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scooting

Cargo Scooter Concept is Moped With a Hole

"Oh!" you may say, thinking the Cargo scooter/moped concept by designer Elliot Ortiz is craziness exemplified. But listen: mopeds are a good solution in many places across the world, taking up less road space than cars and being cheap to run. One thing they lack is load-bearing abilities, and that's what Elliot's design is supposed to fix. Taking a few design cues from the classic Vespa, it's got that huge hole in the chassis which allows you to sling narrow loads inside. There's even a DHL scooter concept in the gallery. I can't help but wonder about stability of the thing, but it's a neat bit of lateral thinking. Should it remain a concept? What do you think, guys? [Tuvie via Techeblog]

5:24 AM on Wed Jul 2 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,307 views, 39 comments

Latest by John: This is easy: electrical powered hub motors. more »

vehicles

Amphibious RV is the Perfect Vehicle for, uh, Somebody, I'm Sure

Attention, rich jackasses! Do I have the vehicle for you: a million-dollar RV that doubles as a boat. Yes, that's right, it's an RV that's designed to drive right into a lake and keep on going. It's designed for a very specific level of rich person; you've got to be rich enough to drop a cool mil on this thing, but not so rich that you could just buy an RV and a yacht. Because really, is a covered RV going to be all that great of a boat? Besides seriously surprising anyone else who happens to be on the water, what's the benefit of this? Frankly, I don't get it. But then again, I'm not rich enough to afford it, so maybe I'm not supposed to. [Product Page via Crave]

7:00 PM on Tue Jul 1 2008
By Adam Frucci
4,597 views, 49 comments

Latest by strider_mt2k: -or a fjord. more »

cars

Ozone Concept Car is Wheely Eco-Friendly

Part giant Segway, part car, part Tron light-cycle, part whirling glass-walled deathtrap...think of it as you will, the Ozone is actually a pretty interesting concept vehicle designed by Ozkan Koral. Accessed by rotating doors within the wheels, the passenger cabin is actually inside the wheelbase. It's powered by fuel cells driving twin electric motors and steered by joystick. So it's pretty eco-friendly, though I'm not sure how travel over rough terrain would feel when you're inside. Plus, World War II gadget afficionados may remember the Great Panjandrum when they see this, and shudder. Just a concept. [OzkanKoral via Ecofriend]

9:30 AM on Fri Jun 27 2008
By Kit Eaton
4,962 views, 51 comments

Latest by n/a: Wonder if this was the inspiration for that... [www.sandisk.com] Suddenly,drive-throughs and toll booths present new and interesting challenges... more »

Electric Bike Train

C'mon Ride the (Bike) Train, Hey Ride It

"Right about now it's about that time for me to holler
Girl, I wanna waller in the back of my Impala
Woo, don't need no tickets for this thing
Just jump on in, let me hit them switches on the train"

Wait, this song is about WHAT?? As for the Electric Bike Train, it's a modular biking system allowing you to ride alone or hook up with friends. By designer Jianq Qian, it's just a concept, but it's also a whole lot more inviting than that Impala. Trust me. [Coroflot via Core77]

2:50 PM on Tue Jun 17 2008
By Mark Wilson
3,220 views, 11 comments

cars

Toyota Gosei Creates 360º Airbags, Plus One on the Front for Unlucky Pedestrians

We've already seen a version of this: Autoliv's hood airbag system, but Toyota Gosei (an offshoot of, no prizes for etc etc, Toyota) has gone one better. As well as protecting the pedestrian from being squished like a bug on a windscreen, it has airbags down the side of the car, both front and back, protecting passengers from injury in the event of a nasty shunt from every which way in the car. More »

9:15 AM on Fri Jun 6 2008
By AddyDugdale
7,725 views, 38 comments

vehicles

Inflatable Car Can Drive Off Cliffs, Into Children's Parties

XP Vehicles wants to sell you an inflatable car that costs under $10,000. It'll be shipped to you in two boxes and take roughly two hours for two people to build. Completely electric, the car's light weight means it can get 300 miles on a single charge or up to 2,500 if you use their "hot-swap" technology. Oh, and its NASA-grade inflatable material—the same stuff used by our landers in space—is supposed to let you drive off cliffs and stuff. More »

7:20 PM on Tue Jun 3 2008
By Mark Wilson
21,344 views, 36 comments

Latest by n/a: @Red Right Hand: wow, I guess someone had to go there. seriously though that joke hasn't been funny for 20 years, just because he's in the news for a brain tumor doesn't make it funny now. more »

fire ride with me

Flame-Throwing Wheelchair Makes Me Want to Break a Leg

This fully-motorized wheelchair—built from an electric golf cart and a Marine rescue helicopter seat—is equipped with a flamethrower capable of firing 15-foot flames. Capable of hitting 20 miles per hour, it is the latest invention of Lord Humongous—probably the secret identity of Dr. Strangelove—and a perfect opportunity for disabled people of the world to get even-Steven with all those punks who always park in the wrong spots. More »

10:30 AM on Thu May 29 2008
By jesusdiaz
7,579 views, 31 comments

vehicles

Tesla Motors Opens First Dealership in LA

At long last Tesla Motors has opened its first dealership in LA. The $109,000 all-electric sports car has just started shipping to the people who first preordered them. So you can certainly go test drive one in LA now (with more dealerships set to open in other cities in the coming months), but expect to wait 15 months to get one if you decide to place an order. We're not talking about Honda Civics here, after all. [CNN]

6:30 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Adam Frucci
5,562 views, 31 comments

Latest by austek: Tesla will soon have even better battery technology as described in this article from Technology Review.. A new lithium-ion battery from A123 Systems could help electric cars and hybrids come to dominate the roads. [www.technologyreview.com] more »

vehicles

3,800 HP Jet Bike is One Dangerous Way to Travel

Something tells me this 3,800 HP jet-powered bike isn't the safest or most efficient way to get around town, but then again, you aren't going to fry a crosswalk's worth of schoolchildren to a crisp driving around a Plymouth Voyager. Oh, and the name of the guy who built this monster? Mad Ron Laycock. Ponder that while you hit the jump for another picture of this thing. More »

12:10 PM on Tue Apr 29 2008
By Adam Frucci
18,960 views, 62 comments

Latest by thedancingrogue: I need a 1280x1024 wallpaper of that and a kleenex please. more »

deathtraps

Dinghy + Hang Glider + Giant Engine = Hilarious Obituary

Boats are pretty sweet, as are planes. But when you combine the two? You get a flying boat, my friends, and that just takes shit to the next level. Doi Malingri realized this basic fact, which is why he decided to stick a hang glider and a big engine on the back of a dinghy, creating one of the sweetest and most dangerous-looking ways to travel around. Sure, it costs a ridiculous $32,300 for something that looks like you could cobble it together in your garage in a weekend for a few hundred, but who has time for garage projects when you could be flying over the waves?

[Wefeeld via BornRich]

9:44 AM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Adam Frucci
8,557 views, 46 comments

Latest by CptCrackers: I knew this looked too familiar:[gizmodo.com] more »

pew pew

Laser Walls Unnecessarily Update the Stoplight

This Virtual Wall concept replaces stoplights with a much larger, more expensive way to notify drivers that if they don't stop, their wheel wells will become clogged with pedestrians. It essentially creates a big wall of lasers across the road with images of pedestrians, making the red light pretty much impossible to miss. Of course, such a thing would hinder visibility into the intersection while stopped, will be a huge energy waste and will cost a retarded amount of taxpayer money to install, but hey, it looks so neat! Lasers! The future is now! [Yanko Design]

1:00 PM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Adam Frucci
17,515 views, 77 comments

Latest by Michai: @liveinvt: good one. more »

vehicles

Exhaust Air Jack Lifts Your Car with a Toxic Balloon

I'm not much of a "car guy," but this Exhaust Air Jack seems like a pretty brilliant alternative to your normal jacks. Simply plug the hose into your exhaust pipe, stick the balloon under the frame of the car, and let the exhaust lift the car up so you can change the tire. Apparently, it's strong enough to lift a three-ton vehicle 18 inches for up to 45 minutes, which should be enough time for even the most inept of us to change a tire. Hit the jump for a video of it in action. More »

11:53 AM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Adam Frucci
20,032 views, 133 comments

Latest by hnkelley: @daftrok: You mean this: [www.amazon.com] Or, less costly, this: [en.wikipedia.org] @i4ni: Actually, I've done this... and with existing tools, so I never considered that this wasn't on the market. Working with emergency services here in the LA area, we learn to more »

space

NASA Lunar Chariot Tested by NYT Earthling (Verdict: Best Rims in Outer Space)

NASA's Lunar Chariot, which costs a reported $2 million to build, has just been tested by the NYT. The top speed of 15 mph may not set tarmac on fire, but it sure as hell can burn a truckload of astro stuff, all with it's six-wheeled wackiness trailing closely behind. The front driving "turret" houses the primary control; a joystick for steering, as well as various cameras and sensors, the feedback of which is relayed to the onboard screen. John Schwartz, the NYT reporter sent out to run the test, didn't get to drive the buggy itself, but he was offered the passenger's seat / stand, and here's what he made of it.
More »

6:00 PM on Sun Mar 30 2008
By Haroon Malik
5,865 views, 35 comments

Latest by n/a: Low-RIde-Er knows every street, yeah... more »

gadgets

Motorized Monocycle Eliminates Need for Pedals, Humility

This monocycle from rich man's playground catalogue Hammacher Schlemmer is a few phalluses short of a South Park episode, but I think even Mrs. Garrison would appreciate the fact that this 1869 throwback is now available at retail for a modest $12,999.95. And the best part? The wealthy sops whipping around the Hamptons on this thing won't even have to pedal, as this monocycle boasts a 31cc 1 1/2 horsepower engine. The lawnmower-esque four-stroke maxes out at modest 25 MPH but Hammacher promises its monocycle can still comfortably navigate on anything from pavement to grass to the backs of the common man. [Hammacher Schlemmer product page]

12:40 PM on Sat Mar 29 2008
By gizmodo.com
7,217 views, 24 comments

Latest by MickyK: How am I supposed to drive it without the attachments to stick in my mouth? more »

concepts

Silbervogel Gravity Car Has No Muscle, Still Makes the Mark

The Silbervogel Gravity Car concept, by Jakob Hirzel from the Pforzheim University Of Applied Sciences in Germany, has no engine, but still wants to grow up and be a real racing vehicle. The racer relies solely on, you guessed it, gravity to pick up speed. We're thinking the whole exempt engine thing is going to give the Gravity Car a little handicap in conventional races, but as a play thing, it would be pretty great. [Jakob Hirzel via Tuvie]

6:45 AM on Tue Mar 25 2008
By Haroon Malik
5,100 views, 35 comments

Latest by n/a: woow.. that thing looks so hot.. haha.. i bet it costs a lot for something that doesnt have a machine.. lol more »

vehicles

Lunar Rover-Like Vehicle for People with Reduced Mobility

Tokyo's Waseda University is developing some really weird-looking vehicles and mechanical aids for people with reduced mobility. This one looks like a cross betwen a Segway and a lunar rover, but unlike Dean Kamen's invention, it requires the user to actually walk on top of it, although with limited motion. This achieves three effects: first, it keeps people doing a little bit of exercise; second, the movement gets translated into a faster motion; and third, thanks to its structure, the user will be able to terrorize people out of walkways with complete safety. [Impress Robot Watch]

10:00 AM on Fri Mar 21 2008
By jesusdiaz
3,909 views, 12 comments

Latest by braddo_99: Haven't they noticed how elderly folks stop before getting on the moving walkways (making it harder to get on of course) and stop on freeway on ramps (to be safe)? No way this will get used for intended purpose. I think more »

retromodo

World's Wackiest Vehicles According to Uber-Review

Uber-Review is promoting a neat feature it held way back in 2006, which shows ten of the craziest racers they could find on the old tubes. The list is a compilation of some of the vehicles we have seen before, but it is great to have them all in one place. Some of the speeding goodies include the Pac Man Car, Surface Orbiter, Rocket Bike and a bevy of others. The Hemi Trike is pictured above, which we think you will agree is completely ridiculous, but then again, it's not quite as ludicrous as the Jet Powered Beetle. Oh yes, there's a jet that spins up to 26,000 rpm when activated—crazy. Jump to check it out. More »

9:00 AM on Sun Mar 16 2008
By Haroon Malik
24,707 views, 21 comments

Latest by ninjagin: Tank Chair FTW! more »

concepts

Wiperless Windshield Concept Brings Minimalism to Your Vehicle

Leonardo Fioravanti of the awesome vehicle design house Pininfarina has put together a prototype car, called Hidra, which has a windshield that negates the necessity for conventional wipers. The design relies on aerodynamics and surface treatment alone, which will supposedly be enough to keep a fly-away tree branch from obscuring your line of vision. The chemical treatments applied are where the autonomous cleaning action really happens, and they actually sound quite interesting. More »

1:00 PM on Sun Feb 24 2008
By Haroon Malik
11,370 views, 51 comments

Latest by Red Right Hand: @jhara19: Hello...McFly Just where the hell are you going to buy a plain glass windshield for this car? Do you think this company makes plain glass windshields for this car... This company does limited builds of souped up Ferarri and such, if more »

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