Airstream redesign.
Christopher Deam: Restyling the classic Airstream trailer. Video. via ted [PR]
Isabella rosselini. Green porno 2.
Warning: Video contains explicit language and Isabella Rosselini dressed up in goofy costumes. Invasion of another Italian movie maker. This could be big! via sundancechannel [PR]
Jack bauer tackles global warming.
24 first TV show to reach carbon neutral. Whatever that means. But still. via csmonitor [PR]
Spotted. Free electric parking.
Jason Calacanis parks his Tesla in free electric parking at LAX. [PR]
The solar film.
Groundbreaking film by Saul Bass that shows solar energy is a legitimate energy source. Presented by Eames Demetrios, the filmmaker and grandson of Charles and Ray Eames. via grain edit [PR]
Brit insurance designs 2009 winners.
“The design world’s Oscars”
Icon Magazine
2009 Brit Insurance Design of the Year judges are: chaired by Alan Yentob and including Paola Antonelli, Karen Blincoe, Peter Cook, Sarah Mower and Yves Béhar.
And the winners are…
The winners and shortlisted designs below. Winners were revealed at the Awards Dinner on 18 March 2009.
Architecture
above: winner— Snøhetta, Oslo Opera House (Oslo, Norway)
above: Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Westminster Academy (London, UK)
above: Romera y Ruiz Arquitectos, Eight Inscribed Houses and Three Patios (Spain, Gran Canaria)
above: Steven Holl Architects Beijing, Linked Hybrid (Beijing, China)
 ø Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects, Alison Brooks Architects, Maccreanor Lavington Architects, Accordia
 ø Housing (Cambridge, UK)
 ø Design Indaba, 10×10 Project (Cape Town, South Africa)
 ø Shuhei Endo, Education Centre (Osaka, Japan)
 ø Herzog de Meuron Architects, CaixaForum Cultural Centre (Madrid, Spain)
 ø West 8 + DTAH, Spadina Wave Deck for Waterfront Toronto (Canada)
 ø Adjaye Associates, Contemporary Museum of Art (Denver, USA)
 ø Junya.Ishigami+Associates, Kanagawa Institute of Technology KAIT Workshop (Kanagawa, Japan)
 ø McDowell Benedetti, Castleford Bridge (Yorkshire, UK)
 ø Subarquitectura, Tram Stop – Sergio Cardell Plaza (Alicante, Spain)
Fashion
above: winner—Italian Vogue: A Black Issue, July 2008
above: Prada by Miuccia Prada, Spring/Summer 09
above: Viktor & Rolf, Barbican Art Gallery and Siebe Tettero for The House of Viktor & Rolf
above: Helen Storey with Tony Ryan, Wonderland – biodegradable materials
above: Duckie Brown, Spring/Summer 09 – Menswear
above: Basso & Brooke, Spring/Summer 09
 ø Linda Grant, The Thoughtful Dresser blog
 ø Louise Goldin, Spring/Summer 09 – Knitwear
 ø Alber Elbaz, Creative Director, Lanvin, Spring/Summer 08
 ø Miuccia Prada and James Lima, Trembled Blossom, Fashion Film
 ø Maison Martin Margiela, Spring/Summer 09 – 20th Anniversary Collection
Furniture
above: winner—Konstantin Grcic, MYTO Chair for PLANK
Above: Adam Goodrum, Stitch Chair for Cappellini
above: Nacho Carbonell, Evolution Series
above: Wieki Somers, Cloakroom, Boijmans Museum, Rotterdam
above: Tord Boontje, Fig Leaves for Meta
 ø Tokujin Yoshioka, Venus Chair
 ø Ronan/Erwan Bouroullec, Magis Steelwood Family for Magis
 ø Shay Alkalay, Stack Chest of Drawers for Established & Sons
 ø El Ultimo Grito, Composite bench system for UNO
 ø Terrence Woodgate and John Barnard, Surface Table for Established & Sons
 ø Jurgen Bey, Witness Flat series for La Galerie de Pierre Bergé et Associés
 ø Nendo, Cabbage Chair for the XXI Ct Man Exhibition curated by Issy Miyake
 ø Arik Levey, Workit, work station for VITRA
Graphic Design
above: winner—Shepard Fairey, Obama Poster (show overall winner )
above: Daniel Eatock, Big Brother Logo
above: Mevis & Van Deursen, Baghdad Calling
above: March Studio and Aesop, Aesop Stores and Branding
 ø Troika, All the Time in the World for British Airways, T5, Heathrow, London
 ø Sender LLC and mo/de, official election campaign, Barack Obama Logo
 ø Kenya Hara, Designing Design Book
 ø Lex Reitsma , Jan Bons – A Designer’s Freedom
 ø The Guardian graphics, illustrating current financial climate
 ø Chase and Galley, IsNotMagazine
 ø Karel Martens & Enrico Bravi, Werkplaatz Typografie Arnhem, Oase #74
 ø Lorraine Wild, Martin Kippenberger exhibition catalogue
 ø Cornel Windlin, Rebecca Stephany, Marco Müller, Project Vitra
 ø Job Wouters aka Letman
 ø Engine Service Design, The Social Innovation Lab for Kent County Council
Interactive
above: winner—O’Reilly, Make Magazine
above: Lucky Bite, Dinner Table Game for Science of Survival, Science Museum
above: Troika, Cloud, Digital Sculpture for British Airways, T5, Heathrow, London
above: The GreenEyl, Appeel
above: Jeff Lieberman and Dan Paluska, Absolut Quartet
above: Joachim Sauter, Art + Com, Kinetic Sculpture for BMW Museum
 ø Rumpus Room, Video for Pet Shop Boys – Integral
 ø Bartle Bogle Heagarty, BA Terminal 5 “Live” Adverts
 ø Post-Spectacular, Fid.Gen Bar Codes
 ø Chris O’Shea, Joel Gethin Lewis, Andreas Muller, This Happened, Events
 ø Troika, Digital by Design
 ø Media Molecule, Little Big Planet for Playstation
 ø Zoo Films director James Frost, Radiohead House of Cards
Product
above: winner—Singgih S. Kartono, Magno Wooden Radio, Manufactured by locals in Java
above: Senz XL Storm Umbrella
above: Francois Azambourg, Pixel for Ligne Roset
above: Tony Mullin, Green Felt Protest Suit
above: Marloes Ten Bhomer, Rotation Moulded Shoe
above: Kode Design, Armadillo Vest with Facemask
above: Joe Wentworth, Ipogeo light for Artemide
 ø Jorre can Ast, Jar Tops for Royal VKB
 ø Noam Toran & Onkar Kular, The MacGuffin Library
 ø Revital Cohen, Life Support
 ø HomeHero, HomeHero Fire Extinguisher
 ø CinqCinq Designers, Clean
 ø Demakersvan The Netherlands, LightWind – Outdoor lamp
 ø Trent Jansen, 3D Stencil
Transport
above: winner—Medellin Metro Cable, Line J, Colombia
above: IDEO, Aquaduct Concept Vehicle for water filtration
above: District, Trek District Bicycle
above: Mar Kayaks, K2 Kayak for Nelo
above: Eric Larson, Ricky Biddle, Ben Shao and Austin Cliffe, Balance Sport Wheelchair
 ø London and Continental Railways, High Speed 1 and St Pancras International
 ø Daimler, Car2Go – car sharing
 ø Alp Transit, Lotschberg Base Tunnel, Switzerland
 ø Richard Jenkins and Dale Vince, Ecotricity Green Bird vehicle
 ø KTM, Stunt Motor Bike
 ø New Deal Design, Charge Spots for Better Place
 ø Think Norway, Th!nk City Electrical Car
The 91 shortlisted designs including winners will be on show at the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year Exhibition from 12 February until 14 June at the Design Museum in London.
Find out more at designsoftheyear.com
Tesla S unveiled.
Tesla has LeftlaneNews streaming the unveiling of the new
Tesla S.
above and two photos below: leaked images not officially streamed
below: live – streamed images at the unveiling
below: unsure where these were taken. grill a study?
below: via treehugger
below: tesla product line
below: leaked. we really don’t know anything about this photo
Following an earlier photo leak, Tesla has officially taken the wraps off its Model S. The Model S follows in the footsteps of the Fisker Karma, offering a sleek four-door sedan with eco-friendly operation. The Model S will be Tesla’s second model, joining the Roadster sports car.
LeftlaneNews adds “Although the Model S’ styling is show-stopping, its interior is just as awe-inspiring. You can clearly see the Model S’ center stack is made up of what looks to be a touch screen interface. Presumably the screen will house all radio, navigation and HVAC controls, which would make for a highly customizable car.”
Elon Musk’s newsletter written 3/27, to Jason Calacanis—
Just moments ago, we took the wraps off the Model S, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge. We also launched a web site and began taking orders for this historic vehicle, which will likely be world’s first mass-produced, highway-capable EV.
The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.
The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike *and* surfboard simultaneously. This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.
“Model S doesn’t compromise on performance, efficiency or utility — it’s truly the only car you need,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Tesla is relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicle technology, and this is just the first of many mainstream cars we’re developing.”
Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.
Building on Proven Technology
Tesla is the only production automaker already selling highway-capable EVs in North America or Europe. With 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, the Roadster outperforms almost all sports cars in its class yet is six times as energy efficient as gas guzzlers and delivers 244 miles per charge. Tesla has delivered nearly 300 Roadsters, and nearly 1,000 more customers are on the waitlist.
Teslas do not require routine oil changes, and they have far fewer moving (and breakable) parts than internal combustion engine vehicles. They qualify for federal and state tax credits, rebates, sales tax exemptions, free parking, commuter-lane passes and other perks. Model S costs roughly $5 to drive 230 miles – a bargain even if gasoline were $1 per gallon.
The anticipated base price of the Model S is $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500. The company has not released options pricing. Three battery pack choices will offer a range of 160, 230 or 300 miles per charge.
But the anticipated sticker price doesn’t tell the full story. Model S costs half as much as a Roadster, and it’s a better value than much cheaper cars. The ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity vs. gasoline at a likely future cost of $4 per gallon, is similar to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000. That’s why we’re positive this car will be the preferred choice of savvy consumers.
The standard Model S does 0-60 mph in under six seconds and will have an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph, with sport versions expected to achieve 0-60 mph acceleration well below five seconds. A single-speed gearbox delivers effortless acceleration and responsive handling. A 17-inch touchscreen with in-car 3G connectivity allows passengers to listen to Pandora Radio or consult Google Maps, or check their state of charge remotely from their iPhone or laptop.
Tesla is taking reservations online and at showrooms in California. Tesla will open a store in Chicago this spring and plans to open stores in London, New York, Miami, Seattle, Washington DC and Munich later this year.
We’re certain you’ll be hearing a lot more about Tesla in the weeks and months ahead, and we look forward to seeing you at the stores we’re opening soon! [link]
below: jason calacanis parks his tesla at free electric parking at LAX ( more )
[tesla motors] [leftlanenews] [link] [link]
11 e-Bikes.
e-Bikes ( electric ) saw biggest increase in bike sales in 2008. Fixed-gear would have been my guess.
above: bike and story seen in ID magazine march / april 2009
#1 Yamaha PAS City-C/Plusminuszero $2,194 / PAS City-C $1,131
FRAME: STEEL / GEARS: 3 / MOTOR: 240 WATTS / RANGE: 40 MILES / WEIGHT: 44.7LB
#2 Bridgestone RealStream $1,366
FRAME: ALUMINUM / GEARS: 8 / MOTOR: 240 WATTS / RANGE: 38 MILES / WEIGHT: 49LB
#3 Kalkhoff Pro Connect S $3,038
FRAME: DOUBLE BUTTED 7005 ALUMINUM / GEARS: 27 / MOTOR: 250 WATTS / RANGE: 50 MILES / WEIGHT: 55LB
vBridgestone Angelino Assista $1,312
FRAME: ALUMINUM / GEARS: 3 / MOTOR: 240 WATTS / RANGE: 37 MILES / WEIGHT: 66.5LB
#5 Panasonic Lithium ViVi RX-10S $1,642
FRAME: STEEL / GEARS: 1 / MOTOR: 250 WATTS / RANGE: 112 MILES / WEIGHT: 56LB
#6 Panasonic Titanium Flat Road EB $6,405
FRAME: TITANIUM / GEARS: 9 / MOTOR: 250 WATTS / RANGE: 94 MILES / WEIGHT: 34LB
#7 Giant Twist Freedom DX $2,100
FRAME: 6061 ALUMINUM / GEARS: 7 / MOTOR: 250 WATTS / RANGE: 75 MILES / WEIGHT: 61LB
#8 E-Solex Version 2.0 $2,111
FRAME: STEEL / GEARS: 1 / MOTOR: 400 WATTS / RANGE: 25 MILES / WEIGHT: 99LB
vPi Mobility From $5,500
FRAME: 6061 T6 ALUMINUM / GEARS: 8 / MOTOR: 750 WATTS / RANGE: 50 MILES / WEIGHT: 50LB
#10 Ultra Motor A2B $2,699
FRAME: 6061-GRADE ALUMINUM / GEARS: 7 / MOTOR: 500 WATTS / RANGE: 40 MILES / WEIGHT: 73LB
#11 Schwinn Tailwind $2,999
FRAME: 6000 SERIES ALUMINUM / GEARS: 8 / MOTOR: 250 WATTS / RANGE: 25 MILES
e-Bikes are big with the elderly, eco-friendly, and commuters who disdain sweat. Favored by the elderly may explain the design of the majority of these bikes. Favored by “everyone” else we assume is bike #9. Maybe it’s because the bike was designed by a designer, Marcus Hays, to please himself. You get what you pay for with this group. Light weight, power, styling adds to the bottom line cost.
Aptera. 2e.
Aptera’s first product, a three-wheeled two-seater named the Aptera 2 Series, is currently under development, though they are accepting pre-orders from California residents.
bottom four photos from wired
The fuel efficiency makes it one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world. The name Aptera is Greek for “wingless,” a nod to their light-aircraft-inspired design and construction techniques.
The Aptera 2 Series will be a two seat, three wheeled passenger vehicle. It is planned to be available in both all-electric (2e) and series hybrid (2h) configurations, at prices ranging from mid-twenty to mid-forty thousand dollars. Aerodynamic optimization using simulations and light-weight composite construction yields a vehicle which consumes only 80 Wh/mi at 55 mph (89 km/h), about half the energy needed to propel the EV1. On the battery electric model, this means a 120-mile (190 km) range on 10 kWh of electricity, or around 340 mpg price equivalent. On the hybrid vehicle, it leads to projections of 130 mpg on gasoline alone, or 300 mpg if plugged in every 120 miles (190 km).
Some 4,000 people have put down a refundable $500 deposit to get one. Delivery first all-electric units to customers in October 2009, and the first hybrids in 2010.
Class: Subcompact
Body style(s): 2-door three wheeled car
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive layout
Engine(s): 2e: Electric motor 2h: Gasoline generator[11]
Transmission(s): 2e: Gear box 10:1 ratio 2h: Series hybrid layout
Wheelbase: 111″
Length: 173″
Width: 91″
Height: 53″
Curb weight: 1,500 lb (680 kg)
Fuel capacity: 10-13 KWh Lithium-ion battery
Electric range: 2e: 100 mi (160 km) 2h: 60 mi (100 km)
Producer: aptera
Paco micro home.
Just how much space one person needs. 6,000 square feet? 600? Well, try 30 square feet.
The Paco home has a hammock, a Japanese-style recessed desk, a sink, toilet and shower, all in a crate that’s a 3-meter-cube. Not intended to replace where you live now, but rather to supplement it. It could be a beach house, a portable office – anything, really, as long as you find a way to lug it into place and hook up the water. Getting inside? A hatch-like roof to get in.
Designer: Jo Nagasaka
Producer: sschemata