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Good points, David.

One thing I've noticed where I live is that as gasoline prices have risen, car use has decreased and bus use has increased. We have one of the best bus-based public transportation in the nation (Honolulu, HI). We've had a 19% drop in gasoline purchases year over year, and the roads are noticeably less congested. As prices continue to rise (as they will) and the ICE vehicles offered are both short range and expensive, I think that we would see much more bus usage. This is the case in other countries like Japan where car prices and gasoline are artificially high.

I'd like to see a city - wide proposal for a city that already exists. Anyone have any links?

@ Everyone who responded to my comment,
I'd hardly say this is "new" technology. Toyota has been selling hybrids for a decade, and GM since 2004 at least. And electric vehicles have been around for decades. Toyota and Honda started out with compact cars, not sports cars. GM started out with compacts (EV1) and SUVs. And, no, GM didn't destroy the EV1 b/c they were losing money on it. They didn't even try to sell it.

I will acknowledge for Tesla and some of the other startups, this is a business methodology that they're using: start small, at the high end with hand-builts, and use money and expertise gained from that to expand. But that doesn't excuse Toyota (Priapus) or Peugeot. It's just frustrating.

Russia (with great pain to itself) could destroy the US economy tomorrow if they suddenly decided to pull their 10mbpd of oil off the market. In 10 years, if half of all vehicles were EVs or PHEVs, we'd at least have some measure of insulation. Currently, we have none.

I too worry about the marketing of green (greed). I have found many old beautiful kitchen and dinning room tables, one had a badly warped leaf, so I left it swung down and it made a wonderful desk. I hit some remaining warped wood with 200 sandpaper, to level the table out (just wrap sandpaper around a wooden block; makes for an even/level sanding). I have an antique well made desk, only a little imagination needed to remember what it once was (a beautiful dinning table where families came together).

@Lego - It can take upwards of 2 seconds to stop at that speed, much longer if conditions are wet.

I make a lot less then you think (10K or less for the last decade). There is no substitute for quality. I've tried a lot of jeans. Sure, I have a pair from the Gap clearance shelf, $15, but after selling 2 pairs of Diesels (over $200 each) for food and rent; I had to go out and buy another pair. I won't waste my time with cheap jeans, but I won't have more then a pair or two. Moderation. None of these are too expensive. I won't skimp here.

FYI I've seen Guess has "green" styles as well.

50 cc's is the part that's a load of crap-- to get up a hill on a scooter you need at least 125, and most motorcycles are more like 1000cc's, not 50.

it's a great start...but they might be better off with a name other than "motorcycle"

like, perhaps, bicycle with an attached pedel-er.

Dont't harm bears. Just put up a sign that says:
"Bears area. Cycle at your own risk".

omg. that was wwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy to cute. i love pandas.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.babys are so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuytttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JSDreyer says:
"What we need is more practical EV, PHEV, and hybrid vehicles. A vast amount of resources is going toward developing hybrid and electric sports vehicles which comprise around 5% of all car sales: the Tesla, the Enigma, the Priapus, the Lightning GT, the Peugeot RC, the NICE Super Light Electric Sport Car, the Mullen L1X-75 GT, and, of course, the Fisker Karma.

Family cars carry more people and cargo per mile, so they have a greater positive impact on fuel economy. And they're priced lower, so they sell more which also has a greater impact. Sports cars, with their low volume sales and high power requirements should be the last thing we convert."

JSDreyer, Buisness 101, when breaking into a well established market, start at the high end. You will never beat the old hacks as a neo. This is Tesla's Elon Musk's mantra.

Family cars in the US are bigger, heavier and usually driven by a single occupant to work. I would prefer to see more Coupes like the OI, the Original Insight, or coupes with small back seats for kids. No doors, and smaller windows = safer design.

The fact that hemp yields twice as much as corn misses the point. sugar cane has an energy density 8 times that of corn. That is still not good enough to justify the land and water use. Also, talk to the fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico and ask them how they feel about the enormous amounts of nitrogen and phospourus run off from the Mississippi. We need to thoroughly think through all of our environmental decisions and policies and remember Newton's 3rd Law; "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

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