This year's Tokyo Auto Show is turning out to be one of the most exciting in years, with tons of great concept cars (not to mention the introduction of the Nissan GT-R). The latest: This Fuso Canter "Eco-D" concept dump truck from Mitsubishi. The Fuso is one of the great truck brands of the world, used for a variety of purposes.

The Fuso has been on my short list of "To Be Converted Into Mobile Reporting Rig" vehicles for a while; unlike others on the list, such as Pinzgauer, I could actually afford a Fuso. But now I want it to be this Fuso.

Mitshibishi Fuso Canter Eco-D Concept Dump Truck [Jalopnik]

Previously:
• Suzuki Biplane Concept: Motorcycle, Not Aeroplane [BBG]
• Nissan GT-R Cockpit Display Gets Videogame Touch [BBG]
• Daihatsu Mudmaster-C Concept Kei Van [BBG]
• Honda PUYO Concept [BBG]
• Suzuki's Tonka-like X-HEAD Concept Truck [BBG]

Crave.CNET.com has this picture of the Yamaha "Bobby" concept folding electric scooter, shown at this year's Tokyo Auto Show. (Great name!) Sadly, while this is the expanded version, the folded-up mode isn't all that much smaller. I'd still putt-putt—or whirr-whirr—the hell out of this.

Bobby, the foldable scooter [Crave.CNET.com]

The "iShoes" are electric roller skates with a 5-7 mile range over flat surfaces, controlled by a tethered, uh, control tether. They can reach speeds of up to 15MPH. They're said to be in testing, with available and pricing data yet to be announced.

They look extremely unsuitable for wet-weather use.

Product Page [TheiShoes.com via Gizmodo]

Jalopnik is at the Tokyo Auto Show and snapped a few pictures of this fantastic Suzuki "Biplane" motorcycle concept. I'm not entirely sure why it's called "Biplane." Perhaps it will all-too-easily send its rider airborne?

Tokyo Motor Show: Sleek Suzuki Biplane Revealed [Jalopnik]

Popular Mechanics' Ben Stewart took a few laps in a prototype Toyota Prius that can be plugged into a wall outlet to recharge its batteries. He says it seems likely that the next generation Prius, a 2009 model, will feature plug-in technology.

The most impressive part of the system was that it can take 1/4 to 1/2 throttle without engaging the gasoline engine. And that means for short 3 to 4 mile commutes, one could conceivably get to work and return home solely on electric power. The hybrid mode works much like the current car, engaging the internal combustion engine much sooner. This mode, it is presumed will be most applicable to long trips, when charging the battery isn’t an option.

The power still has to come from somewhere, of course, but putting plug-in options into the most popular hybrid car is a good thing, as it widens the variety of sources from which the power can be obtained, be it from regional power plants or home zero-point dynamos.

First Drive: 2009 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Prototype [PopularMechanics.com]

The integrated control screen in the dashboard of the upcoming Nissan GT-R was developed in conjunction with Polyphony Digital, whose work you may know as the creators of the Gran Turismo series of racing games on the Sony Playstation.

Every time I look at that car I just sigh. What a machine!

The Official Car of Godzilla [Edmunds.com via Gizmodo]

As I've said before, I highly doubt we'll be able to buy our way out of any climate or environmental crisis. (Although every little change we can make helps.) And while this particular anecdote does in fact talk about buying new taxi cabs to replace an older, inefficient ones, the backstory of how it happened is much more important.

Take the New York City taxi story. Two years ago, David Yassky, a City Council member, sat down with one of his backers, Jack Hidary, a technology entrepreneur, to brainstorm about how to make New York City greener — at scale. For starters, they checked with the Taxi and Limousine Commission to see what it would take to replace the old gas-guzzling Crown Victoria yellow cabs, which get around 10 miles a gallon, with better-mileage, low-emission hybrids. Great idea, only it turned out to be illegal, thanks to some old size regulations designed to favor Crown Vics.

Recalled Mr. Hidary: “When they first told me, I said, ‘Are you serious? Illegal?’” So he formed a nonprofit called SmartTransportation.org to help Mr. Yassky lobby the City Council to change the laws to permit hybrid taxis. They also reframed it as a health issue, with the help of Louise Vetter, president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York.

Save the Planet: Vote Smart [NYTimes]

Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi, a 24-year-old Nigerian physics undergraduate, is building functional helicopters from junk cars and motorcycles. This one, powered by a Honda Civic engine, has been flown "briefly" six times, never higher than seven feet. Many of the other parts from a Boeing 747 which crashed near him home years ago.

"You start it, allow it to run for a minute or two and you then shift the accelerator forward and the propeller on top begins to spin. The further you shift the accelerator the faster it goes and once you reach 300 rmp you press the joystick and it takes off," Abdullahi explained from the cockpit.

He said he learned the rudiments of flying a helicopter from the Internet and first got the idea of building one from the films he watches on television.

Home-made helicopters hit northern Nigeria [Yahoo/AFP via Gizmodo via The Raw Feed]