The SBVs are here! While the giant American manufacturers been sleeping at the wheel, market demand for fuel-efficient vehicles has continued to rise and create opportunities. Here are a couple awesome examples of what could be ahead, should the market be allowed to mature:
The XR-3 is designed as a “plug-in hybrid.” This makes it possible to drive on battery power alone on trips of about 40 miles. In other words, on short trips you never have to turn on the diesel engine. And when both the diesel and the battery-electric systems are used together, and the car is driven conservatively, fuel economy increases to over 200-mpg. Fuel economy is about 125-mpg on diesel power alone.
Diesel Hybrid Baby! (DHB) Scheduled for release this month, I just wonder where the bike rack and grocery bags will go…
Perhaps the 6000ZK, a Chinese electric vehicle imitation of the Smart Car, is a more practical option. It’s only $10K new and “100% legal”!
This all makes me very hopeful that we’re finally escaping the clutches of centrally planned automobiles. I am, perhaps naively, looking forward to local production of vehicles. Now that giant supply chain control (e.g. iron and steel) is unnecessary to produce cars in America, can someone in your neighborhood design and produce one for you? Or maybe I should be asking whether someone in your neighborhood will have the hack to override the silly speed regulation imposed by the NHTSA. Remember when mopeds were restricted to 25mph? Note the fine print on the 600ZK:
Max. Speed: 25 mph (Reduced from 40 per NHTSA guidelines)
Yeah, whatever. Real speed apparently introduces quite a bit of cost. Would you sign a waver and accept the risk of going 40 mph in that thing? Did Enron back President Bush? Of course you would.
The Comet, an unrestricted vehicle expected this fall, will set you back $33K. Does it really cost $23K to get security right and enable full speed?
Purpose-built as a luxury electric commuter vehicle, the Carbon-Fiber body, leather interior, premium electronics, navigation, and entertainment system, all testify that no expense was spared in the creation of this top-end vehicle.
Fully equiped with air conditioning, heat, and heads-up displays, the myth that an electric car is in some way a sacrifice is forever shattered. Superb handling, blinding acceleration, the experience is like no other.
Funny, that doesn’t look like an SUV-sized cargo hauler. What sort of sacrifice measure is solely based on luxury? Show me the security stuff and ditch the rest. I can buy a commodity GPS , roll down the window and put on some seat covers, thanks. Still, under $35K for a small-batch high MPG (SBHM) luxury sports car sounds pretty good.
I expect these things to be coming out of the high schools of America, but the last time I checked all the “monster” and “chop” shops were still producing pathetic gas guzzlers. I guess the Internet took a while to leave the venue of nerds and reach the cool crowds, so maybe we just have ten years to wait now before vehicular efficiency is hot and common.
Enough mid-life crisis sports-car stuff, imagine taking a cross-country camping trip, or doing a coastal surfing trip, in the zero-emission Transporter…this could be the rebirth of the active “VW bus” lifestyle:
For some reason the government allows the Transporter to keep its top speed : 45 mph. Cheap and functional. Let’s go surfing, dude!
Now we just need better batteries…