Providence Police to Go Electric?

(Photo courtesy of City of Providence)

With U.S. gasoline prices rapidly surpassing the $4.00/gallon mark, it’s no surprise that city agencies throughout the country are beginning to seek alternatives to power their fleets, and the Providence, Rhode Island Police are doing just that. In fact, they are turning to Middletown, Rhode Island-based Vectrix Corp., who have agreed to loan the force four of their emissions free all-electric Maxi street bikes for a three month trial this summer. Joining the Sacramento Police, NYPD, and LAPD (the first to actually purchase the bikes), who are currently doing similar tests with Vectrix, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and Police Chief Dean Esserman, view this as an opportunity to move away from fossil fuel dependency while helping to decrease air pollution in the City. In comparison, a 400 cc motorbike would yield about two tons of carbon dioxide in one year, and would cost the city the increasing burden of purchasing gasoline, as well as the typically more involved maintenance required for gasoline engines.

The Vectrix Maxi can reach a top speed of over 60 mph, and with the aid of its regenerative braking system, achieve a range of 60 miles on a single charge. It can be charged with standard household current in about three to five hours. Although it may not replace the the faster gasoline-based bikes or cars within a police force fleet, the Maxi offers a solid alternative to the standard vehicle, and a peek at things to come, as the vehicle market makes the transition away from fossil fuels to electric and fuel cell-based technologies. The City of Providence will determine whether to actually purchase the bikes based on user experience as well as community response. For more details on the technology employed in the bike, please visit the company’s Tech Specs web page.

Vectrix

ICFF 2008: The Report

This year there were several pieces that considered the environment and stood out from the crowd. More than ever there was a reoccurrence of manufacturing in the New York metro area. Several designers we spoke with mentioned that their products were fabricated or produced in Brooklyn and also sold locally. We were also very excited to see an increase in the amount of recycled materials being used in the production of furniture.

Ayako Takase, Cutter Hutton and Chris Specce of Kaiju Studios in Providence, RI released the Airia desk and media cabinet, for Herman Miller this year at ICFF. These pieces are part of Herman Miller’s Lifework Portfolio series and strive to create a remarkable, quality design that is far from disposable and very desirable. Takase mentioned that through the design, ergonomics, materials and construction quality, they intend the furniture to be something “you’ll keep for the rest of your life and pass on for generations.” The desk and cabinet are both designed for easy assembly/disassembly and are made from walnut, featuring a plywood laminate top surface and cast aluminum legs.

Kaiju Studios

Akemi Tanaka is a Brooklyn based designer and a recent graduate of the Industrial Design masters program at Pratt. She launched her line of eco-friendly furniture this year at ICFF. The three new products that she released at the show include Ori, Sachi and Curve. They are locally made in Brooklyn and primarily sold to customers in the New York area.

Akemi Tanaka

Meredith Goodwin created the SURA table. A simple, modular coffee/side table piece designed for small spaces. SURA is fabricated out of a strong aluminum alloy with an Indian inspired design cut into the metal. SURA is made from Aluminum and produced locally in Brooklyn, New York.

Goodwin Design

Diane Ruengsorn, Founder and Director of Domestic Aesthetic created a line of housewares that use sustainably forested and reclaimed woods while being locally made in Brooklyn. Our favorite product uses scrap mahogany which is reclaimed from a local window manufacturer.

Domestic Aesthetic

With the rising cost of fuel and labor oversees, material companies such as IceStone, are using production facilities in the United States. IceStone manufactures Cradle to Cradle certified eco-friendly surface material used for countertops, bathroom vanities, and flooring for commercial or residential projects. The material is made from recycled glass and concrete and is produced by an environmentally friendly manufacturing process at a factory in Brooklyn, New York.

IceStone