Posts Tagged ‘trike’

Mimic The Movements Of Cheetahs With Pardo

As the fastest land animal on Earth, the cheetah is a beast often referred to in metaphors, and studied for its movements. Humans, as you may have noticed, have something of an obsession with speed. Many of us won’t give up that obsession, no matter how much climate change may endanger our future. Did I mention humans are stubborn as well?

Thus the quest for a fossil fuel free future brings about a lot of interesting, outlandish, and outright weird ideas. This one is one of the weirdest, and yet it may actually have a future of sorts. Its a tricycle designed to mimic the movement of a cheetah… and, apparently, it works.

Three-Wheelers Approved for DOE Funds

Aptera 2e

Many manufacturers of high-mpg and electric vehicles have adopted a 3-wheeled layout for cost and weight savings, and—in some cases—aerodynamic efficiency. In most states, however, these vehicles are classified as motorcycles. That motorcycle moniker has made them ineligible for DOE funds set aside to foster innovation among American automakers… until now!

More details, after the jump.

BMW’s Hybrid Trike Gets 120 MPG

BMW’s Simple concept–which kinda looks like a Stealth Bomber with training wheels–is a hybrid trike that gets around 120 mpg.

The Simple (which stands for Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption) does 60 mph in just under ten seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. The car weighs just over 900 lbs and has a super low drag coefficient of 0.18.

Piaggio MP3 Hybrid To Be First Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle in US

Motorbike manufacturer Piaggio has announced that the Piaggio MP3 Hybrid will be launched in America during the first quarter of 2010, making it the first affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle of any kind available in the US.

The news was revealed by Piaggio Group USA President and CEO Paolo Timoni, who also told reporters that the MP3 trike will be capable of achieving a hyper-efficient 141 mpg, all for a price as low as $8 or $9,000 (video).

Weekend

So I wouldn’t say we were incredibly green this weekend, but we were relatively green.

The dude who lives on the other side of Mr. Obsessively Mowing hadn’t mowed in a long time–longer than it had been for us.  So on the weekend, he mowed his yard. . .with a riding mower. . .then used a weedwhacker. . .then used a leafblower. . .then mowed again. . .while smoking.  Way to cancel out your lack of pollution, dude.
Bill mowed too–with our

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