Mr. Peanut’s New Car Drives Us Nuts
- By Keith Barry
- February 22, 2011 |
- 12:00 pm |
- Categories: Alt Fuel, Autopia WTF? Dept.
It’s been quite an adventurous few months for Mr. Peanut. First, he got a makeover that left him with a gray flannel vest and a shell tanner than Snooki. Shortly after that, he made the acquaintance of Benson, a legume who is now his sidekick. With all those changes in his life, it’s only fitting that he upgrade his ride.
To that end, Planters has fixed him up with — wait for it — the Nutmobile, a custom creation set to tour the country teaching Americans to follow the way of the virtuous peanut.
Underneath that dry, wrinkled shell, the humble peanut is quite helpful to farmers. Like nearly all legumes, the roots of the peanut plant contain bacteria that contribute to nitrogen fixation — the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ammonia, fertilizing the soil.
To promote the “peanut lifestyle” of giving back to the earth, the Nutmobile will appear at events to draw support for The Corps Network, a service and conservation agency that offers over 30,000 young people the chance to mobilize communities in projects that restore and maintain public and green spaces. Last year, the Corps Network offered 21.3 million hours of national service.
The Nutmobile is based on a 2011 Isuzu NPR diesel truck. In addition to the new, crunchy shell, it’s been filled with 5 percent biodiesel, covered in solar panels and fitted with a wind turbine and a bank of batteries. Missing a great opportunity for peanut publicity, the biodiesel blend will only consist of a little peanut oil among other vegetable and cooking oils.
Together, the setup ensures that a two-hour drive can charge the onboard batteries enough for a one-hour publicity stop. Even body panels and the interior are recycled: Floorboards were reclaimed from a dismantled barn, while the windows are recycled glass in frames made of recycled steel.
The whole thing is one part George Barris, two parts George Washington Carver, and will join the Oscar-Meyer Wienermobile and the Red Bull Mini in the annals of vehicular marketing. If the new Planters commercials are any indication, we can only imagine that Benson will be riding shotgun.
So, is Mr. Peanut nuts about his new ride? We may never know, as the voice that sounds strangely like Robert Downey Jr. fell silent on this one: A spokeswoman for Planters told us that Mr. Peanut has no comment on the Nutmobile.
Images: Planters
Yes, the printing is a wee bit small. Click the image for the full size photo.
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