I'm being bombarded with press releases -- most of them greenwashing -- because of Earth Day, but one announcement caught my eye. A company called EcoCab unveiled today that this summer it will launch a pedal-powered taxi service in Toronto, with plans next year to expand into other major urban centres across Canada. The launch in Toronto will involve 28 EcoCab "bikes" -- which are three-wheeled bicycles with a passenger cabin that also features battery-assist, allowing the vehicle to reach speeds of 12 km/h (8 miles/hr) without having to pedal. "Able to easily navigate through congested city streets, the EcoCab provides convenient door to door service between office buildings, transit stations, shopping areas, restaurants, and entertainment attractions," the company said.

Now here's the kicker, and conventional cabbies won't like it one bit: the service is free. That's right, anybody can hop into one of the EcoCabs and get a free ride. The service is funded by do-good corporate sponsors.

Simple. Effective. My only question is if you can drive one of these things in downtown Toronto, why can't you drive a ZENN?