There aren't too many transportation-related green displays at the WIRED NextFest going on in Chicago this month, but it's hard to miss the ones that are present. While the back of the tent is taken over by Toyota's plug-in Prius and 1/x, right in the middle of the floor is the ridiculously stretched out Imagine PS Roadster from HumanCar. We've heard about this vehicle since 2006, and it's still in pretty basic form. The bright orange chassis and the rowing-powered powerplant (which will be combined with an electric motor in the final version) sat next to each other and you can see both in the photo gallery below. What struck me was just how low and long this vehicle is. I still can't quite imagine how you steer the car, especially at low speeds, as the "BodySteer™" technology isn't something I get quite yet. Perhaps I will if we can take the Imagine out for a spin sometime next year - it's due in Spring 2009.

Wired magazine is putting on a show they are calling NextFest this weekend in New York City in Hall 38 of the Jacob Javits Center. They describe it as their vision for new Worlds Fair. There will be over 130 interactive exhibits showing off the future of exploration, entertainment, transportation, health, communication, design, security, and green living. As part of the green living and transportation themes, General Motors is planning on showing some green vehicles, including the Saturn Vue hybrid, the Sequel fuel cell concept and the fuel cell-powered Equinox that is being delivered to fleets for field testing this fall.

GM will also have a large display devoted to ethanol and flex-fuel vehicles. One of the other highlights of the transportation area is the Ohio State University "Buckeye Bullet" electric land speed record car that set a national record at 314.958 mph. The show runs through October 1 at the Javits Center and it looks like it will be worth a visit if you're in the new York City area this weekend. The GM press release is after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]