Sunday is Eco-Design Day. Introducing the All Electric MINI.

As many readers already know, Sunday is Eco-Design Day at the Guru of New blog. With the frenzy of eco-innovation underway, it’s usually tough to choose the perfect example of breakthrough design + technology.

But not this Sunday. The world’s coolest, cutest car is going all-electric. 500 all-electric MINI E will be available to select corporate and private customers as part of a pilot project in California, New York and New Jersey starting sometime in 2009. The MINI E is powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The wiz-car can hit 62 mph in 8.5 seconds, cover about 150 miles with a full charge on a current charging station in 2.5 hours. The MINI E may be available in Europe as well. You can see it at the Los Angeles Auto Show starting on Sneak Preview night November 20, 2008 and running through Thanksgiving.

Thanks to Likecool.com.

It’s Eco Design Day.

After the hellacious week we’ve had, don’t we deserve to spend a leisurely Sunday gawking at the latest cool green designs? Here are a few stand-outs chosen by eco-design expert Marcus Fair and featured in the UK’s Independent.

Silk Story. Designed by Elsbeth Joy Nielsen, Netherlands

Nielsen has discovered a way of producing silk without killing silkworms. Normally the worms die when their cocoons are boiled to loosen the silk; Nielsen’s technique allows them to create a patch of pure silk while crawling back and forth over a platter looking for a place to build their cocoons. Once the panel is complete, they are left to pupate naturally. The resulting scarf demonstrates the material’s exquisite beauty.

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OXO laptop. Designed by Yves Behar, US

The follow-up to the One Laptop Per Child project, this is a bold humanitarian attempt to provide disadvantaged children around the world with internet access. The XOXO has two touch-screens and consumes less than a tenth of the power of a standard laptop. www.fuseproject.com

Solar tree, Designed by Ross Lovegrove, UK

Lovegrove is one of the very few superstar designers prepared to take a stand on environmental issues, producing conceptual products such as solar-powered cars and lowenergy houses that point to a greener future. This project, a solar-powered street-lighting system, has made it off the drawing board and is currently being showcased at design fairs around the world. www.rosslovegrove.com

Aquaduct bike, Designed by IDEO, US

While not the most beautiful design in this list, the Aquaduct bike is a rare example of designers attempting to improve the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves. Millions of people in the developing world have no access to clean water and often have to walk miles to collect contaminated water. This bike makes the journey easier and also contains a pedal-powered filtration system, giving the user a container full of clean water by the time they get home. www.ideo.com

Local River. Designed by Mathieu Lehanneur, France

This French designer addresses environmental concerns over industrial fishing methods and the wastefulness of transporting food vast distances by suggesting a way for people to farm fish at home. Fish waste is used to fertilise vegetables growing in pots that sit above the tanks, and there, after a little time, you have it: a meal of fish and veg in one, easy-to-reach corner of the room. The concept was inspired by Eastern farming methods, where fish waste has traditionally been used to fertilise rice paddies.www.mathieulehanneur.com

Cabbage chair. Designed by Nendo, Japan

Using a paper by-product of the fabric-pleating industry, the Japanese designers Nendo have managed to create a beautiful object that avoids the self-conscious “recycled” look of many of today’s green designs. Made simply from a thick roll of pleated paper, a small chair appears naturally as you peel away its outside layers, one at a time (pictured fully peeled). www.nendo.jp