Electric cars are great for the environment, right? Well, yes, but their carbon footprint isn't exactly zero. You're still drawing that electricity from somewhere, mostly coal-fired power stations.

How about a solar-powered vehicle, then? There aren't a lot of those around — for cars, the physics don't quite make sense yet. There's a solar-powered plane, though that's hardly practical for the average commuter.

But you can now at least buy a solar-powered scooter — one where the platform itself doubles as a solar panel.

The Solar Electric Scooter, an ingenious design by a small southern California startup, will go 20 miles on a single charge. If the day is too cloudy, you can still pull out the battery and plug it in. Its top speed is 15 miles an hour, but the scooter will take you there with tremendous torque, in 3.7 seconds. Better hold on.

Right now, the scooter is being sold at a special rate of $1,500 via the WhenYouWish website, a Kickstarter-style funding service. If it goes into production, it'll cost closer to $2000. Those who order at the reduced price will get their scooter even if the whole project isn't funded.

Which is handy, because the scooter is currently miles away from its $100,000 funding goal. Could you see yourself on this machine in your daily commute, a quick trip to the store, or any other use case? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy WhenYouWish/Solar Electric Scooter Company