Meet the “Nuna 5” – the fifth generation of solar racing car built by a team from Delft university to enter the World Solar Challenge.

What is the challenge you ask? It’s a 3000km race across Australia (from Darwin to Adelaide) using a car powered entirely by sunlight.  Cars must maintain a minimum average speed of 50 KM/H between checkpoints, run standard road tyres and have no more than 6 square meters of solar panels. The rules don’t say much about the drivers apart from specifying a minimum weight, but looking at that car I doubt I’d fit…

There’s some technology in the cars too – the Nuna 5 weighs less than 160KG and uses Gallium-Arsenide solar panels rated at 34% efficiency (that’s pretty bleeding edge, the panels you buy to put on your roof are nearer 25%)

The Dutch team have a title to defend, having won the previous 4 races against competition from Honda, GM and other big names. We’ll see how they do when the race commences in October.

[via Wired]

I’m not even sure how to describe the Scubacraft. I guess “underwater recreational vehicle” comes as close as anything. It’s a high performance twin hulled sports boat designed to carry divers (the seats will accommodate people wearing scuba gear)

Once at a dive site site though there’s no leaping out of the boat like you normally would – you just press the “down” button and keep driving the boat underwater!

The whole thing is very 007 – we like! (no mention of price on the site though – I think it comes into the category of “if you need to ask…”)

We’re all used to seeing scooters buzzing around town. They’re pretty economical, but you’re still burning petrol when you ride one.

Firebox have a potential solution to assuage your green conscience in the form of the Ego Electric Scoota. Plug it in, charge it overnight and you’re good for 40 miles! Plus you don’t sound like a swarm of angry wasps on the road, which has to be a good thing.

At 8 pence a charge it’s practically free to run (at least when compared to the cost of petrol) and it has the usual accessories you’d expect on any conventional scooter (storage box, lights, horn etc)

It’ll set you back a grand – not that cheap, but put it in context: It’s 1/4 the cost of a Segway, faster and with better range. Looks like a worker to me!

You might be forgiven for thinking “What the hell is THAT?”. The answer lies in the manufacturer – Bombardier Recreational Products are better known for quad bikes, jet skis and snowmobiles. The Can-Am Spyder is what happens when you take that pedigree and apply it to a road going vehicle.

It has three wheels, so technically it’s a tricycle. That’s where the resemblance to your childhood toy ends though…

What we’re looking at is a 998cc V-Twin DOCH engine that pushes out 106hp. In car terms that’s not a lot but the Spyder weighs nothing so that power is good for a 0-60 time of under 5 seconds. Sounds like a hoot!

The three wheel layout gives it stability in the corners, you get nice fat tyres to stick you to the road and ABS comes as standard. Plus you get power steering and an electronic stability package to keep it pointed in the right direction.

You can pick one up from Adrenaline ATV – a snap at £16K!