Inhabitat's Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
Electric vehicle momentum swept the states this week as Inhabitat took a spin in the new Rolls Royce 102EX Phantom EV, and we brought you exclusive photos of BMW's brand new i3 and i8 electric cars. We also showcased six sexy electric vehicles set to hit the streets in 2012, watched a 350MPG EV win the Future Car Challenge, and saw scientists create the world's smallest electric vehicle from a molecule and four motors. Meanwhile, El Al airlines announced plans to launch a line of hybrid-electric Boeing 737 airplanes, Ryno unveiled a crazy electric unicycle, and a team of students revealed Uganda's first electric car.
It was a big week for alternative energy as well as Kenya announced plans to tap lava power with a newly Toshiba-built geothermal energy plant and scientists made a breakthrough in using urine as a viable power source. We also looked into a scientist claiming to have achieved cold fusion, a 'solar cucumber' that harvests fresh drinking water from the ocean, and a sun-powered leaf capable of making ice in the desert.
In other news, green textiles advanced by leaps and bounds as scientists wove fabric from 24-karat gold, researchers developed a reusable fabric that administers drugs through the skin, and the University of Kiel's developed a super-adhesive tape inspired by Gecko skin. We also showcased an incredible set of sculptures made from recycled circuit boards, we watched a crop of styrofoam robots invade Germany's streets, and we saw an innovative self-powered irrigation system win the 2011 James Dyson award. And just in time for the chilly winter season, we found these oh-so-handy texting gloves which feature conductive fingertips that allow you to touch, tap, or type on any mobile touchscreen outdoors without having to remove your gloves.
