Skip to main content

Hot Seat

A Japanese manufacturer of toilets has assembled a trike that is powered by biogas as a promotional tool. This vehicle features a toilet bowl on which the driver sits. The toilet is thankfully not connected and is for aesthetic purposes only. The rm, TOTO, has called its vehicle the ToiletBike Neo Project, which forms part of the TOTO Green Challenge, the rm's aim at reducing CO2 emissions from bathrooms by 50% by 2017, compared with levels recorded in 1990. Other interesting features of the ToiletBike Ne
April 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A Japanese manufacturer of toilets has assembled a trike that is powered by biogas as a promotional tool. This vehicle features a toilet bowl on which the driver sits. The toilet is thankfully not connected and is for aesthetic purposes only. The firm, 4921 TOTO, has called its vehicle the ToiletBike Neo Project, which forms part of the TOTO Green Challenge, the  rm's aim at reducing CO2 emissions from bathrooms by 50% by 2017, compared with levels recorded in 1990. Other interesting features of the ToiletBike Neo include residual light imagery that allows the rider to write messages in the air as it is driven by, while it can play music to entertain spectators. In addition, the toilet is able to talk, with functions including fortune-telling, stock-quote-reading and weather-forecasting. This biogas fuelled and motorised toilet has been driven around Japan as part of the  rm's promotional campaign, presumably by a driver who is not easily embarrassed. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Wrong time to end right turns?
    March 15, 2024
    Banning right-hand turns after stopping for a red light is gaining momentum in the US. But debate continues about whether it will result in fewer incidents between vehicles and alternative mobility users. David Arminas reports.
  • Times they are a changing
    July 23, 2012
    Construction in China still appears to be on course for growth even with the gloomy economic outlook, as it enjoys "a strong budgets position." Patrick Smith reports One thing is certain in the current global economic climate: nothing is certain. And while China has not been unaffected by the economic events of recent months it has, according to Robert Zoellinck, president of the World Bank, a very strong current account and budgetary position. For some years, the nation has enjoyed double digit growth (the
  • Controlling influence
    January 3, 2013
    New lane control solutions from major roadmarking companies have been installed on highways across the world over recent months. Guy Woodford reports on some of them. Clearview Traffic Group (CTG) recently clocked up the installation of over 70,000 Astucia active flush and surface mounted road studs in the UK. CTG has been involved in numerous road stud installation projects on motorways and other road types in the UK and many other countries worldwide. Its UK installations include over 4,500 Astucia road s
  • Advances in road recycling and milling technology
    May 25, 2016
    Road milling and recycling play important roles in road building, with new models now coming to market - Mike Woof writes. The market for road milling machinery has become very competitive in recent times. In past years this sector of the construction machinery business was dominated by German firm Wirtgen, however there are now more companies active in the field and the leading companies offer a wider array of models than before. Wirtgen retains its market leadership and still offers the most comprehensive