The Ox is a five-seat monocab design that has a space frame structure that can be used for a variety of different body styles. Besides the four-door body Th!nk is also showing a two-door coupe body.The system is designed to be adaptable to different regions and applications so it can be equipped with either sodium batteries or lithium ion.

The 60kW electric motor should be able to accelerate the 3,300lb Ox to 62mph in about 8.5 seconds. Th!nk is claiming that with lithium batteries the Ox will have a range of about 120miles on the US06 driving cycle. The US06 is the new, more aggressive schedule that was added to the EPA fuel efficiency testing routine for 2008.More pictures after you jump. (more…)

Murat Günak, who worked for Volkswagen, once changed the corporate world to follow a green dream. He created his own company in Switzerland where he first created an all-electric tricycle called twike.me which, in the end, did not see the light. But he’s now working in a new project, a hybrid coupe.

Combining solar power with electric power to run eco-friendly cars seem to be the new “in” thing to do, what with gas prices making driving a downright painful experience these days. Despite the fact that solar panels aren’t really efficient enough to give much power to a car, auto makers will probably start slapping them on vehicles to make people think they’ll be more fuel efficient.

The latest entry in this new genre is the Six50 by the Swiss company Mindset AG. It’s still a prototype, but they plan on pumping out about 10,000 of these guys next year, each costing about $78,000.

 CLEVER together with a number of partners, including BMW, wanted to develop a type of vehicle that would be suitable for urban use. The result was a low emissions, three wheeled, two person vehicle that can tilt around corners, and look quite stylish doing it.

The CLEVER, which stands for compact low emission vehicle for urban transport, is 3 meters long and 1 meter wide. It weighs less than 400kg, and combined with the fact that it is powered by natural gas, will give you around 60g/km (compared to 100 g/km for a small vehicle). The top speed is 100kph, and it has an acceleration of 0-60kph in about 7 seconds.More pictures after you jump of CLEVER Project CNG Concept.

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SolarLab is developing a solar-powered rickshaw.The vehicle, which is due to be launched next year, will derive up to 75% of its power from photovoltaics mounted on its roof, and the rest from pedal power.The time is very near when you will see widespread use of this rickshaw in the near future. SolarCab will definitely bring a revolution in motor rickshaws.

Here is the latest Nissan breakthrough concept, Pivo 2. A ball-shaped electric vehicle that can maneuver into tight parking spots without backing up and features a robotic bobblehead in the cabin that can detect the driver’s mood by analyzing changes in facial expressions. This three-seater vechicle is powered by advanced compact lithium-ion batteries with travel range about 78 miles on a single charge and featuring a unique rotating cabin - meaning no reverse gear required.

The BMW GINA Light Visionary Model is a two-seater concept car. Incidentally GINA stands for Geometry and Functions in ‘N’ Adaptations. The car is built on the Z8 Roadster platform with its 5.0-liter V8. It consists of a flexible ’skin’ stretched over a metal wire structure enforced with carbon fiber. This gives the owner the flexibility to change the shape of the car as they please; to elucidate: the rear spoiler can be raised, while the rocker panels can effectively be bodykitted out. There is flexibility in the inside as well, the steering wheel and instrumentation sit within the centre console and slide into position when the driver pushes the start button. Apparently the car has been influenced by the infamous ‘flame-surfaced’ styling of BMW’s current lineup.

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