Tindo: The Solar Powered Bus

Congrats to the city of Adelaide for being the first to bring solar-powered transportation to the masses! 

The snazzy new Tindo solar bus holds 42 passengers and 100 percent of its energy is derived from the sun. (Tindo is actually the Aboriginal word for sun, in case you were wondering). Built by the New Zealand company Designline International, the bus doesn’t have a combustion engine, which means it’s quiet, doesn’t give off emissions, and is carbon neutral. It recharges its batteries through the solar panels on top of the newly designed Adelaide Central Bus Station. Best of all, it’s free for city residents (and visitors!) to use, transporting people between shopping centers, universities, and hospitals inside its cute green exterior.

Adelaide has been working hard to establish itself as a green city by developing a campaign to promote city-wide cycling, putting wind turbines on rooftops and solar panels on schools, and even employing a “Thinker in Residence” to help brainstorm new sustainable projects. If you’re interested in witnessing more of the fun (or riding on the Tindo) they’re playing host to a green festival this upcoming February (it’s their summer, remember) which is in conjunction with the third annual Solar Cities conference simultaneously being held there.

Thanks to Inhabitat for the tip!

Photo: Adelaide City Council