Automotive alternatives for less energy consumption

Fuel-Cell Honda Cub Concept

If you have ever seen movies like i-Robot or The Minority Report, you may think this futuristic two-wheeler is a fancy Hollywood prop for one of Spielberg's sci-fi blockbusters.
Honda Cub Concept is a fuel cell motorcycle created for urban transport in a fashion that Russ Lovegrove would refer to as organic essentialism. That means no deficiencies, no excesses - just a functional vehicle that's easy on the eye and good for the planet.
As Treehugger points out, Honda Cub is still just a concept created by Sam Jilbert for his Transportation Design course at Northumbria University.
"I've based this concept around the Honda Cub, which has been around for decades and is still very popular on the continent with locals and tourists alike" he said. "The Cub is very practical but this concept takes it to a new level, with a provocative image and being environmentally responsible, the new Cub should appeal to young city professionals and the young trendy market in general."

Air Car




When we first covered this toy-like air car, the concept of a vehicle that runs on thin air seemed a bit hard to process. And with over 20 patents to its name, the company and its founder - a former Formula One engineer - went to great lengths to protect this breakthrough technology.
In reality, the principle behind air-driven propulsion is fairly straightforward. A tank with compressed air, most likely pressurized to about 4500 psi, sets the wheels in motion by delivering force directly to the pistons. The result is a zero-emissions vehicle that can travel about 120 miles at a top speed of 70 mph.
When we first covered this toy-like air car, the concept of a vehicle that runs on thin air seemed a bit hard to process. And with over 20 patents to its name, the company and its founder - a former Formula One engineer - went to great lengths to protect this breakthrough technology.
In reality, the principle behind air-driven propulsion is fairly straightforward. A tank with compressed air, most likely pressurized to about 4500 psi, sets the wheels in motion by delivering force directly to the pistons. The result is a zero-emissions vehicle that can travel about 120 miles at a top speed of 70 mph.
The line of these small air cars, made by Moteur Developpment International, has been arousing curiously in both carmakers and motorists alike since its inception. But as of recently that curiosity has been translating into actual deals with car companies hungry for low-cost green drivetrain solutions.
Ecogeek says that Tata, India's larges car company, "is planning on creating a hybrid version that uses compressed air at low speeds, and then switches over to gasoline if the driver needs a speed (or range) boost." Japanese investors are also seriously considering licensing the technology.
Due to the substandard fiberglass body and other safety considerations, we are unlikely to see the air car here any time soon. The vehicles are also still crude and unrefined. Judging from the above video, the air cars' engines are overly loud and intrusive compared to regular petrol vehicles, let alone EVs. That said, air-driven propulsion is by far greener than most of its alternative competitors.