Tata Motors, India’s largest automaker, will soon start production of the world’s first commercial compressed air-powered car. It estimates that 6,000 of these cars will be made by the end of the year.

The Air Car, as it is cleverly named, was developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre, CEO of Moteur Developpement International. It requires no gasoline at all, using compressed air to power its engine’s pistons.

Hold on to your hats, folks! The CityCat model will reach a top speed of 68mph! However, it will have a driving range of 125 miles on a full tank of air and such a trip is estimated to only cost about $2, making it perfect for city driving. If there isn’t a compressor station nearby, you can also plug the Air Car into an outlet and let its built-in compressor fill it up for you in about 4 hours.

Although it is pretty slow, running the Air Car is very cheap and very green. For those that have no business on the freeway, this car will be a perfect replacement for today’s gas guzzlers.

[Via Tech.co.uk]

Rinspeed has resurrected the Lotus submarine-car from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, but this time it’s real.

Dubbed the sQuba, this transformed Lotus Elise can go straight from land to water. Of course, the car is not sealed so you have to wear a scuba mask attached to the car’s integrated compressed air tank when underwater.

As if being a submarine wasn’t enough, the sQuba is also a zero-emissions vehicle. While on land, the car is completely powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries.

Looks like Rinspeed has way too much time on their hands. Really cool video here, and a gallery after the jump. Read more »

A team of US researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a material that generates electricity as it moves around. This nanowire fabric can be used in t-shirts and other clothes in the future to serve as a power-plant for our gadgets.

The fabric is created by coating kevlar strands with zinc oxide nanowires, protecting the bushy wires with a polymer, and adding gold to other fibers to act as a conductor. The piezoelectric power-generating action comes when the nanowires bend as two fibers rub together, creating electricity which flows along the gold fibers. Read more »

Nokia has unveiled the “Remade” concept phone, made entirely of recycled materials, at MWC.

Although just a prototype and non-operational at the moment, the message this phone sends is very good, and very green.

The case and touch-sensitive keypad are made from old cans, hence their metallic finish. Even the electrical components can be created from recycled materials.

“It really shows what can be done with materials,” said Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. “It is only a concept now - I cannot make a phone call - but it gives you an insight into how we think we can break new ground.”

It’s great to see Nokia thinking green while trying to stay classy. The phone looks good, and certainly would do more good than harm were it ever produced.

[Via Engadget, guardian.co.uk]

Traffic lights that wirelessly keep track of vehicles could make your next road trip faster, cheaper, and cleaner say Romanian and US researchers.

The researchers recorded peak traffic flow at a major junction in Bucharest, Romania, and then used the distributed computing lab at Rutgers University to create complex simulations. They discovered that “smart” traffic lights could reduce the time drivers spend waiting at intersections by more than 28% during rush hours. The team also believes that these lights could reduce CO₂ emissions by 6.5%. Read more »

Mauricio Clavero has designed a street lamp that is solar powered and only uses a third of its energy unless its built-in motion detectors sense someone walking by. The lamp is built using LEDs and can be placed in area with no access to electricity due to its attached solar panels.

It comes in two versions: urban and country side. The differences between the two? Well, you got us there, but there’s most likely a difference in performance since you don’t often see streetlights in the countryside.
This is great for money conservation, but it could be a bit weird to be the only person walking down a street at night and having each lamp you pass turn on fully. It’s an interesting idea, nonetheless.

Scientists recently demonstrated a knee brace that generates enough electricity to power a cell phone conversation for 30 minutes from one minute of walking.

The system works similar to the regenerative breaking found in some hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius. At the end of a stride, the brace takes over the task of stopping your leg and generates power while it is doing that. The generator in the device then turns off so you don’t use any more energy taking the rest of your step.

This is a great new idea for yet another way to generate renewable electricity.  Unfortunately, we really don’t see this taking off.  Although practical, we don’t know anyone who would go outside wearing a device like this.
Photo: Greg Ehlers/Simon Fraser University

Scientists from the Webb Research Corporation and Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOi) have been testing a glider that uses no power to propel itself through the ocean.

Instead, the yellow, torpedo-shaped machine has been swimming around since December 2007 by taking advantage of the temperature differences between the warmer surface waters and colder deep waters.

Wax-filled tubes in the glider expand when its in warmer water, changing its buoyancy and causing it to sink. When it reaches a colder temperature the wax contracts and the craft floats back up. This up-and-down motion, combined with the glider’s wings, allows it to move forward through water without any power.

Unfortunately, using any sensors on board the glider requires batteries to power them. However, the scientists believe that the craft can still run on its own for up to six months at a time. So far, they say that the glider has covered thousands of kilometers during their tests.