In modern times, the eco-friendly and green cars are either all electrics or hybrids. In some places compressed natural gas is used as fuel, since it has lower emissions and is a relatively cleaner fuel. Taking all this one step further is the Ventile, designed by Thierry Dumaine, a French car designer and artist. He has designed this concept car so that the car is energy efficient.

When you see the picture you see a marriage of the modern and the traditional by way of looks. The car features huge wheels for a reason – so that wind can enter the base of the car. Air which comes in drives the fan to generate juice. The mini generator is near the wheel bases and serves to store the wind power to fuel the car. The wheels use very small tires and between them is another fan.

The Ventile has two separate motors, one which is electric and the other which uses fuel. Both motors are connected to the large fan. The body of the car is made of translucent material which is very light in weight. In fact the whole car weighs less than 350 kilos. Dumaine has already exhibited and demonstrated the Ventile at the 2011 Michelin’s Challenge Design exhibition, so it is not just a concept on paper.

General Motors has taken going green to another level by starting its solar charging station at Genesee County. The Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc is among the first in the country with GM’s solar charging station. This is a test run for the more than 2,000 station GM hopes to have in place. The station, which has just opened, has the capacity to charge 12 Chevy Volt’s at one time when all slots will be working, though currently its capacity is four vehicles.

The benefit of the charging station is that it provides 240 volts of power to enable the car to fully charge in four hours. There is no cost to the user for charging, so the user is able to run his vehicle without paying for power.The stations are produced by California-based Sunlogics for GM and each costs more than $200,000, but they are leased to the dealers on an annual payment.

What is more, the extra electricity, which is generated by solar power and not used, will go back to the power grid and result in a payment credit to the owner of the station. The Chevy Volt is a fast selling car, which cost only $33,500, given the tax credit given to the buyer. The hybrid car which runs for 50 miles on battery power before switching over to gas, will now be more eco-friendly than before, particularly when more charging stations come up and people use free energy to charge their vehicles.

In different parts of world various concepts and eco-friendly gadgets, devices and concepts are bearing fruit as the people get more aware of the eco-friendly and green movement. Everybody wants to come up with something new. Now Lito in Montreal, Canada, has produced an eco-friendly superbike which is electric, but is a motorcycle nonetheless. Most electric vehicles, particularly two wheelers have a problem of speed, but Sora has a top speed of 125 mph and a range of 185 miles on a full charge.

Dubbed a superbike, the company’s website says that it is a zero-compromise superbike that is eco-efficient without sacrificing speed, power or performance. With cutting-edge design, seamless handling, instant torque and cannon-like acceleration, the Sora is a unique and exhilarating riding experience.

The Sora also uses regenerative braking, uses aircraft grade materials, has an aluminum frame and is very sleek and stylish to appeal to mobike lovers. It seat is adjustable so that the rider can shift it according to his height and comfort and have an ergonomical ride.

A very technologically advanced model, it has features like an advanced communication and power management system. You punch in your destination and the bike will calculate the power needed for the journey and use the available resources more efficiently so that you don’t run out in the middle on your journey.

While it takes time to recharge – 8 hours – it sends you an email when it is ready to go! It also offers GPS navigation, a place to store your necessary items and more. When on sale, it is expected to have a price of around $44,000 – so it is pricey.

Sometimes small things grow into big ideas and so it was with Pierce Hoover, a journalist. He was fed up of his son, Nash, wasting power and so decided to put him on an exercise bike which could tell how much electricity was being produced by pedal power. When Nash struggled to produce the electricity which he had wasted, the father got an idea that would teach his son and others more about eco awareness.

Hoover already had practice in building vehicles and together father and son came up with a four-wheeled, side-by-side two-seater, human-electric hybrid vehicle. The vehicle features a fast-turning, stand-alone EcoSpeed brushless electric motor connected to its chain drives. It also affords some crash protection for the occupants.

It is built such that it can go across hills with little extra power and can achieve a top speed of 25 mph. The vehicle, legally classified as a bicycle gets its power from a 1,400 watt-hour battery pack stored in the trunk at the rear and kinetic energy from pedaling. The father and son duo then decided to go across the USA to spread the message about eco awareness. They plan to go 60 miles a day and travel from Portland, Oregon to New York City.

Usually cars are known for polluting the atmosphere thanks to their emissions, unless they are all electric vehicles. But now designers Gunwoong Kim and Suji Kim, industrial design students at the Kyung-won University in South Korea have come up with the concept car which will take in dirty air, purify it and then release the clean air back into the atmosphere. Dubbed the Vieria, the car looks sleek and modern.

This three wheeler car is thinner as well, so it will be easier to maneuver through narrow roads or traffic congested ones. With a shiftable scissor-like wheel and axle system, the Vieria can change its shape and has been designed for the Michelin Challenge.

The concept car has already picked up many awards and hopes to see the light of day sometime in 2021. The Vieria is meant for suburb to city driving. There is no word on how the car works, or its engine power or speed or mileage. If the car is manufactured and sold, it could actually help the pollution levels if nothing more happens before that in terms of environmental pollution.

If you have ever been to a car graveyard, you will know how much junk a car actually generates. The bodies of most cars are made of metal and there are many other components inside made of various other materials, including metals and plastics. It is the body of the car which weighs a lot. Keeping this in mind, designer Kenneth Cobonpue and Albrecht Birkner came up with a concept car using bamboo for its body. Dubbing the car the Phoenix Roadster, The designers made the world’s first biodegradable car.

Apart from bamboo, they used steel, rattan and nylon. The car was made in only 10 days and is on display at the Imagine and Innovation in Milan. In this case the car is made of biodegradable, eco-friendly bamboo and also runs on green power.

No other specs are available for the car. It is expected that the bamboo car will last for about 5-10 years. When the bamboo skin wears out, it can be replaced and fitted on to the chassis. However, before bamboo is actually used to make cars, it will have to face rigorous road testing standards, if it is ever made commercially. The safety factor is vitally important when driving.

When you are on a beach, there is almost always plenty of sunshine. Matthew Giammarino, a Canadian designer, has exploited this by designing a solar beach car which looks funky and stylish. It is also technologically advanced and uses solar power to run. The California Beach Transit has a minimalistic design featuring a roof with solar panels. The roof also provides shade to the passengers.

It moves on 12 wheels with the help of wireless signals and sensors which have full control. For example, if an object comes in its pre-determined path, it will automatically come to a stop. It comes with four embedded speakers for the music enthusiast.

There is no sitting space, you simply hop on to the car and hold on to the bars. Then you jump off when you have gone the desired distance. The car also has plenty of space in the center to carry your stuff with you. It also features a panel which advertisers can use – generating income and making the vehicle even more self sustaining.

When we talk of green cars, we usually refer to their use of alternative power, whether it is electric or hybrid. If there is some solar power used in the car, it is to power some small gadgets. But the car itself is not eco-friendly. Ecovative Design which has been making sustainable packaging materials for many years now is now exploring the making of car parts with their material.

This can be used in the bumper, dashboard, side doors and even seat cushions, replacing foam. This earth friendly foam is made of corn and oat husks and mycelium, the strong roots of mushrooms. Ecovative Design believes in sustainability and also not using pant material which would take away from food.

The company has already made ecocradle, a packaging material which is biodegradable. It can also be used an insulating material. Now Ecovative Design has set its sights on water-proof foam for use in cars. Car manufacturer, Ford, is interested in replacing 30 pounds of petro-based foam products used in each car with more environmentally friendly alternatives.

When you think of a tricycle, you probably think of little kids who start cycling by learning on three-wheelers, and then perhaps graduate to two wheelers, with training wheels, before the extra wheels come off. But when you think of mailmen, you probably think of them as making their rounds on foot. In actual fact, they often use small motorcycles, which make delivering the mail much easier.

Simon Williams, an Australian inventor, actually worked as a postman to understand what postmen really needed. He had always wanted to design an electric bike. Accordingly he designed the Deliver-E, a tricycle with two electric motors.

It is innovative in that it has two rear swing arms which pivot independently so that the trike can turn and even stay upright on sloping roads. These can be locked into position when required and they make turning and parking easier. The rear brake is also a good idea as it obviates the need to manually turn the trike.

The Deliver-E is still in the prototype stage. It works on 16 li-on batteries. It has three wheels which offer high traction and stability regardless of terrain. The simple tilting mechanism (giving a lean angle of 45 degrees) links the two rear swinging arms enabling the bike to lean. It works on hand controls.

The trike can be recharged in 2-3 hours. It is expected to give a top speed of 60 kmph and has a range of 80 km. As it is electric, it is eco-friendly with no emissions. Simon is now looking for investors so that the trikes can go into production.

The two seater, German car made a pioneering trip across Australia. Driven and designed by Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer, the car dubbed the Wind Explorer, travelled 5000 km. in 18 days, without using any fuel.

‘The Wind Explorer is a vehicle that seems to come from the future. But it is already reality,’ said Gion. An electric vehicle with its own mobile power supply, the car runs on lithium-ion batteries and when the batteries run out juice, they are charged by a portable wind turbine. The turbine can easily be made with a telescopic mast made of bamboo. In addition to wind power, the Wind Explorer can be driven by kites.

The battery pack and portable turbine are stored in the front of the car. The car is lightweight, made of carbon fiber and rests on an aluminum frame. Weighing only about 200 kilos, the car is aerodynamically designed for best results. With zero emissions the car is cheap to run and environmentally friendly. Of course you need empty roads and wind power to run the car.