Electronic Eco-Friendly Rickshaw Designed By Japan Firm

I have the distinctive honor of presenting to you the very first post on SlashGear to feature a rickshaw. This rickshaw is both electronic and eco-friendly. This is the Meguru, a three-wheeled, three seat tiny vehicle that's made to go what they call "maximum speed" and range of about 25 miles per hour. Of course that's just with the out-of-the-box build, you can add batteries as you like for a longer ride.

Nobukuki Ogura, chief executive officer of Yodogawa Group, the group responsible for building the vehicle in cooperation with three other smaller western Japanese companies, had a bit to say about the vehicle. First he said that "this is a true environmentally friendly car," then he said that "Instead of an air-conditioner, it comes with a pinwheel, and we are also thinking of adding a wind chime because it gives a refreshing sound to cool you down without the need of electricity."

Brilliantly made, looks fantastic! A neato piece of this puzzle is that although a regular driver's license is needed to drive, a car registration is not. This vehicle measures 8-ft 2-in long, 3-ft 11-in wide, and 5-ft 3-in tall. The body of the vehicle is coated in a beautiful red lacquer, the floor is made with recycled bamboo, and the retractable fans on the sides are made of washi paper.

The vehicle will costs around one million yen (approximately $12,044 according to the auto-converter in Google search.) The greatest fact about this whole vehicle? Ogura says it best: "We've used all-natural materials, so if you ever decide to get rid of the car, simply bury it in the ground."

[Via Rueters Television Osaka]