The coveted Red Dot Design Concept award for 2009 has been awarded to Mexican born designer Alberto Villareal. It was presented by Germany’s Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, which has been giving prestigious awards to product design trendsetters since 1955.

Delighted Villareal has received a great deal of exposure since winning the Red Dot prize. One of his major design achievements is the MX-LIBRIS taxi vehicle. Designed specifically for Latin American cities, this unique looking taxi is a zero pollution invention, using fuel cells for its energy source. As it does not utilise traditional, polluting combustion engine technologies, there is considerably more space within the body – ideal for those travelling with baggage or in groups of up to four.