TreeHugger Picks: If You Build It, They Will Come
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 07.14.06
TreeHugger likes to stay on top of the concept car market; there are just so many good ideas: 330 mpg diesel hybrids and fuel cell vehicles have us licking our chops for the next generation of personal transportation vehicles. Sadly, as prototypes, many never see the light of a showroom floor. Here are some of our favorite prototypes that could make a big difference in the way we get around, if they would only get produced.
1) Honda's FCX fuel cell car might be the closest, reportedly going in to production in Japan in three to four years.
2) The XR3 diesel-electric prototype takes a page from Natural Capitalism's Hypercar, and would get 125 mpg.
3) Aptera, a three-wheeled, two-seat diesel-electric hybrid gets 330 mpg, and is projected to cost less than $20,000.
4) Ford's Reflex adds solar panels to the roof to boost the diesel-electric drivetrain.
5) The Volkswagen GX3, which is technically classified a motorcycle, can get 46 mpg in the city, and can do 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds.
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RE: your last entry -the 3 wheel VW
Diesel VWs have been getting over 45-50 m.p.g. for over 25 years now!
While in the 80's they were slow, in the 90's and today car magazines describe them as "peppy" and "sporty"
--
editor note: They still have dirtier emissions than most gasoline cars, but in the next couple of years that should improve quite a bit. It's also better to run them on biodiesel whenever possible.
Volkswagen has dropped the GX3 from future production as in order for it to meet saftery requirements they would have to drastically change the design.
However, you should look into the "X1 Electric Concept Car". It uses the body and chasis of an Arial Atom which is similar in design to the GX3 but instead of the 4cyl honda moter it usually uses, a 3 phase electric induction motor is used. It goes 0-60 in 3 seconds and gets 170mpg.