"My vision is a clean world, where everybody is using clean energy”. Guy Nègre´s dream seems to come true in the future. The French engine designer wants to supply the whole world with the cheapest commodity in the world – compressed air.
AIR! Can you imagine?
Ok, the idea ist not completely new. Already in 1860 compressed air was used for huge drills to build up a tunnel between France and Italy.
While in Europe they still working and testing on prototyps, India kicks it off.
Last year India’s largest automaker, Tata Motors, announced to start producing the world’s first commercial air-powered vehicle. This summer about 6000 Air Cars are scheduled to hit the streets in India.

The Air Car uses a motor powered by compressed air. The uniqueness about the so called City Cat is its claim to offer zero emissions at the tailpipe without batteries or hydrogen fuel. Just to make it clear: Zero (0!) emissions. Even a dog has more emissions at the “pipeline”!The Air Cars can be refueled at “Air Stations”. Filling up the car’s carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air takes about two minutes and costs only around $2 (!). Ok, in India that almost a monthly salary, but for us it`s like a can of beer. With a speed about 68 mph the City Cats have a range of 125 miles.
Deals have been signed to bring the Air Cars to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.
So, is the CATvolution really taking over and saving the world from a climate catastrophe?! Or is it just a drop in a bucket and should we rather banish cows from the grassland?Watch the report about the air car on BBC:
Images: hybridarenews.org

Newschecker is short and sweet this week.Artists EcoArtTech have developed a mobile solar powered, GPS enabled robot that’s senses changes in the environment, pollution levels and even terrorist threats! It then projects this data via video projection onto the nearest available surface. The Environmental Risk Assessment Rover–AT, Version 1.0 is on display at the Off The Grid exhibition in New York.
Image from EcoArtTech
In America, they are promoting the use of bikes in May. The League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16. Need some ideas? Check their website for 50 ways to celebrate bike month.
Wired magazine have a photo contest inviting readers to send in photos of different forms of mobility in their countries. It is a varied and interesting overview of everything from trains , planes and automobiles, and a few other surprises! Check out the pictures here.

Image "The no 12 Tram by Calum Davidson" from www.wired .com

In the last report from our future car design series we talked about the carpool vision of Honda. Now we present a completely different approach to future mobility: It's all about the single-seat design of the Audi Virtuea Quattro!

Though such a concept might not be very efficient in minimizing traffic, the Audi Virtuea contributes to the health of the environment by using hydrogen as an energy source. But what's really amazing about this car is its ability to change its exterior design! The Audi Virtuea functions as a solid unit at its core, while providing thousands of possible holographic exteriors stored in a library and accessible through the vehicle's interactive holographic interface. The driver can switch between different designs from one minute to the next and without any environmental impact, as no physical materials are needed to create the design, regardless of size.

Another remarkable feature is the Community Processing Unit of the Audi Virtuea. It connects by wireless with the processing units of the surrounding vehicles, thus allowing for collective memory and active symbiosis. And in case you notice the picture of the solid unit and wonder if it has any wheels - it does: the spherical wheels enable the vehicle to maneuver in every direction.


Images: Audi

She is one of Germany`s most renowned actresses: Martina Gedeck earned her outstanding reputation in movies like the Oscar-winning “The Lives of Others” or “Bella Martha”. She is noted for her careful choice of roles and her sincere screen incarnations of characters – which she impressively demonstrates again as Ulrike Meinhof and Clara Schumann in movies coming up this year.When it comes to environmental matters, Martina Gedeck is no less sincere, as she told us when we met her at the Brandenburger Hof Hotel in Berlin. This is one of the reasons why she gave us her testimonial about the BMW Hydrogen 7 which she used for several months. Watch our video interview!

Doc Martins, shaving brushes and Mariah Carey: Sooner or later everything we thought was forgotten is now celebrating a comeback. Envisioning the mobility of the future, Honda dug out something else that was almost over and done with: Carpools!

Based on the belief of a re-urbanisation movement in the 2040's, Honda Designers Ben Davidson, Khrystyne Zurian and Shae Shatz advanced the old carpool model to face the jam-packed streets of tomorrow: The Honda 124 (One to the Power of Four) is a concept for a robotic modular vehicle comprising four pods. Thanks to a combination of artificial intelligence and molecular engineering each separate unit maintains its own power source. When coupled together they can travel at higher speeds and use a High Occupancy Vehicle Lane. When it is near to the passengers final destinations, it automatically transforms into four smaller single seater vehicles that are easily maneuverable.Module one (see slideshow) maintains most of the look and performance of the original vehicle and allows the driver to continue to travel significant distances at high speed. The modules two and three are light weight personal transport modes, perfect for traveling short, inner-city distances. The front and rear modules can re-join together and take advantage of the carpool system as one. There is no need to mention that the Honda 124 is an energy efficient car concept: The power comes from a solar hybrid power system with a very flexible usability: Two cars from the system can be recharged at one time enabling the two other cars to travel freely. Well, the only thing left to argue about: Who will use which module?Images: Honda

As the European rains start to turn the bare trees into budding little bouquets of blossoms, thoughts of escaping the city some to mind. And what could be more free than taking off in your own mobile home or caravan, independent of hotel check-out times and invading butlers? And the best part of any caravan holiday is that a beach, mountain or forest can be your own private sleep-over spot!

But recently, stories of “toxic trailers” have hit the headlines. The FEMA trailer scandal involved the discovery of dangerous levels or formaldehyde in trailers. And the inadequate emergency trailers used after Hurricane Katrina did nothing to help the reputation of happy campers. So here are a selection of our favourite economical, healthy and funky temporary homes. See you on the road....
The Deseo

The Deseo Caravan did not win the esteemed Red Dot Design Award 2008 for nothing. Stylish, luxurious and most importantly mobile! The interiors are minimal and modern, the sunroof enables natural cooling and the large windows keep the warmth in.
The Airstream

The Airstream caravan is a little like living in a silver time capsule. Inside the Safari's wall is a 2.5" fiberglass batten insulation, which keeps the interior cool in summer and warm in winter. The DWR version by Chris Deam is reminscent of the original 1960s trailer. But it incorporates new designs such as a Nelson Ball clock, a Tom Dixon's coatrack, and luxurious bedding from Matteo. It's hot ,we like it.
The Minihome

Sustain Design Studio’s Minihome has to be the most green. While not the easiest to drive around on a quick holiday, it is a detachable mobile trailer on wheels and offers the best in environmentally conscious design. Features include solar power, wind turbine, a portable green roof, LED lighting, composting toilet and solar powered electricity and hot water.
The m ch
The fantastic and futuristic m ch or (Micro Compact Home) was the outcome of a research project at the Technical University of Munich to design a 2.6m cube dwelling. Created in collaboration with the Tokyo Institute of Technology, the small home is inspired by a Japanese tea-house. In special circumstances it can even be delivered by helicopter. Now that's a mobile home!

News Checker this week comes from all corners of the globe.
Being independently mobile and flexible with our work environments is becoming even more necessary. The solar desk is another “bright” idea to create instant energy and power provided for working on the move.

Image of the Solar Workspace
Wired magazine has an interesting report on LA and its automobile industry. With the region's growing population, the city will not be able to support itself without future investments in transportation. Read more in their blogs.
More transport troubles in the USA, this time the focus is on New York's public transport system.
Full of solutions, the Dutch as usual have come up with a novel way to deal with rising water levels. Floating Homes. But unlike the usual Dutch house-boats, these homes are able to be both attached to the ground or float upwards of 16 feet. 37 houses along the Maas River in Holland have been designed by Dura Vermeer.
More info at Cleantechnica

Dutch Floating Homes

The Vulcan project is creating waves in the blogosphere. The video created by the team at the Purdue University is actually an interactive map of the United States and the carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. The results are surprising.
Finally, Australia is about to build their biggest solar plant near the town of Mildura.
The plant – which is planned to begin generating power by 2010, and be completed 2013 – is looking to provide solar power to some 45,000 homes.