Crazy-looking Fiat Phylla electric car has solar panels for charge assist

Is this a real electric vehicle or a clown car? It's as real as a prototype can get, put together by Fiat and a few other designers, all of whom must have a substantial sense of humor. The Fiat Phylla is an 80-mph electric car that takes between 3 and 4 hours to charge from a regular wall socket. Adding to its energy efficiency are solar panels on the roof, the reason for naming the car "Phylla," the Greek word for leaf.

We like it. If you're not fond of its green-and-white color scheme, imagine the little electro-buggy in shiny midlife-crisis red. While its 0-30 acceleration in a poky 6 seconds is certainly not exciting, this tiny go-cart might be a foreshadowing of what many vehicles will look like in the next decade. In fact, the trend toward diminutive and bulbous battery buggies has already begun.

Via Ubergizmo

Crazy-looking Fiat Phylla electric car has solar panels for charge assist

Is this a real electric vehicle or a clown car? It's as real as a prototype can get, put together by Fiat and a few other designers, all of whom must have a substantial sense of humor. The Fiat Phylla is an 80-mph electric car that takes between 3 and 4 hours to charge from a regular wall socket. Adding to its energy efficiency are solar panels on the roof, the reason for naming the car "Phylla," the Greek word for leaf.

We like it. If you're not fond of its green-and-white color scheme, imagine the little electro-buggy in shiny midlife-crisis red. While its 0-30 acceleration in a poky 6 seconds is certainly not exciting, this tiny go-cart might be a foreshadowing of what many vehicles will look like in the next decade. In fact, the trend toward diminutive and bulbous battery buggies has already begun.

Via Ubergizmo

Nissan NV2500 Concept Makes World Debut - Previews Nissan's Entry Into U.S. Commercial Vehicle Market

Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) (Nasdaq: NSANY) today unveiled the Nissan NV2500 Concept at a media event at its Nissan Technical Center North America's (NTCNA) Michigan headquarters. The NV2500 Concept provides an original take on Commercial Vehicle (CV) design, as well as providing a preview of Nissan's entry into the CV market in North America.

The Nissan NV2500 Concept offers fresh design and fresh thinking - including a 3-Zone interior and flexible utility and storage solutions. Its "wall-less" mobile office/workspace design includes a computer workstation, fold-down conference table, numerous storage compartments, cargo/tool tie-down racks, nearly six feet of interior height and an awning-style side panel that opens to create a standing outside workshop table. All elements of the interior are designed to be multi-functional and highly durable, able to stand up to the rigors of heavy use at a construction site or other real world locations.

In addition, making its North American debut was the Nissan NV200 Concept, another conceptual depiction of a potential future Nissan commercial vehicle product. The NV200 Concept, which was originally shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, represents a fuel-efficient, delivery-type van and mobile office in one. The NV200 Concept is a cab-forward design with a unique sliding cargo "pod" that extends from the rear to reveal an IT workspace and living quarters.

Nissan will enter the CV business in the United States in 2010 with a product lineup that will incorporate three new products being developed by Nissan specifically for the North American market. These products will be built at Nissan's manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss. Nissan is investing $118 million to expand Canton's production to manufacture CVs.

The new vehicles will be joined by commercial vehicles from Nissan's global CV lineup, creating a multi-segment CV lineup up to class 5 gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR).

Nissan Commercial Vehicles (CV)
Nissan North America, Inc. is entering the CV business through a significant investment in North America as part of a global commitment to the CV segment. Nissan will forge partnerships with Cummins Inc. for the engines and ZF Friedrichshafen AG for the transmissions. The first Nissan commercial vehicle is scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2010.

Nissan In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.

SOURCE Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan NV2500 Concept Makes World Debut - Previews Nissan's Entry Into U.S. Commercial Vehicle Market

Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) (Nasdaq: NSANY) today unveiled the Nissan NV2500 Concept at a media event at its Nissan Technical Center North America's (NTCNA) Michigan headquarters. The NV2500 Concept provides an original take on Commercial Vehicle (CV) design, as well as providing a preview of Nissan's entry into the CV market in North America.

The Nissan NV2500 Concept offers fresh design and fresh thinking - including a 3-Zone interior and flexible utility and storage solutions. Its "wall-less" mobile office/workspace design includes a computer workstation, fold-down conference table, numerous storage compartments, cargo/tool tie-down racks, nearly six feet of interior height and an awning-style side panel that opens to create a standing outside workshop table. All elements of the interior are designed to be multi-functional and highly durable, able to stand up to the rigors of heavy use at a construction site or other real world locations.

In addition, making its North American debut was the Nissan NV200 Concept, another conceptual depiction of a potential future Nissan commercial vehicle product. The NV200 Concept, which was originally shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, represents a fuel-efficient, delivery-type van and mobile office in one. The NV200 Concept is a cab-forward design with a unique sliding cargo "pod" that extends from the rear to reveal an IT workspace and living quarters.

Nissan will enter the CV business in the United States in 2010 with a product lineup that will incorporate three new products being developed by Nissan specifically for the North American market. These products will be built at Nissan's manufacturing facility in Canton, Miss. Nissan is investing $118 million to expand Canton's production to manufacture CVs.

The new vehicles will be joined by commercial vehicles from Nissan's global CV lineup, creating a multi-segment CV lineup up to class 5 gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR).

Nissan Commercial Vehicles (CV)
Nissan North America, Inc. is entering the CV business through a significant investment in North America as part of a global commitment to the CV segment. Nissan will forge partnerships with Cummins Inc. for the engines and ZF Friedrichshafen AG for the transmissions. The first Nissan commercial vehicle is scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2010.

Nissan In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.

SOURCE Nissan North America, Inc.

Giant cargo ships are going green with solar sails

Some of the stuff we buy from China is so cheap, that I wonder how they manage to cover even the shipping costs for the selling price. Now China's biggest shipping company COSCO is giving us a clue. They just signed a deal with Solar Sailor of Australia, to fit some of their cargo ships with gigantic rigid sails, each the size of a 747 jet's wing. We've looked before at small scale versions of the same idea, but never anything this huge

Under ocean going conditions, the sails provide enough thrust to reduce fuel consumption by 20-40 percent, while the solar panels covering them deliver power to the crew quarters and navigation electronics. The ship's ballast is provided by rechargeable batteries, which can drive the boat electrically if needed, and if you have a really stiff wind, the screws can be reversed to further charge the batteries. The giant sails can also be folded flat onto the deck if there's a threatening storm.

Solar Sailor, via Treehugger.com

Giant cargo ships are going green with solar sails

Some of the stuff we buy from China is so cheap, that I wonder how they manage to cover even the shipping costs for the selling price. Now China's biggest shipping company COSCO is giving us a clue. They just signed a deal with Solar Sailor of Australia, to fit some of their cargo ships with gigantic rigid sails, each the size of a 747 jet's wing. We've looked before at small scale versions of the same idea, but never anything this huge

Under ocean going conditions, the sails provide enough thrust to reduce fuel consumption by 20-40 percent, while the solar panels covering them deliver power to the crew quarters and navigation electronics. The ship's ballast is provided by rechargeable batteries, which can drive the boat electrically if needed, and if you have a really stiff wind, the screws can be reversed to further charge the batteries. The giant sails can also be folded flat onto the deck if there's a threatening storm.

Solar Sailor, via Treehugger.com