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Volvo road tests ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept

Volvo showed off its ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept, based on the Volvo C30 model, at last year's Frankfurt auto show. We were skeptical when we saw it because even though it looked cool, Volvo only had a cutaway demonstration model to show off, and the company has no current hybrid cars among its model lineup. But Volvo reports today that it has a working concept on the road as part of a larger program to develop next generation powertrains. Volvo, in a consortium with Saab, the Swedish government, and energy company Vattenfall, announced a five-year plan to develop plug-in … Read more

Another technically advanced car that doesn't exist

Specialty automaker DiMora Motorcar promises to make an eco-friendly 1,200 horsepower sedan, called the Natalia SLS 2, available next year. By eco-friendly, the company suggests that its new V-16 powerplant will be ultraefficient and so emissionsfree that it doesn't even need a catalytic converter. DiMora lists a host of high-tech features for the Natalia SLS 2, such as 60 computer systems "tightly integrated to control the vehicle's performance, safety, comfort, communications, and entertainment." Along with mundane features such as four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering, the Natalia SLS 2's more outlandish technologies include special paint that will … Read more

A phone every panda would love

Bamboo has made its way into everything from mice to TVs, but for some reason it seems to have missed mobile phones. But MobileWhack has found a concept from this year's Greener Gadgets Design Competition that wants to bring everyone's favorite eco-material to the handset.

Shockingly named "Bamboo," the proposed phone would compete with the likes of Nokia's "Remade" concept in what could eventually prove to be a major eco-trend in the global marketplace. Despite its name, the handset would be made of corn and other natural materials as well for safe, degradeable … Read more

A concept that's something to 'Mooon' over

Here's an idea that we bet could easily become the most copied design, after the iPhone. Check out the Mooon+." (Yes, that's three o's, presumably since that will be your expression of awe when you first see this concept phone in person.) It isn't so much the copycat touch screen and sleek lines that will make an impression, but designer Sunman Kwon's clever twist at the end. Snap off the top piece and--voila!--you get a Bluetooth headset that's been craftily docked onto the handset the whole time. There are no other specs … Read more

Photos: Design concepts in Geneva

One of our favorite aspects of the Geneva auto show each year is the weird and wonderful design concepts that that that the event attracts. This year's show played host to an array of novel ideas including a self-cleaning windshield, a "hybrid" convertible roof, and a new in-car communications language. Check out our photo gallery.

Click here for our coverage of the 2008 Geneva Auto Show.

Scion Hako Coupe concept

Amid all the news coming from the Geneva auto show, Scion slipped out a news release on what it will unveil at the upcoming New York auto show. The company released few details on the new concept, other than to write in the news release: "The sporty interpretation of the box concept was developed by Tokyo Design Division which studied global, youth-inspired trends." That statement could describe almost any Scion model.

We are looking forward to seeing the concept at the New York show because Scion concepts are few and far between. The picture Scion released is only … Read more

Can a laptop reduce air pollution?

Everything is going green, as we were just saying, though that doesn't necessarily mean hemp. There are all types of environmentally friendly technologies, of course, and MSI is experimenting with one that releases negatively charged ions to literally clear the air.

Trying to show that it's not just about superficialities, the Taiwanese computer maker is working on a concept notebook that can release as many as 550,000 ions per cubic centimeter, which PClaunches says is "more than if you were right next to mountains and beaches." As a result, MSI claims, the Anion PR620 Computer &… Read more

2008 Geneva auto show coverage

We sent Kevin Massy and Brian Cooley to Geneva, along with our video crew, to get full coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show. They will be posting blogs, photos, and video from the show of the latest concept and production cars. We've already seen quite a few previews of what will be on the floor, including a number of new cars from Volkswagen, a new crossover from Volvo, and some individual concepts that show off beautiful design or wacky tech, such as the submersible sQuba from Rinspeed.

Click here for our ongoing coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show.… Read more

Hydrogen-powered LifeCar heads to Geneva

On this side of the pond, the marquee alternative-energy sports car is the electric-powered Tesla Roadster. In the U.K., it's the Morgan Lifecar, which uses hydrogen fuel cells, though apparently they don't generate nearly the power of your average street-legal internal combustion engine. So Morgan Motor has also incorporated a bank of ultracapacitors to help with acceleration and hill climbing, and it's keeping things light(weight) with an aluminum chassis, wooden seats, and a lack of certain modern amenities ranging from a stereo to airbags.

Yes, for now it's just a concept car (backed by … Read more