RideLust

I haven’t seen Jay Leno smile this much since he got the Tonight Show. And the thing that put that smile on his substantial visage? A 65-horsepower three-wheeled commuter vehicle, the Persu tilting trike. The aerospace-inspired contraption is actually the Carver One, a Dutch invention that didn’t quite make it off the ground. Thankfully, the technology has been licensed by Persu, who plans to sell it stateside with a new, sleeker body and a hybrid drivetrain.

Source: Jay Leno’s Garage, Persu

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It’s not too often that electric cars, bikes or motorcycles peak my interest, but after seeing this little contraption I have to say that I was properly amazed. The Yike Bike isn’t a bicycle, nor is it a motorcycle, in fact it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The Yike Bike was invented by New Zealander, Grant Ryan in an effort to devise, according to him, the most common transport device in the world. After doing quite a bit of research, Ryan who is an engineer, recognized the need to alleviate the mass amounts of traffic in our cities. In doing so his thought was to create a unique mobility device that could not only get you from point A to point B efficiently, but be completely portable as well. By utilizing a very unique design, liberal amounts of carbon fiber and the latest in lithium phosphate battery technology, the Yike Bike pushes the limits of what we think of as green transport.
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This past weekend I found myself talking to a few buddies about cars we loved and which cars we could simply do without. Most of the cars built today are actually quite good. Sure they may have some flaws here and there, but for the most part they’re comfortable, well built and drive ok. We conversed about every major manufacturer, but when it came time to single one company out, we almost all unanimously chose the car that you see above – the Smart Car. People, I absolutely hate this little thing. So much so that I would rather see it pushed off a cliff on fire than have it sitting in my driveway. Now I know that there are some of you that are going to chime in and say that the Smart is a great little car, that it’s economical and fits a certain lifestyle, but I am here to tell you that for the most part…. your wrong. Keep in mind also that one of the people in this conversation was a Smart car owner and he hates the flippin’ thing.
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Well it’s finally happening, the new 2011 Chevrolet Volt has finally started shipping out to dealers from the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Michigan. We recently drove the Volt from New York City to Detroit, MI and came away very impressed. GM expects to ship around 160 vehicles this week alone, with customers in California, Texas, New York and Washington D.C. receiving the first shipments. Tony DiSalle, Volt marketing director stated,

“We have redefined automotive transportation with the Volt, and soon the first customers will be able to experience gas-free commuting with the freedom to take an extended trip whenever or wherever they want.”

Now, I don’t think the Volt has exactly redefined the electric car segment, but it is a wonderful car that will give those looking for great economy and eco-friendly transportation a wonderful alternative to a conventional automobile.

Source: GM

Well it’s happened, there is finally a new 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car roaming the streets of California. This past weekend in Petaluma, CA, 31 year old Olivier Chalouhi received the keys to his brand new Leaf and with it came a media opportunity that Nissan simply could not resist. Flanked by four other Leafs Mr. Chalouhi drove his new car to a press conference at San Francisco’s City Hall, which, believe it or not already has a public charging station (how convenient). Elected officials, Nissan representatives and even Mr. Chalouhi took the podium to speak about the wonders of the electric car. As of right now San Francisco has plans to install around 100 charging stations throughout the city as officials have claimed its residents are responsible for more orders than any other region thus far.
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The current Chevrolet Aveo is a tiny little puddle jumper of a car. It’s cheap (around $12,500), economical (35 mph hwy) and provides one with basic transportation to and from their destination. Over the last 10 years Chevy has been trying to revamp their image, and with cars like the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and 2011 Camaro, they’re actually doing a pretty good job of it. As the Aveo goes the way of the dodo bird, we’ll be greeted to a new replacement called the Sonic. The Sonic will basically be a redesigned Aveo with new sheet metal, interior and a more youthful image that GM hopes will help drive sales.

The head of marketing for Chevrolet in the U.S. states, “The new car is roomy, stylish and fun to drive, and Sonic is a youthful, energetic name that helps convey what this vehicle is about.”
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Not long ago I was asked as to whether or not I would actually pony up the cash and purchase an electric car. My knee jerk reaction was HELL NO! Then after thinking about it for awhile I started to rethink the question in terms of; what would an electric car have to become in order for me to purchase it? So much of what I love about the automobile is visceral. The looks, feel, sounds and smells are all part of what make an automobile attractive to me. For me to like a car you can better believe that it needs to have one hell of a presence to it. Today’s cookie cutter jelly bean rides are crap, and although they do serve a purpose, they have no place in my garage. Seriously, my version of hell would be having to drive a Toyota Camry everyday for the rest of my life… dear God that would suck.
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The Dodge Neon, a little car that has the ability to swipe any masculine characteristics away from its owners in no time flat. As you can see this hood scoop was obviously installed by a professional, and is the perfect compliment to a car that only put out a pavement shredding 132 hp when brand new. I applaud the owner for going the “do-it-yourself” route, but I can’t help but feel that this car is in dire need of a tissue.

Source: YouDriveWhat.com

The EPA has finally issued its fuel consumption rating for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and thank God because this was the last thing holding up the first deliveries of GM’s new plug-in electric car. With an estimated 93 MPGE for electric usage and 37 MPG for traditional fuel, GM seems quite pleased. Autoblog.com reports that Chevrolet Volt Global Vehicle Line Executive Doug Parks is happy with the EPA’s numbers for the Volt. He also said that they (GM) worked together with the EPA to figure out how all different modes of driving actually impacted the Volt’s actual efficiency.

Source: Autoblog.com

It looks as though FIAT is going to be marketing itself as a lifestyle brand here in the United States. Their first ad takes on a “break the mold” type of vibe by flooding us with images of beautiful people doing fun things in happy places. Basically they’re telling you that you’re boring and that by purchasing this little roller skate, your life will be turned around. Brands like MINI and Smart have been preaching this stuff for years to their customers and it’s definitely helped them move some merchandise. Listen, at the end of the day the new FIAT 500 is a cute little car that I have a feeling will be a big hit over here in the United States. Lets just hope it’s reliable, well built and fun to drive, because if that old “Fix It Again Tony” acronym comes out to rear its ugly head, this thing will all but die before it even gains any steam.

Source: Youtube.com