Are these the buses of the future?

I've had some time lately to catch up on some e-mails and other items that have arrived recently over the transom. One I thought readers here may enjoy are the three winning entries in the Bus of the Future contest held by the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica and the Art Center College of Design.

I'll post a photo of each, with a brief description. There's tons more info on the buses and their features at the contest website.

The Clear Volume bus, designed by Mike Peterson, has a glass ceiling that can be opened and closed and allows more light into the bus. It also features a hydrogen fuel cell motor and a middle section that lowers to the ground to make it easier to board and exit.

The Icon bus, designed by Gabriel Wartofsky, is a double-decker, with passenger loading in the front and exiting in the rear through revolving doors. It also has roof-mounted solar cells and exterior gills that would break down atmospheric ozone into oxygen to clean the surrounding air.

The Cougar Bus, designed by Giuseppe Fillippone, has "pod-style passenger cells" that can be changed depending on passenger needs. For example, pods on school routes can be outfitted with screens playing school-related content while commuter pods could turn into -- get this -- private working spaces.

-- Steve Hymon