Hyundai isn’t exactly a company know for its eco-friendly innovations, but their new concept SUV, the QarmaQ, definitely pushes the eco envelope. Rather than using steel and glass to create its outer skin, most of the QarmaQ’s exterior is made from recycled plastic water bottles. (The advantage here is weight: that saves the vehicle about 130 pounds, which equals about 20 gallons of gas saved per year.) Its name is taken from an Inuit word meaning “dwellings made of Earth, whalebone, and animal skins,” and if it’s not exactly as all-natural as its translated name implies (what’s next, a car made of steak?), it’s a step in the right direction. No word yet as to when the QarmaQ will hit the tarmac (or the asphalt), but some of its innovations will be rolled out in other Hyundai cars starting in 2008.

Via: Ecogeek