It might sound like something in a futuristic movie, but it’s becoming more and more of a possibility that joystick controlled cars will enter the road. Those who use joystick controllers to play driving simulators might feel right at home with this setup.

There are two models being designed as of now, both being electric compact vehicles. The first is the FT-EVII. This model is designed for shorter trips, but allows up to four people to enter as passengers. The controls are setup on a dual joystick interface. It doesn’t matter which joystick is used, as the joysticks act together as one.

What might be even cooler than the dual joystick setup, is that the car’s braking and accelerating is controlled by your hands instead of your feet. This allows for a more comfortable experience. Which will definitely be needed considering the compact nature of the car.

The second concept car is called i-Real. Unlike it’s larger brethren, this vehicle only seats one. It is controlled by joysticks as well. NetworkWorld cites that it, “looks like a futuristic chair on wheels.”

As of now, both concepts are in prototype form and no release dates for either have been announced.

[via: NetWorkWorld]

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Here is a great debate about the future of energy in the automotive sector. Can batteries be the next great resource for powering vehicles?

Check out this video for your answer.

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There are some people out there who love to build. These are the ones that played with Legos, played Sim City, and would rather saw off their arm then call a handyman to fix something. I happen to be one of those people; I love to tackle situations on my own.

The XR3 is an ambitious, and odd looking car from Robert Q Riley Enterprises. Instead of the standard 4 wheel layout, the XR3 will have three wheels, with only one supporting the back end of the vehicle. The car can get up to 225 MPG, if you use the diesel, electric combo setup that is offered. So everything is sounding great, right?

Well, although you get great MPG, there is one tiny problem with the XR3. You have to build the vehicle yourself. Dont get me wrong, I love to build. But if I’m driving down the highway around 60-70 mph, I want to know that this was put together by someone who knows something about car engineering.

What’s really hilarious is that the company that designed the prototype doesn’t even sell the kits for it yet. They only offer the plans, which does come with a CD/DVD combo. So if you happen to have some wheels, and spare metal sitting around then you could get started on your XR3.

The plans themselves cost $170, and $200 if you want the DVD. Of course, Tom Hanks says to drive an electric car, so maybe this isn’t such a crazy idea.

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It’s a Ferrari, no it’s a bike, no it’s a go kart. Actually all three of those answers are wrong because it’s a Ferrari Pedal Go-Kart. I’m not entirely sure why I want one. I think it’s because the tool bag that drove up behind the reporter to scare her made it look so fun.

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