something back to nature as well. Called the Hummer O2 (like the H2, only less toxic), this concept -- which just won the L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge -- incorporates a number of innovative, futuristic features into its oddly-shaped chassis, not the least of which is a "phototropic" body shell that contains algae-filled panels. Yes, you read that right: this Hummer-branded vehicle, made of 100% post-consumer recycled materials, pulls double-duty as a mobile algae cultivation farm, whose photosynthetic waste provides oxygen for both the O2 itself and the surrounding environment; what's more, used algae are employed as biomass to provide partial power. The main power sources, though, are the fuel cells built directly into each wheel (wrapped in adaptable Active Tread tires, naturally), which drive independent hydraulic motors when fed hydrogen from a central holding tank. Unfortunately for all those SUV-loving environmentalists out there (a huge demographic, we're sure), the Hummer O2 is slated to remain little more than a set of drawings for the time being, and we hear that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is already pushing to ban the production of these vehicles for "sullying the reputation that Hummer has worked so hard to earn." Keep reading for a few more pictures...
