Segway is trying to beat scooter sticker shock

The Segway, which was introduced a few years ago, and revolutionized the personal transportation model, is trying to expand its market.

The sticker price, producing what may otherwise be known as catastophic heart failure, has kept much of the average American consumer from picking one up. But Segway and GE are trying to overcome that hurdle by offering financing.

The consumer financing arm of General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE - news) will manage the program, allowing consumers to take out loans for the scooters, which cost from $4,000 to $5,500.

"The sticker shock of $5,000 there and then can in some cases be a deterrent," said Jason Barton, vice president of sales at Bedford, New Hampshire-based Segway. "But if you have an offering where they can have it as a monthly payment, that is more appealing."

All the best,
Al Speer

Gasoline Obsolete? This company hopes to help...

This is interesting. This company is making engines that do run on other forms of fuel.

While they say it won't take over the car industry, they are very willing to work with car manufacturers and create new alternative fuel engines.

"He said there are obstacles to making cars powered with hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines. To carry enough hydrogen, the fuel tank would have to be under extremely high pressure, he said. In addition, tanks made to that specification cost as much as the engine to power the car.

Hydrogen technology is better suited for generator applications and for industrial uses at its current stage of development, he said.

A better solution may be engines that run on ammonia, Hollinger said.

Development of ammonia as a fuel must include ways to improve its combustibility. Ammonia does not readily spark like other fuels, but Hollinger is determined to overcome some of the obstacles.

'I tell people that I'm no dumber now than when I was at Ford Motor Co. If I can invent at Ford, I can invent here,' Hollinger said. 'I don't think that there's any reason we can't. Will we? I don't know.'
Hollinger said he doesn't expect his small company to make major breakthroughs in the automotive propulsion, but he's willing to work with Ford or any other company working on clean fuel technology.

'I hope in the future the automotive people will look at our stuff and incorporate some of our ideas,' he said. 'Somebody needs to do something now.' "

All the Best,
Al Speer

The Types and Costs of Hybrid Cars

Here is more info. on hybrid cars. Details on 4 types of hybrid cars, and also some details on how to figure out if the costs of a hybrid will be worth it to you.

"Generally speaking, hybrid cars run on rechargeable batteries and gasoline.
The type of hybrid depends on how the two sources of power connect, when each one is in operation and for how long, and finally, what portion of power is supplied by which hybrid component.

There are four types of hybrid systems:

Stop-start: shuts engine off when the car comes to a full stop and would otherwise idle.

Integrated Starter Alternator with Damping (ISAD): has the stop-start feature and an electric motor.

Integrated Motor Assist: The functions are identical to the ISAD but it has a larger electric motor for better performance.

Full hybrid system: cars generally run on electric power at low speeds with the gas engine kicking in at higher speeds.

Incentives

The incentives of purchasing a hybrid car could be philosophical, financial, or environmental. Berman recognizes that not everyone is willing to go completely green right away.

'Everyone should take little steps,' Berman told LiveScience. 'Buy the most efficient fuel car. It doesn't have to be hybrid. If you don't need an SUV, don't get an SUV.'

Some car buyers might want to look at the decision from a purely financial standpoint. Here is an example of how one choice might work out:

The average American drives 15,000 miles each year, with 45 percent of that on highways. The traditional Honda Civic costs about $17,110, and it gets about 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 highway. At $2.92 a gallon, this subcompact car costs $1,296 in gasoline in one year.

At $22,900, the Honda Civic Hybrid will initially cost a bit more, but with an average of 50 miles per gallon"

All the best,
Al Speer

Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg

Here's the realistic future of hybrid cars, it looks like, as far as manufacturers are concerned.

Plug in cars that increase fuel efficiency within the typical 40 miles driven by most Americans every day.

"So far, DaimlerChrysler AG is the only company that has committed to building its own plug-in hybrids, quietly pledging to make up to 40 vans for U.S. companies. But Toyota Motor Corp. officials who initially frowned on people altering their cars now say they may be able to learn from them.

�They're like the hot rodders of yesterday who did everything to soup up their cars. It was all about horsepower and bling-bling, lots of chrome and accessories,� said Cindy Knight, a Toyota spokeswoman. �Maybe the hot rodders of tomorrow are the people who want to get in there and see what they can do about increasing fuel economy.�

The extra batteries let Gremban drive for 20 miles with a 50-50 mix of gas and electricity. Even after the car runs out of power from the batteries and switches to the standard hybrid mode, it gets the typical Prius fuel efficiency of around 45 mpg. As long as Gremban doesn't drive too far in a day, he says, he gets 80 mpg.

�The value of plug-in hybrids is they can dramatically reduce gasoline usage for the first few miles every day,� Gremban said. �The average for people's usage of a car is somewhere around 30 to 40 miles per day. During that kind of driving, the plug-in hybrid can make a dramatic difference.� "

I hope you like the info and insight into this amazing vehicle technological development.

Al Speer

Half of America Wants a Hybrid Car

Here is an interesting poll, which found that a lot of people would like to get hybrid cars, but for some reason folks just aren't buying them yet.

"More than half of all Americans say they would seriously consider buying or leasing a fuel-saving hybrid car, according to a new poll.

Price is the obstacle for many, however.

The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found 48 percent of Americans have cut back significantly on the amount they drive because of higher gas prices. The figure is 59 percent for those living in households earning less than $50,000 per year and 36 percent for those making $50,000 or more.

More than half of all Americans (54 percent) said they have reduced household spending on other items because of high gas prices.

Hybrids, meanwhile, aren't selling because of the added cost, even though 57 percent of those polled said they would seriously consider one.

Ford Motor Company is now offering zero-percent financing on its Ford Escape SUV hybrid because of slower-than-expected sales, the Gallup organization points out. The vehicle's base price is $26,900, whereas the regular Escape starts at $19,380.
Age makes a difference in hybrid interest.

Among poll respondents age 18 to 49, 64 percent said they'd consider a hybrid, while only 39 percent of people 65 and older would. "

Good Info,
Al Speer

As Pump Prices Rise, So Do Iffy Ways to Boost Mileage - Los Angeles Times

Here's a decent article on information, from the EPA, FTC, and others, which points to the less than proven claims of fuel additive companies. These companies are saying they can get you better mileage from your vehicles.

While these agencies (FTC, EPA, etc.) are quick to condemn these extra gas saving measures, they aren't quick to give any options for saving money. So, if you are at all interested, it might be worth your time to try some.

"Skyrocketing gas prices have helped drive an industry promising better fuel efficiency in the form of pills, liquid additives and devices. There are fuel-line magnets that claim to change the molecular structure of gasoline and gas pills that increase the 'calorific power' of a car's fuel system.

But auto experts, the Federal Trade Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have expressed skepticism about products that claim dramatic gas savings.

'Every year, when we go through a price increase in gasoline, there's a surge of interest in fuel economy enhancement devices,' said Steve Mazor, director of the Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center, which tests about a dozen products each year. 'Most of the products that we test just plain don't do anything at all.'

This year, with gas prices at more than $3 a gallon, Mazor said the organization had received more calls from consumers and manufacturers regarding gas-saving products.

The EPA has tested more than 100 products and add-on devices, finding most to be ineffective, said spokesman John Millett. In a few cases, products were found to increase exhaust emissions, potentially violating federal law on emissions tampering, according to the agency."

I guess the lesson to take away, is to NOT get your hopes up that the additives will work like they say.

All the best,
Al

Vespa Piaggio MP3 - Vespa's NEW 3 wheel scooter - It's SWEET!

This is the absolute latest news, screaming off of the scooter news hotlines.
Vespa has created a new, amazingly safe concept in scooters. It's a new 3 wheel scooter that offers amazing stability, no kick stand, and great gas milleage.

"Two front wheels � a revolutionary concept.

Piaggio launched the first Vespa model � and with it the scooter phenomenon � in the spring of 1946. The scooter revolutionized personal transport, giving Europeans a sense of utter freedom.
Sixty years on, Piaggio has come up with another revolutionary product: the PIAGGIO MP3, a totally innovative three-wheeler with two front wheels. The PIAGGIO MP3 provides safety, road grip and stability levels that no two-wheeler can match. Power, performance and ease of use make for a very entertaining ride.


The two front wheels of the PIAGGIO MP3 re-define the very concept of ride stability to provide an unprecedented riding experience.
The front assembly, with two independent tilting wheels, is far more stable than any scooter. The PIAGGIO MP3 grips the road even when tailing other vehicles, providing top performance in total safety."

I hope you like it.

All the best,
Al

Inventor claims to have made world's most fuel efficient car - Yahoo! News

This sounds like a pretty sweet ride...

I'd take one for getting to and from work every day. Obviously it isn't powerful, but saving money in my pocket-book is much more interesting to me than having a big mamma gamma of a vehicle.

" - A British inventor unveiled a car he claims is the world's most fuel efficient -- capable of doing 8,000 miles (12,875 km) to the gallon (4.5 litres). "

What do you think, is giving up power for better fuel efficiency worth it?

Thanks,
Al

High Gas Prices Lead to U.S. Scooter Boom

YOu know scooters are going to be HOT!

It's a slow process getting us out of our huge vehicles, but it will happen. We love the open road, and if we can't afford to hit it in our gas guzzlers, then these small scooters will be next.

"A scooter boom has been under way over the last few years as the vehicles came back into fashion. Retail sales in the U.S. have shot up from 12,000 scooters in 1997 to 113,000 in 2005, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a promotional trade organization. But this spring, the boom has turned into a bonanza, with more and more people realizing that scooters can get up to 100 miles per gallon and can weave around traffic jams."

Unfortunately for families, this is not a real option. If we lived in Cambodia, carrying your family around on a scooter might be an option. But in our sue happy society this won't be possible.

Thanks,
Al Speer