Have you seen this

[asianflava]

Isn't that the Corbin Sparrow

[angib]

Or buy a Phoenix SUT/SUV when they are for sale:



They seem to have cracked the technology to make a viable electric car/truck, using lithium titanate batteries - though at a price of $47,500! It seems the vehicle has conventional performance and a range of 100+ miles, but the critical step is that this battery can be 95% recharged in 10 minutes - though that needs a 480V 3-phase 500A supply, so that's only going to be found in 'electrical filling stations', not peoples' homes.

Sadly their FAQ says:
Q: What is the towing capacity?
A: Phoenix vehicles are not ideal for towing, as it drastically decreases range and limits performance.

Andrew

[MOKI SEAKER]

I don't see how electric cars are going to save on poluition. If you recharge them off an electrical line that power has to come from somewhere, in our case (Utah) it is a coal fired power plant. Jim G

[caseydog]

Oh, BTW, I pick up my gas saver tomorrow. It's a vintage Scooter that'll do about 45mph.

Cool! But please remember the really important maintenance requirement for old Cubs - abuse and neglect.

Putting gas in and maybe once a year checking the oil and tyres is all these bikes can stand - and will ensure they start first kick every time and run forever. You start doing rash things like pulling out the spark plug to look at it and suddenly they start developing problems and going all delicate on you.

And also remember - they are meant to lurch at each gear change....

Andrew

Mine has had plenty of that, I'm sure. And yes, they do lurch a bit on the upshifts. They don't care much for hard braking on the front brake, either.

It's quirky, but I like that.

BTW,they called them "Passport" here, instead of "Cub" like they did everywhere else.

[caseydog]

I don't see how electric cars are going to save on poluition. If you recharge them off an electrical line that power has to come from somewhere, in our case (Utah) it is a coal fired power plant. Jim G

Andrew would probably have a more complete and accurate answer to that, but I believe that electric generation plants are more efficient than the typical car engine when it comes from turning fuel into power. That would make the amount of fuel consumed to charge an electric car smaller than the amount of fuel used to run a car engine, as measured by the amount of fuel consumed per mile traveled.

CD

[Lazybones]

Oh, BTW, I pick up my gas saver tomorrow. It's a vintage Scooter that'll do about 45mph.



CD

I'm one of the ten percent that an elecric car wouldn't work for. I am hauling tools and lumber all the time.
I do however drive vintage scooters around town for transportation. I think you will have a lot of fun with your Honda. It looks to be in great condition!

Here is a picture of my two around town scooters. One Is 1960 Cushman Eagle and the other is a 1957 Triumph Tessy. I took the cushman for a more than 100 mile ride last weekend and it gets about 65- 80 mile per gallon.

[doug hodder]

Lee...what, no pic of the Doodlebug? Doug

[Lazybones]

Hey Doug, I sold slash trades the doodlebug.

[angib]

If you recharge them off an electrical line that power has to come from somewhere, in our case (Utah) it is a coal fired power plant.

Yes, they are not 'clean', but just 'a bit less dirty'!

Using the numbers that Phoenix quote for battery capacity and range, and applying the carbon emission rate for UK electricity gives a result of about 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre - sorry if that means nothing, but it's how we measure carbon from vehicles - it's just a touch less than the emissions from a Prius or very small car, and around half the emissions from a similar sized diesel truck.

But our electricity is about 50% from natural gas and only 30% from coal, so your all-coal electricity will push the battery car emissions up to about the same level as a diesel, but still less than for gas/petrol.

Andrew

[Elumia]

Speaking of emissions....

Those 2 cyle 50cc engines must be dirtier than an SUV. I'd be willing to bet that they are worse for the environment that driving what you already own.

Even 4 stroke modern mortorcyles are not as highly regulated at a 4 wheel vehicles with regards to emissions. Aren't we supposed to be concerned with "global warming"?

While some of these scooters and other alternative vehicles save gas, I suspect we are expending more emissions if the market for these vehicles increases. Aren't India and China full of these sccoters? Don't they have choking pollution?

Seems they are a solution for saving gas money, but at what expense? I can agree that small electric powered vehicles make sense around town as a secondary means of transportation. The current offering is just too spendy. Additionally, NEV's (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) as they are permitted are only allowed to go 25MPH. That's too slow for anything other than riding around a giant subdivision to go to the pool and golf course.

Why not buy a recent model econobox for city jaunts, save the SUV for long trips and visits to Costco. If you only have one car, you can get some of the cost back because you will have lower insurance (multi-car discount), less miles on your expensive car (less depreciation) and a longer life for your "big car". Back when I lived in snow country people bought "winter beaters" to keep their cars from rusting out from all the salt. Now I guess people will be opting for gas cheaters!

Mark

[caseydog]

Those are some good points, Mark, however...

My little scooter is 4-cycle, and when it comes to global warming, CO2 is the big emission. If a vehicle gets 100 mpg, than it puts out 1/4 of the CO2 of a vehicle that gets 25 mpg, when compared by CO2 per mile.

Sure, I don't have a catalytic converter on the old scooter, but a 70cc engine isn't going to create much toxicity, which is what most pollution control devices on cars do.

The only way I know of to cut CO2 emissions is to cut down the amount of fuel burned. A scooter does that.

CD

[caseydog]

Oh, BTW, another way to have a vehicle you can take to Home Depot and not buy a truck is to get a $350 trailer from Tractor Supply and pull it with a passenger car when needed. I've been doing that for a couple of years, now.

My trailer is 4X6 and can carry 1750 pounds. That's as big and as strong as most extended cab or crew cab pickups. When I'm not using it, I tuck it in a corner of the yard under a tree where it is almost invisible from the house.

You can get a 4X8 for a few bucks more, giving you a temporary long-bed pickup.

CD

[Elumia]

CD, better MPG, does not correlate to less emissions

Check this out:
Finally, after several exchanges with the EPA, I was contacted by someone who knew the answers. His name is Robert French. He works in the EPA. Rob confirmed my worst fears about motorcycle emissions. The statistics he provided are somewhat daunting for a layman, and he hastens to caution that the information he shares is not official EPAspeak. In short, he told me that, "In fact, motorcycles produce more harmful emissions than driving a car, or even a large SUV."

Full article - of course it is from back in 2001 when cars were even dirtier than today!
http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=260

and another article:
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/S ... teid=nwhpf

"Scooters have to meet the same emissions standards as motorcycles. While the federal government tightened those standards in 2004, they are still not as stringent as the standards for cars. The Environmental Protection Agency says even the typical sport-utility vehicle is 95% cleaner than the typical motorcycle."

Maybe you could press your editors into a story so you can investigate!

Mark

[Elumia]

A good alternative vehicle for SUV's are the small wagons, like a jetta or passat. Most euro brands have small wagons

Similar cargo space, roof rack lets you put a 4x8 sheet on the roof (lower so you don't have to lift too high either)

with a 4 banger can tow that little trailer too!

Mark

[caseydog]

CD, better MPG, does not correlate to less emissions

Check this out:
Finally, after several exchanges with the EPA, I was contacted by someone who knew the answers. His name is Robert French. He works in the EPA. Rob confirmed my worst fears about motorcycle emissions. The statistics he provided are somewhat daunting for a layman, and he hastens to caution that the information he shares is not official EPAspeak. In short, he told me that, "In fact, motorcycles produce more harmful emissions than driving a car, or even a large SUV."

Full article - of course it is from back in 2001 when cars were even dirtier than today!
http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=260

CD

and another article:
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/S ... teid=nwhpf

"Scooters have to meet the same emissions standards as motorcycles. While the federal government tightened those standards in 2004, they are still not as stringent as the standards for cars. The Environmental Protection Agency says even the typical sport-utility vehicle is 95% cleaner than the typical motorcycle."

Maybe you could press your editors into a story so you can investigate!

Mark

You didn't quite understand me, I think. I was talking about CO2 emissions. Better fuel economy does equal lower CO2 emissions.

I acknowledged that, without car pollution control equipment, either emissions would be higher. But, the scooter would win in CO2 emissions, which I believe are the biggest greenhouse gas emission.

CD