* * [image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>*
*[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *Green wheels: Everything old is new again for one Japanese manufacturer, which has unveiled an electronic version of a rickshaw.* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *The "Meguru" is a three-wheeled, three-seat compact vehicle whose single lithium-ion battery allows for a maximum speed and range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour, although the number of batteries could be increased for a longer ride.* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *"This is a true environmentally friendly car," said Nobuyuki Ogura, the chief executive officer of Yodogawa Group, which built the vehicle in cooperation with three other small companies in western Japan.* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *"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," he told Reuters Television. "It doesn't have a heater, but it's equipped with blankets to keep you warm in the winter."* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *A regular driver's license is required to take the vehicle on the road, but car registration is unnecessary. Devised as part of a project to revitalise small businesses facing economic hardship, the vehicle - which is 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) long, 1.2 meters (3 ft 11 in) wide and 1.6 meters (5 ft 3 in) tall - also showcases traditional Japanese crafts.* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *The body is coated in red lacquer, the floor is filled with recycled bamboo, and the retractable "window" has been carefully crafted in the shape of a Japanese fan using Japanese "washi" paper. All were made by craftsmen in western Japan. The company says it is selling the vehicle for around one million yen ($12,180) while assessing a business plan for mass production. * *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> * *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/>* *[image: Fun & Info @ Keralites.net] <http://keralites.net/> Even disposing of the car after its usefulness has passed poses no problems. "We've used all-natural materials, so if you ever decide to get rid of the car, simply bury it in the ground," Ogura said. * __._,_.__
