Renewable Gossip

Last year at this time, we profiled the Top 10 Wackiest Green Concept Cars of 2008. Here we go again.

This year, we kept our list to seven—all of which fall into the theme of cars that can change shape or otherwise be radically transformed. None of these cars stand a chance of going into production, but that’s not the purpose of a concept car. It’s vapor and everybody knows it. The problem is when car companies present a concept as if it were viable, building up expectations that will never be met.

As long as these vehicles stir our imagination and open our minds to new possibilities for the new year and beyond, the goal is reached.

1TransforMISS Electric Car

The TransforMISS electric car can transform itself from a car to a bike and then to a trike. Designer Thierry Dumaine places electric motors in the wheel hubs, and uses recycled paperboard for the interior. The car seats two passengers and can be driven from either seat by simply changing the position of the steering wheel. It blends, it dices, it minces. But that’s not all. The TanforMISS can be driven with two, three or four wheels, whatever best suits the traffic conditions. Don’t ask us how any of this works.

2Peugeot Globule

The Peugeot Globule is a worm-like vehicle with four independent cabins covered by a flexible polymer. The cabins, each with their own electric motors, share a centralized battery system. You can combine the units into different configurations, add more pods to accommodate additional passengers, and even stack them vertically to conserve space when parked.

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