Eco-Consciousness appearing everywhere!

Eco-consciousness is finding new friends all the time. In my local paper I found the article by Steve Sinovic today. When you wonder what you can do as a city dweller or a person who doesn’t have to drive very far or very fast or justw ants to save some money of commuting costs, you might want to consider. One charge of these new vehicles is less than 10 cents and gets you at least 20 miles through town before recharging is needed.  Steve writes:

“The increased prevalence of scooters on Santa Barbara’s streets is hard to miss. An ever-growing number of residents, many attempting to cut costs and gas emissions in a volatile year for fuel prices and the economy, have traded four wheels for two. It’s a trend particularly evident in the city’s downtown core and around the University of California Santa Barbara campus.

Recently, a new business joined the pack of purveyors of electric- and gas-powered scooters and bicycles. The company, ElectriCruise, has the franchise for Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to sell eGO vehicles, which are manufactured in Boston.

eGo Electric Scooter

Owner Mr. Pacifico, who has backed the venture with his own savings, said he first clapped eyes on the scooters at an electric car show at Cal State in San Luis Obispo. “My wife and I were quite enamored with its simplicity and functionality,” said Mr. Pacifico. He met the other franchise operator up north — there are seven in California — who encouraged him to launch his own enterprise.

“I interviewed them (eGO) on the phone, set up an account to acquire inventory and away we went,” said Mr. Pacifico, who declined to reveal what the franchise fee is and the costs to purchase the vehicles.

Mr. Pacifico

The vehicles, which come in three models, are built to get one person around town. They have a range of up to 25 miles per charge, which makes them perfect for a town like Santa Barbara that’s only 19 square miles.

The scooters sold by Mr. Pacifico have several attractions: it’s legal to ride them on bicycle paths; you can park them at the bike rack; and they produce no emissions. Depending on the model, the vehicles cost from $1,500 to $1,900.

The bike is an anodized aluminum structure, with rigid back frame, an electric motor that produces the equivalent of 2 horsepower, disc brakes up front and caliper brakes in the rear, and weigh, with lead batteries, about 130 pounds. An extended battery kit (in a bag sitting on the floorboards) pushes the bike’s range an extra 20 miles. An extension cord, which can be carried with the bike, lets riders recharge at their destinations before returning home. All three bikes perform the same, he said, since they are built on the same chassis. The two higher-end models have directional signals and a few other bells and whistles.

Extended range battery pack

They’ve certainly have found ardent supporters in Jody Thomas and Bryan Reinhard, two Santa Barbarans who each bought a scooter from ElectriCruise.

A supervisor at the Montecito branch library, Ms. Thomas said she considered several transportation options other than her car before deciding on the eGO. “I didn’t want anything gas powered. Nor did I want to have to pedal each day on a regular bike and arrive at working needing a shower,” said Ms. Thomas, who hops on the “peppy” vehicle each day for her commute from the west side of town, taking mostly bike paths to work. Depending on the elevation, she can zip along between 18-24 miles per hour. “It’s all along the ocean in the morning. It’s a beautiful commute.”

She figures she spends “literally pennies a day” to power the vehicle. Overall, she’s racking up 75 miles a week, including grocery trips, thanks to a collapsible basket.

Mr. Reinhard, a stockbroker, was thinking of purchasing a hybrid electric car, but saw the advertisement for the scooter. “I walked down there, liked it, bought one and drove it home.” Since he started doing most of his commuting on the eGO three months ago, he’s had the brakes adjusted a few times. “Vince doesn’t charge me for the service,” said Mr. Reinhard. “I don’t know what a gallon of gas costs anymore.”

Silver Scooter

This is just one example what you can do to reduce your emissions footprint, have fun, and save money, all at the same time. If you know of any similar stories, elt me know.

Axel Meierhoefer