Like it or not, your next car may be a hybrid

?Experts warn fuel prices could skyrocket again, the troubled environment is on everyone's mind, and the world economy -- well, the less said the better.

So what kind of car will you be driving in the years ahead as you meet the challenges of the times? If plans by all major automakers fall into place, chances are it will be a hybrid vehicle.

Despite a serious slump in auto sales -- ScotiaCapital's Global Auto Report last month says the big four manufacturers' retail volumes were down by 40% over last year -- carmakers are pouring serious long-term research and development dollars into hybrids.

Tesla's Model S electric car.
Photograph by: Handout, National Pos

Posted in Driving on 05/19/2009 - 0 Comments

Easy riders: 'Cheap as chips' electric bikes

Michel Robillard can put a price on the future of green motorbikes—and it’s about 25 cents.

That’s what the owner of Montreal’s Ecolo Cycles pays to keep his black and silver electricity-assisted bicycle fully charged and ready to roll for at least 60 km of bike paths.

Electricity-assisted bicycle? You heard right. Along with electric scooters, scooter-bikes and motorcycles powered by everything from hydrogen cells to lithium-ion batteries, the future of two-wheeled transportation isn’t just cheap as chips—it’s as green as grass, he says.

“The future is electric or hybrid vehicles, no question about it,” says Robillard, who’s manufacturing company last year sold $1.5 million electric-assisted bicycles and scooters in Quebec alone, and anticipates doubling sales in Ontario this year, largely due to baby boomers and green commuters keen on leaving their cars at home. “People are not just thinking about how fast they get places, but how much it costs to get there.”

Convinced that soon-to-rise fuel prices will push sales of cheaper, greener alternatives, Robillard is also launching a new, fully loaded $3000 electricity and pedal-powered scooter that has a range of 100km and zips along urban streets at 32km/h. Next year, after testing by Transport Canada, he will introduce two sporty electric scooters that will reach speeds of 70km/h and 90km/h.

Posted in Driving on 05/19/2009 - 0 Comments