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If you hadn't noticed, the Olympic Games in Beijing are being celebrated these days. MINI decided that it was a good opportunity to mix Chinese traditions with British German craftmanship and so they sent a MINI Clubman to be cut in half and made a rickshaw. Yes, not a lot of horsepowers, but human legpower moves the MINI rickshaw around the Hu Tong district in Beijing. The vehicle is finished with all sorts of amulets and decorations to bring good luck to the rider, and liberate some positive energy during these Games. What we can't deny is that human power is actually greener than an ICE engine. Oh, wait, didn't somebody challenge that statement?



[Source: BMW]

Photo: Times of India

Over the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created.

According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.

[Source: Times of India]

The term "rickshaw" covers a wide variety of vehicles around the world but in Nepal it usually refers to the three-wheeler you see pictured above. They used to create clouds of pollution in the capitol, Kathmandu, but the Vikram Tempo rickshaw, the fossil fuel burning version of this conveyance, has been outlawed since 1999. Since then, electric versions, or Safa Tempo, have been steadily increasing in numbers. Now, according to one retailer, Shree Eco Visionary (SEV), there are at least 650 EVs plying Kathmandu streets fulfilling the daily transportation needs of over 100,000 people. SEV hopes to see the number of Safa Tempo rise to 4,000 over the next five years.

Not only are the electric machines more eco-friendly, they are, after the initial purchase cost of $13,500 has been dealt with, much cheaper to run than their smoking counterparts. According to an article at IBN Live, the electric rickshaws cost about seven cents per kilometer, a figure that should remain low even as the price of oil climbs steadily higher. Capable of traveling up to 70 kilometers on a charge, the Safa Tempo are seen as a good low-tech solution to the problem of vehicle pollution in Nepal. To see a clip of these machines doing their thing on the streets of Kathmandu and listen to the original report, hit the jump.

We recently reported on the unfortunate demise of the Bajaj 3-wheeler from the American market due to slow sales. Happily, a new brand of funky 3-wheelers is set to make its debut in the U.S. by way of Thailand. Tuk Tuk North America (TTNA) reports that its vehicles are currently undergoing EPA and NHTSA testing for road-use approval, though its line of trikes is reportedly already for sale for off-road use. Available in a number of passenger, cargo and truck body styles, the Tuk Tuk comes equipped with either a 200cc or 650cc version of a newly-designed, liquid-cooled four-stroke powerplant. This replaces the original two-stroker from which the vehicle received its funny-sounding name. TTNA also reports that its vehicles are available with both automatic and manual transmissions. Interestingly, the options page of the TTNA site shows an LPG kit which would convert the engine to run on dual fuels -- both liquefied petroleum and gasoline.

[Source: Tuk Tuk North America]

We recently had a short email exchange with the president of Bajaj USA, Al Kolvites, and we were informed that the 3-wheelers, known as rickshaws in some other countries, are no longer available in the states. Kolvites cites the manual transmission as one major reason as to why the 3-wheelers didn't sell very well in the U.S. Apparently, modifications were needed to make the machines DOT and EPA compliant, and Bajaj did not see the point of making the required changes considering the low number of units actually sold in the U.S. Kolvites says that he had asked for an automatic transmission version to sell here, but Bajaj declined, saying that most of their customers preferred the shift-it-yourself tranny and the mileage benefits that generally accompany them.

Bajaj USA has sold out of the inventory of 3-wheelers, meaning that if you want one, you'll need to scour the used market. We're truly sad to hear that the venerable rickshaw is no longer available in the states, especially considering the fuel mileage that the unique machines were capable of.

Currently, there are a few small manufacturers marketing in the small, three-wheeled vehicle segment. Obviously, ZAP comes to mind with their electric Xebra sedan and pickup truck. Bajaj sells small three-wheeled utility vehicles here as well. It looks like we can add Trifun to that list, as they reportedly plan to sell a few thousand three-wheeled vehicles this year in the U.S.

A high quality 1 liter four cylinder engine, manufactured by GM joint venture Wuling, powers pickup truck, sedan and surrey - basically a sedan with a removable canvas top - models. Each machine also features a 5-speed manual transmission and should be capable of highway speeds. These vehicles, all of which come equipped with air conditioning standard, are expected to start just under $10 grand, placing them a bit higher than the less-speedy Bajaj units but undercutting any traditional sedan available in the states.

[Source: Trifun via Jalopnik]

The tuk tuk, or auto rickshaw, is a common means of transportation in the crowded cities of India as well as many other Southeast Asian countries. They are a great transportation solution and a huge source of employment, but because they are mostly powered by smoky 2 stroke engines, they are also a huge source of pollution. Enter the Hybrid Auto Rickshaw project. From ENVIU, the same folks that brought you the Sustainable Danceclub, comes an innovative attempt to curb some of this pollution. The idea is to engage students of technical and business studies to battle each other to design the cleanest, cheapest and most practical upgrade kit for existing auto rickshaws.

So, if you're a technical or business student with an interest in tuk tuks or hybrids - or both - what are you waiting for? Go to their website, read all about it, maybe check out a couple videos and sign yourself up!

[Source: Hybrid Auto Rickshaw via Treehugger]

Usually when we mention Piaggio on these pages, it has to do with their popular line of scooters. This time, though, we are focusing on their three and four-wheeled line of utility vehicles. The popular Ape model and the rest of the three-wheeled variants that Piaggio offers in India are getting an optional CNG engine. Calling it a "benchmark in eco-friendly transportation", Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd, said, "In cargo industry we have a significant market share of 44 percent as we are the pioneers of the three-wheeler category in the world. The launch of CNG version of the ape will help us to fulfill our commitment to provide eco-friendly, efficient and powerful three-wheelers in the country."

Additionally, Chopra said, "One has to grow the platform (of four-wheelers). In the next two years we should be able to introduce variants of the sub-one-tonne truck ... The vision is to create another platform beyond the sub-one-tonne but less than two tonnes by 2010." It sounds like Piaggio has goals of becoming a major player in the light-utility market so popular in India.

Lastly, Piaggio is planning to start making their own diesel engines for use in their three and four-wheelers. "We are creating the facility with a capacity of 200,000 engines. The progress is on schedule," says Chopra. That should make for an interesting mix of choices, with gasoline, CNG and diesel engines being available in three and four-wheeled passenger and utility models. Too bad we don't get any of 'em here. Well, except for these, but only in gas versions.

[Source: Piaggio, various]

Ah yes, the good old rickshaw. I have never seen one in actual use myself, but that's probably because I don't regularly leave the continental United States, where they are not a very popular choice, even in urban areas. But, I read that they are common in other parts of the world, and we have covered them a few times in the past. When I first read the headline for this story, the first thing that came to mind was the story we had a while back about the walking electric rickshaw pulled by a fake president. It's true, click here for that if you happened to miss it the first time around. But, what the article is talking about is much more normal than that. They talk a bit about the older two-stroke autorickshaws that are still being used in certain parts of the planet, in part because they are cheap to purchase and easy and inexpensive to fix. However, they are bad polluters. But, not all autorickshaws are powered by two-stroke engines, in fact, some have very economical four-stroke powerplants. Even better would be one of the solar or battery electric models talked about in the article. Best: This one?

The other day I wrote a little piece about using a scooter in New York City. When I read this article, I started to think about my own trips to New York, and the fact that when I hailed a taxi, I was almost always the only person in it. That means I was using a two-ton, exhaust-belching behemoth to move a few blocks from one place to another. Even worse, it would have been quicker just to walk some of the time. Would an electric autorickshaw have worked? Sometimes, and if one had been available, I surely would have tried it out! Maybe the mayor should think about that before he orders all those hybrid taxis?

Alternate Title: All your rickshaw's are belong to us. Didn't use it 'cause it's overused. But that doesn't mean it's not funny.

[Source: About my Planet via Hugg]

As energy needs increase in India, the country is becoming more conscious of harmful emissions. Bajaj Auto recently announced that Orbital will supply fuel injectors for the company's auto-rickshaws that run on LPG and CNG. The two companies were already working together on gas models.

The Indian government established emissions standards in 2005 and will make them more stringent in 2010. CNG has been mandated for commercial vehicles in Delhi.

[Source: The Auto Channel]