BMW With Electric Speed

When Croatian Mate Rimac's engine gave up on his E30 3 Series, he decided that instead of replacing the engine or sell the remainder to the scrap yard, he would go about creating an electric BMW using nothing but off the shelf parts.

The fourth and latest incarnation of his project, which took him two years to build, is a spectacular machine cabable of beating most cars in a straight-line drag race. The car's output stands at 900 bhp and travels to 100km/h in around 3.3 seconds. And depending on how furiously he drives it, can allegedely travel around 160km on each charge.

It's certainly proved it's speed - out-dragging a new Tesla below!

Via - Autoblog

Suits To Transport - BMW

BMW's design projects for students continue to inspire creative and surprising results that will and should change the way we see mobility in future.

The results of the latest initiative, in collaboration with the European Institute of Design in Barcelona, have been unveiled and dubbed as "Suits to Transport" - a unique mixture of mobility and fashion presented in highly creative designs.





The "Comme des Voitures" below would enable an inhabitant of urban cities moving n boots soled with large ball-bearings, with an element of virtual information over-layed on the experience with ambient and real time information on the intelligent visor.


Via - Barcelona Daily Photo

Future Of Mobility & BMW

BMW is about to release series of four films about the future of mobility, where it could lead and how it could be shaped.

Each documentary will be released once a week online,and features interviews with trend-setters, designers, engineers, scientists and pioneers.

Below is a trailer that has already been released - and looks set to be very interesting as a series.

Via - BMW Activate The Future

Less Is More For Levi's

Levi's assessed the resources used in the manufacturing process of 501 denim in 2007 and discovered its jeans were, like the human body, mostly made of water.

Over the lifetime of its jeans, from the cotton fields to consumer to the laundry machine, an average pair of Levi's was found to use up 3480 liters of water, or"the equivalent of running a garden hose for 106 minutes."

Realising that it was difficult to change the behaviour of cotton farmers and consumers alike, Levi's decided to make a difference themselves.

The innovation in an attempt to save water in the manufacturing process has resulted in the Levi's Waterwill cost the same as the original Levi's, but will use 28% less water in the finishing process, which when multiplied by the 1.5 million pairs Levi's expects to sell this year, adds up to 16 million fewer liters of water consumed.

Via - Levi's

Environmental Disaster = GM Opportunity

With BP's environmental disaster now in the past, GM has reportedly devised a way to turn oil-soaked plastic boom used by the oil giant to soak up the spilled oil into plastic resin that that will be used for under-the-hood parts in the recently released extended range electric Volt.

In a collaborative effort with various companies, Heritage Environmental, who are collecting the used boom, as well as Mobile Fluid Recovery, tasked with eliminating absorbed oil and water with a high-speed drum that spins the booms until they are dry, and Lucent Polymers making the material appropriate for plastic die-mold production, and finally GDC Inc. combining the plastic resin with other plastic compounds to make the car components. The end product is a set of parts (25 percent boom material, 25 percent recycled tires) used to deflect air around the Volt's radiator.

GM will continue to use booms until the recovery process is completed, in approximately two months. Ultimately, the company estimates that its work will result in the upcycling of 100 miles of boom from the Alabama and Louisiana coasts--and produce over 100,000 pounds of plastic resin for Volt components.

Via - Fastcompany

Hybrid On The Cheap

The 39th richest man in the world, Mikhail Prokhorov, made his billions in finance and precious metal production. The billionaire's latest venture involves spending close to $200 million in an attempt at building and selling petrol electric hybrid vehicles for the Russian market.


The two-door ë-mobile (pronounced "Yo-mobile") will source all of its parts from Russia and former Soviet Union nations, and costing approximately $10,000 when it is released in 2012.

The ultra-cheap hybrid will come standard with a loud engine, negating the need to install extra sound and noise output now required by the US for all hybrid cars for safety purposes, and will achieve a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour, with fuel efficiency said to be around 3,5 litres per 100 kilometres.

Via - Fastcompany

Volvo Fights For Clean Air

Volvo's latest campaign in the UK, “‘Fight for Your Right to Clean Air”, draws attention to the number of premature UK deaths due to poor air quality linked with fossil fuel combustion (approximately 50,000, according to the campaign).

The automaker, taking some responsibility for those deaths, is currently developing an environmental rating system which they hope to implement for every vehicle on the road. It’s also launched petitions to lobby the government, and developed an iPhone app to help you choose the most emissions-neutral car.

According to some automotive insiders, in a few years, Volvo’s cars will be topping these ratings, and the company is essentially building a framework that it’s going to excel in — in effect, seeding a need.

Via - Facebook

Revenge Of The Electric Car

Revenge of the Electric Car is an up-coming documentary that showcases key players driving the electric vehicle (EV) renaissance over the past few years.

The film features exclusive behind-the-scenes access to several large car makers as they work to change the auto industry and offer new electric car options to the general public; including General Motors, Nissan, the American start-up Tesla Motors, and an independent car converter.

Set for release in 2011, this documentary has the potential to drive the change in perception of eco-friendly alternatives for the future as An Inconvenient Truth did a few years back.

Below is the official trailer:

Via - Revenge of the Electric Car

Ford Focus To Reuse, Recycle & Reduce

In a conscious effort toward sustainable development and management of its environmental footprint, Ford has announced that it will use recycled clothing for carpet backing and sound absorption materials inside the 2012 Ford Focus, set to be on sale early next year in North America and Europe. The equivalent of two pairs of jeans will be used for each car.

Certain other Ford models will also make use of bio-based materials and non-metal recycled waste to turn into soy foam seat cushions, recycled resins for under-body systems, recycled yarns on seat covers, and natural-fiber plastic for interior components.

Via - CNET

Audi On Solar Drive

Audi is planning to expand the solar panel system at its facility in Ingolstadt so that the electric vehicle's batteries may be charged using clean, renewable energy from the sun.


Audi says it will have nearly 205,000 square feet of its German manufacturing facility's roof covered with the solar cells. The company says that the new installation alone should produce enough electricity to power 180 homes.

The VW subsidiary plans to only use about one third of the electricity produced by its solar system directly at the plant, with the juice going to both charge the company's eTron vehicles and assist in the manufacture of other products. The rest of the energy will likely be fed back into the surrounding power grid.

Via - Audi

Tap Water Resurgence?

Bottled water has been a marketing phenomenon over the past decade or so and will no doubt one day go down in marketing history as one of the cleverest new products - alongside tobacco marketing. The ability to have consumers willingly pay disproportionate amounts of money for a commodity is the holy-grail we're all after and perfected by various bottled-beverage companies world wide.

However, with fears of global warming and the negative impact the bottled water category has had in it's contribution, the past few years have been far more difficult for the industry with various projects aimed at discouraging consumers to purchase bottled water.

It would seem a similar initiative has recently started in London. The city will install various "hydrachills" - essentially water fountains - that will allow people to purchase 500ml of water for a nominal fee of 20p, a fraction of what's charged traditionally by bottled water brands. The 20p charge will go to a charity organisation called Waste Watch, whose aim it is to change people's perception and use of natural resources.

Via - Gemma Charles' Green Blog, Brand Republic

Drive The New R8

Audi, in conjunction with Sony's Playstation 3 platform, will soon enable the average man on the street to enjoy and experience the newly launched Audi R8 E-Tron electric car.
Audi capitalised on the PS3's ability to go online and has created a virtual universe called Audi Space, where one can test drive the new R8 concept around a track. Presumably a safe enough environment so that their precious concept vehicle does not get damaged...

The game goes live in December for all those lucky enough to own a PS3!

Via - Top Gear

Audi To Unveil Electric Vehicles?

3 YouTube clips about electricity appeared recently. Below is an example:

A dedicated YouTube channel contains the other 2 videos with an url at the end of each clip driving users to ElectricityUntamed.com.


Once there, users will discover that the clips are mechanisms driving traffic to the Audi global site, with a count-down clock until the 15 September.. when Audi plans to unveil their iteration of "Electricity Untamed". The site also shows that Facebook is utilised as a viral mechanism. My guess is that the German marquee plans on showcasing their version of an electrtic vehicle. For now, we'll just have to wait and see.

With Audi having lagged behind other premium motoring brands in establishing their green credentials, could this be the first major effort for the VW-owned brand?

Recycled Advertising

Target in the US have recently launched an interesting initiative to highlight their commitment to sustainability.

The company has commissioned 2 emerging artists in Michael Anderson and Josh Goldstein to design art for their Times Square billboard that will be on display until the end of October. Thereafter, the vinyl from the billboard will be transformed into 1,600 limited edition bags designed by Anna Sui.

US consumers can pre-order the bag online for $30. Not a bad price for an exclusive piece of art!

Via - PSFK

The Aston Martin You Won't Want

Behold the prototype Aston Martin Cygnet - which is likely to go into production in the 'not too distant future', according to Aston Martin and expected to be priced at about £20,000.

According to Aston Martin's chief executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, the Aston Martin Cygnet will 'apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a new segment of the market'.

Why then, is the baby Aston based on one of the most accessible and mass produced cars in the world, the Toyota iQ?

With the downturn in the world economy no doubt affecting the sales figures for the luxury marquee, it's understandable that Aston Martin would need some kind of a boost in order to stay afloat. But is this the best way to go about it or has Dr Bez simply lost his mind?

Via - Brandchannel

Enjoy A BigMac While Your Car Recharges

The trouble with the idea of rechargeable electric vehicles is the lack of infrastructure to support the system. Sales for rechargeable cars would not take off until there are convenient recharging stations and with international corporations so far being fairly lackluster in installing such systems the concept has yet to gain the momentum as was initially touted.

McDonald's, in collaboration with a company called NovaCharge, seems as though they are about to change the status-quo. The fast food chain is said to install special hybrid parking in a new North Carolina chain, complete with electric vehicle charging stations. NovaCharge’s ChargePoint Network system is a connected model that provides subscription-based access for owners of rechargeable electric cars.

It has been reported that batteries would take between 2 and 4 hours to charge, which is somewhat longer than what an average consumer would like to spend at McDonald's, no doubt. However, it is a fantastic initiative and with McDonald's vast global footprint, they can really make a difference if they chose to.

Via - RedFerret

Solar Supecar

Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg has joined forces with NLV Solar AG, a company specialising in the accumulation of solar energy to produce the first solar powered supercar.

The companies have agreed to create a test vehicle with a new and unique propulsion system which enhances solar power combined with an energy accumulator unit. The car, named Quant, will feature a thin solcar-cell film, giving it a striking new look which should attract a lot of attention when it's unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Salon.


According to Koenigsegg: "The projected curb weight of 1780 kg is very light considering that it is a battery-powered, four-seater, luxury performance car. This is partly due to the two-motor installation which weighs in at only 140 kg – a remarkable achievement considering the power output of 512 hp and maximum torque of 715 nm which allows the Quant to deliver 0–100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 275 km/h."

Truly impressive specs from a marquee known for truly impressive super cars.

Via - Koenigsegg

Energy Generating Dance Floors

The concept of ‘power dancing’ has just been given new meaning. Since the first sustainable dance club was launched in London July 2008, eight more have opened in Europe. The latest is Club Watt in Rotterdam boasting complete energy generation sustainability. The technology uses movement by the dancers to move the dance floor. This movement allows the energy creating battery chargers under the floor to power the club.

Enviu the Company behind this technology states that, ‘the average nightclub, with a sound system and lights blazing would consume 150 times more energy annually than a four person family.’ The new nightclub also features a variety of efficiency standards established by the Sustainable Dance Club Group that will allow it to save up to 90% on conventional energy consumption, 50% on water use, cut CO² emissions by 30%, and reduce waste by 50%. Now a good party and dancing the night away could in fact save the world.

Via: popular mechanics

Boxed Water Is Better

Bottled water producers worldwide have been coming under fire for their lack of eco-consciousness with plastic bottles and the energy required to produce and transport them. Furthermore, the empty bottles have also contributed to an increase in waste.

It'd seem that the innovations are beginning to shift from flavour and variants and are now focused on improving the impact bottled water has on the environment.

PepsiCo's Aquafina brand announced the launch yesterday of the Eco-Fina bottle, made with 50% less plastic than normal Aquafina bottles. The new bottle, scheduled to begin shipping in April, will save an estimated 75 million pounds of plastic each year. Aquafina also plans on removing cardboard base pads from 24-packs--a move that will save 20 million pounds of corrugated cardboard each year.

Another perhaps more innovative example for the category can be found in an innovative startup company called Boxed Water is Better who have an interesting boxed design for their product. What's more, the company ships unfilled recylable containers to the water source in an attempt to keep pollution level low, and it donates 20% of all profits to world water relief and tree reforestation organisations.

Via - Fastcompany, Boxed Water is Better

Carpooling With IKEA

It seems the initial rumours of IKEA launching a eco-friendly car has been dispelled. Instead, the trendy company is introducing an online car-sharing service in conjuction with Comuto, the French ride-sharing company for 26 IKEA locations in France, which officially launched in France yesterday.

According to Isabelle Cremoux-Mirgalet, a spokeswoman for IKEA France, the program - called IKEA Leko - was a viral marketing campaign. Instead, it is a “service that has all the qualities we have promised on the Web for ‘the car according to Ikea’: a tailored car-sharing online service for all French stores.”

Via - New York Times