eco-chic design

guilt-free vacation

Most of all I really adore the name Bio-Beetle. The two owners Shaun Stenshol and his partner Pamela Miedtke-Wolf cooked up a really great concept in 2003. First you take used frying oil from restaurants on Maui or vegetable oil from sustainable sources and turn them into biodiesel.

Then you take a really cute car like the beetle and turn it into the eco-conscious rental alternative in Hawai. This way tourists like myself can enjoy French fries without the double guilt trip.

In addition Bio-Beetle uses earth friendly coolants, synthetic engine oil and non-toxic cleaners. The company might even ask you to clean off sand and dirt before getting into the cars to preserve electricity instead of vacuuming. It’s just another way to give the planet a little break as well.

sexy and sustainable

Who says you can’t have it all? The energy efficient Tesla Roadster is a very high performance sports car with amazing looks to match and finally on the road for people who can actually afford it.

This battery powered roadster is more than a car, it’s a statement about the environment in the sleekest way imaginable. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, drives up to 220 miles before the next charge and costs less than 2¢ per mile. Its battery pack based on lithium ion battery technology will last up to 100,000 miles and is recyclable. It represents the roadster’s biggest innovation and is one of the largest and most advanced battery packs in the world. This supercar is obviously out of most people’s reach, but I applaud Tesla Motors for developing an electric car that’s fun, cool and fast and probably the hottest eco-friendly car alive.

a smart alternative

Last sunday I spotted my first smart fortwo in Manhattan on the Upper West Side while watching two doormen ask the owner about its fuel consumption. Since I go back to Germany on a regular basis I’ve been familiar with the innovative and cute design for years, but I still took a double take to see it here in New York City.

I’ve always loved the Swatch inspired look, but now I was curious to see how energy efficient this tiny vehicle really is. I learned through smartusa that the smart fortwo is only 8.8 feet long and 5.1 feet wide and has a low fuel consumption with 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. This is not surprising due to its small size. As the name suggests the smart fortwo is a two-seater and perfect for driving in a space-starved city like Manhattan. It is available in three different models, including this adorable little convertible.

fat-free design

My favorite designer these days is Ross Lovegrove who blends his love of high tech with the belief that nature had the right idea all along.

I’m a huge admirer of his plant-like solar trees that had their first test run in Vienna and Milan last year. The solar streetlights are a collaboration between Ross Lovegrove, solar cell producers Sharp Solar and lighting specialist Artemide. They absorb solar energy during the day and emit light in the nighttime. But not only are these solar trees environmentally friendly and economical but even visually they explore a new way of bringing nature into an urban environment.

And then there’s the designer’s more recent concept for a solar powered bubble-shaped car on a stick. The car on a stick can be stored atop telescopic poles at night – where it then acts as a streetlight and keeps the ground free of parked vehicles.

I mean who wouldn’t like the idea that a parked car could turn into a streetlight at night? It sounds crazy now, but might be a reality sooner than we think.

scooting around in green style

Vespa is the quintessential symbol of stylish, eco-driven transportation. It has been a design icon for over 50 years with its elegant lines, that’s charming and endearing at the same time. But not only can you scoot around in style, but you can also feel good about yourself while doing it.

The company introduces the expression “Vespanomics” on their website that promotes embracing motor scooters as an alternative form of transportation to reduce oil consumption, pollution and traffic congestion. It states that if Americans switched only 10% of their total driving to scooters, ever day we could cut consumption of gas by 14 million gallons and cut carbon emissions by 324 pounds.

eco-friendly zipping

Zip Car is the largest car sharing company in the world and was inspired by an existing concept in Berlin, Germany where members can rent cars by the hour instead of owning their own car. Members can pick up their car from a parking space in their neighborhood after they booked it online or over the phone at any time.

But not only does car-sharing take the hassle out of owning your own car in the city or wasting time to check out your car at a rental facility. It also has many green benefits. Zipcar claims that over 30% of their customers have either sold their car or have stopped their purchasing decision which results in lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The company has a fleet of 2,000 vehicles, 10 percent of them hybrids. You can choose from over 20 models ranging from fun to environmentally friendly like the super cute MINI, the eco-conscious Prius hybrid or the more stylish BMW.