Red Herring has an article on the LA Auto Show’s Design Challenge looking for “green” automobile designs. General Motors won the challenge with “Hummer 02″, seen on the main page. This design emits not carbon dioxide but carbon.

Other designs include the BMW self-composting car, Kia’s Eco-Fashionista model, a very bizarre-looking Volkswagen Nanospyder, the Mercedes RECY, Honda’s Roll Your Own Car (which grows with the owner), the Acura NHR-1 (nano-hydrogen) aka FCX 2020 Le Mans (made of 100% recyclable materials), the Audi Recyclable Car, and the Toyota RLV (Renewable Lifestyle Vehicle) pedal-powered car with aluminum body. (Futuristic-car buffs should check out the illustrations.)

These designs are exciting to hear about, making me think of the possibilities. While some of the materials used in the designs do not sound like they could hold up in a serious collision, maybe if they were reinforced with artificial spider silk or carbon nanotubes, they may have something that could actually be used by consumers.

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