Chevy Tahoe hybrid gets put on the stretcher

It isn't uncommon to see full-frame rear-wheel drive vehicles stretched to within an inch of their lives by companies willing to rent them for a night out on the town in style. Usually, the chosen vehicles come from Lincoln or Cadillac, though a new trend has emerged where sport utility vehicles are chosen instead. We've seen plenty of Lincoln Navigators, Caddy Escalades and even Hummers get the stretch, but this is the first time we've seen a hybrid Tahoe undergo the taffy-like procedure. According to LimeLight Coachworks, it wasn't all that difficult to adapt the hybrid system and all of its high-voltage systems to limo duty, but they were very careful anyway. Good thing, nobody wants a few hundred volts of juice running through them on their prom night, even if they want to go green in the process. Apparently, the company considers this more than just a novelty as the fuel savings remained intact right on through the conversion.

Gallery: Tahoe Hybrid Limo

Source: LimeLight Coachworks via Jalopnik

Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter

Venture Vehicles has announced that they will develop a two passenger, three-wheeled vehicle powered by either a pure plug-in electric or plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain. Under the working name of VentureOne, the new vehicle is to be designed and built in California based on the existing Carver three-wheeler already available in Europe.

Even with its single front wheel and its narrow form, the VentureOne arguably has more in common with a conventional car than a motorcycle due to the fully enclosed cabin, upright seating position, steering wheel, foot pedals and gear stick. The vehicle is actually the same height and length as a MINI Cooper but the driver sits as high off the road as they would in a BMW 3-Seriers.

Despite the VentureOne's height and narrow body, it will be very stable while rounding bends due to its most astounding feature, the ability to tilt the driver and passenger over as it corners. Like a motorcycle, this means that there is no 'overturning torque' on the wheels and the resultant forces always pass through the centre-line of the vehicle. The Carver three-wheeler pioneered the unique tilting design which allows the front wheel and both in-line passengers tilt up to 45 degrees while cornering even as the rear two wheels, anchored by the motor, remain firmly on the ground.

Carver describes the corner tilting sensation as "You steer it like a car, but when cornering it banks like a motorcycle while you feel like you are flying a jetfighter. The thrill of this tilting capability combined with the handling of a sports car makes for an exhilarating driving experience unlike any other."

Can't decide between your motorcycle or your jet ski? Build two-in-one

Here is another one of those oddities that we sometimes show you here at AutoblogGreen. We often write about motorcycles here, so this one seems to fit... sort of. Anyway, what we have here is a mid-eighties Yamaha Virago, one of the first of the Japanese Harley-copies that hit the scene. These are the motorcycles that initiated the term "cruiser" as opposed to just Harley... but enough history.

The builder of this machine apparently couldn't decide between his two hobbies, so he combined them into one mode of transportation. I can't help but think that it is not an easy conversion between the two of them, though.

For a moment, let's focus on the practical efficiency gains contained here. First, we have a motorcycle, which uses far less petroleum than an automobile. The light weight of the vehicle contributes to this, as the engine can be much smaller while still allowing high performance. Also, having two contact patches on the ground increases the efficiency of the vehicle. Next, we have the fishing platform. Read the article, you will find that at 5 mph, roughly walking speed, the vehicle lifts out of the water, greatly reducing contact with the water, increasing vehicle efficiency. There, now we all feel better, don't we?

[Source: Popular Mechanics, via The Kneeslider]

Overgrown Tricycles? Nope, it's the Can Am Spyder and Gilera Fuoco 500ie!

Here we go again with another round of multiple posts about motorcycles with three wheels on the same day. Earlier today, we told you about a new scooter that could be coming in the future from Can Am, and we reminded you of the Can Am Spyder, which is a three-wheeled motorcycle (two in the front, one in the back) which was recently made available in the United States. I believe that this is the first mention of the Gilera Gilera Fuoco 500ie, however. That might be because that brand is not available in the United States. But, we have brought you plenty of news about the Piaggio MP3, on which the Fuoco is based. The difference between the two bikes is in the styling and the size of the engine. The Gilera features a large 500 cc engine, while the Piaggio's make due with 125s and 250s. Rumor has it that a larger version of the MP3 will be available soon.

One major and obvious difference between the two vehicles here is that the Gilera and MP3 lean into turns like a motorcycle, while the Can Am does not. The Can Am does offer sophisticated technology to keep you on the road, however, with stability control and ABS brakes. Just how practical are these two machines? That depends on the rider, of course. What is the weather like where you live? How far do you travel in a day? Do you often carry large items with you? Conversely, how much money can you spend on a vehicle? How much do you want to spend filling up the tank? Vehicles like this serve a small market of people who enjoy wind-in-the-hair riding but want some added stability and feeling of safety, and they save plenty of gas in the process. There is also a rumor that Vectrix might release an electric scooter based on the technology of the MP3. That would be really great.

[Source: Telegraph]

One design for a collapsible electric bicycle train

Click above for more images of the electric bike train

Recently, while searching the net for the most interesting forward-thinking ideas around, we stumbled across a design for an electric bicycle which works sort of like a train. Sure, that sounds confusing, but a quick glance at the pictures below will likely make the concept easier to understand. While we in no way believe that a device such as this would make any real dent in global emissions or congestion, we do think that the idea has some merit for cyclists. Consider, for example, how expensive tandem bicycles are. With a vehicle such as this, a single rider can go his merry way alone or attach extra helpers bikes as needed. Additionally, the electric machine is collapsible, which should make it easier to store when not needed. Pretty cool stuff from designer Jiang Qian in China. A quick glance at his accomplishments makes us believe we're not the only ones impressed by his work.

Monorail + Automobile = MonoMobile

A couple of Cincinnati-area men believe they may have solved mankind's transportation problems by combining the strengths of an ultralight electric car with those of a monorail. The plan, developed by Jay Andress and Andy Webster, is to use the small electric cars for short distances about town. When you need to go out to the exurbs or to another city, using the wheels attached to your roof, you connect yourself to the monorail. While you're autonomously whisked away to your predetermined destination at speeds of up to 200 mph, your car uses the rail to charge its battery.

While the pair has spent only $2500 preparing a CityEl, now dubbed the "Liberator Car.", to demonstrate the scheme, they are now trying to attract an additional $10 million for a 1 mile test section of monorail. They expect it would cost upwards of $500 billion to add a MonoMobile infrastructure to the existing interstate highway system but say the increase in transportation efficiency and productivity would save almost an equal amount of money each year. For all the details on this innovative "dual mode" system, check out the MonoMobile website.

Urban cabs, hybrid pedal power rickshaws, arrive in Paris

Can the vehicle above become a new icon of emission-free transportation in the City of Love? Perhaps, as Paris now has a small fleet of hybrid pedal rickshaws, similar to those in Rome and Valencia. The rickshaw service, called Urban-Cab, is defined as an "intermediate non-polluting solution between a bus and a taxi." The rickshaws operate on a route that passes along the Bastille, the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Saint-Michel and Notre-Dame - basically where tourists want to go. The rickshaws are powered not only by pedal power, but also a battery and an electric motor that assists on steep grades. Urban-Cab claims that these are a completely carbon-free means of transport and they expect to have more than 100 units around Paris by the end of this year.