Meguru: Japan's bamboo-powered electric car (videos)

It looks much like a rickshaw, but the so-called Meguru [JP] is more of an electric car than a human-powered cart. Jointly developed by Osaka-based Yodogawa and Kinki Knives Industries, the Meguru is powered by a lithium-ion battery that, once fully charged, offers a travel distance of 25 miles. The vehicle, which is actually registered as a car, reaches a top speed of 25mph.

But the main selling point is obviously the design, with the Meguru featuring a flooring made from real bamboo and fan-shaped doors made from washi, Japanese wood pulp paper. It was first shown to the general public last year.

Yodogawa and Kinki Knives are planning to commercialize the vehicle with a $10,000 price tag.

Here’s a video showing Meguru in action:

Here’s another video (in Japanese) that offers insight on how the Meguru was actually built (skip to the 1.45min mark if you don’t understand Japanese):

Via Japan Trends