I'm a big fan of electric vehicles. Not only are they better for the environment than the dirty old petrol sort: they tend to look a lot more fun and somehow futuristic, too; looking at an electric car you can finally feel you've arrived in the 21st century.
The dawn of the 'electric age' in motoring is also giving some new players in the industry the chance to compete with the big boys, bringing in fresh ideas and cool new designs without the baggage leftover from more oil obsessed times. One of these new companies is Zap! Which makes all sorts of leccy cars and bikes, from electric bikes and nippy little vans to this batmobile-esque supercar, known as the Alias.
Related: The Ego scooter is a real eco-boost! | Va-va-voom machine for quiet eco supercar
There's now not a shred of doubt that biofuels are actively a bad idea and far from being the 'green' wonder fuels many had hoped. This has created a big vacuum that's like a red rag to a bull for anyone after a fast buck, but is also bringing about lots of fascinating research into how we can get from A to B without using up ever more scarce resources.
Follow the jump for a quick rundown of some of the promising, unlikely and downright bizarre 'green fuel' ideas currently doing the rounds.
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Personally I'd welcome a move towards cars that don't make that 'Rrrrrrrrrrah' show-off sound, but it seems that anyone with £120,000 to spend on a car would prefer the rest of us to take notice -- preferably through an auditory assault.
This is why the latest green supercar, the electric Lightning GT, has been fitted with a "programmable external engine sound generator"; in other words, a sort of 'canned' engine track that responds to the driver's actions. I guess it's a small price to pay to make eco-friendly cars cool (unlike the car itself, which is now pre-ordering with a £15,000 deposit.)
[via The Guardian]
Our friends over at Firebox have a real treat coming to UK streets in September: it's a shiny new scooter that looks like a gas-loving mean machine but runs entirely on electric power.
Scooters are a great way to get around town, avoiding any congestion charges and beating the traffic, so an electric model is the perfect choice for the urban eco-warrior. This one is specially designed for cities, and best of all, charges from the mains just like your mobile phone, and costing you a piddly 8p for a full charge. Try comparing that with current petrol prices! Also, the absence of traditional fuel means it doesn't make that godawful 'Rrrrrrrrrrrrr' noise that most scooters do. And that, IMHO, is a big plus.
The Ego electric scooter is available to pre-order now, shipping on 3rd September 2008, priced at £999.95.
Related: The retro electric scooter | The Vectrix electric scooter: yay or nay?
This is a Honda FCX Clarity, the latest must-have eco machine. It's not available to the likes of you and I yet, and even the great and the good of Hollywood are having to exercise some patience and wait their turn: "I want one. I want one" was the response of oscar-winning writer and director Paul Haggis on seeing the Clarity. If stars are prepared to reduce themselves to the status of Andy from Little Britain in their appreciation of this car, I think it must be pretty special...
But one star has already bagged a ride in the shiny new hydrogen-powered fuel cell car. Can you guess who it is? Follow the jump to find out...
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In the quest to loosen the oily grip from the testicles of America, US car manufacturers are investing a great deal of time and money into alternative fuels. However, it seems these new methods are not always as safe as they seem to be after a hybrid vehicle exploded in testing last month. (Can't you already hear Jeremy Clarkson cackling with glee?)
But before anyone out there reading this in their hydrogen cell car starts freaking out, the motor in question was a petrol/hydrogen hybrid Toyota Prius that had been retro-fitted with a li-ion rechargeable battery system and technology allowing the user to plug the vehicle directly into the household mains. These cars are not available for purchase and had been adapted by a third party manufacturer.
Related: Electric cars given the green light at UK shopping centres | Tesla Roadstar: Sexiest electric car ever?
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Nippy little runarounds are often the greenest option if you need to drive a car, and the Fiat Panda has now been re-launched with a smaller carbon paw print than ever.
I was sad to see it didn't feature bamboo seats, but in pretty much every other respect the new Panda Aria has been well and truly greened up, with some interesting features that combine to reduce emissions significantly. Read on over the jump for details.
Related: The Sexy Green Car Show is back | The electric Mini Cooper | Video review: The Smart ForTwo
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