What can I use instead of my car?
Posted by james on February 26th, 2008Since I've been tracking my petrol usage on the Carbon Diet, I have realised that in the last 6 months, I have only used 3 tanks of fuel. The car is a 2-seater, basically just for me, no use for the family, and these days I never use it. I spent more on tax, insurance and servicing than fuel in the whole of the last year. It hardly seems worth having it.
So, considering I live out in the countryside where the buses don't run at useful times, commute just once a week to the station 10 miles away, but want to be able to go 20 miles to Guildford and back reasonably quickly from time to time without leaving my wife without a car, what can I replace my car with that is more environmentally friendly? Ideas, anyone?
May 9th, 2008 at 10:46 AM
A scooter?
Being sit-up-and-beg and having a roof for bad weather like this one (concept only, but there must be real ones that have some of the same features): http://www.gizmag.com/go/1952/
Which makes me think “buy a motorbike” is quite a sexy climate change message to offer!
June 3rd, 2008 at 03:38 PM
Seconded for the scooter, Mate.
CBT course – £105 Jacket, Helmet, etc – £300ish Scooter (1 year old from GD Browns) – £700 Insurance – £100 Road Tax – £15 Parking at train station – £0
In excess of 65 MPG (some claims of 100MPG sustained, but I’m suspiscious)
You know you want to ;-)
( /me failed his full bike test in Feb and hasn’t retaken yet… )
February 10th, 2009 at 11:50 PM
I’d plump for an electric scooter such as the e-max model sold in the UK by Baroni bikes. Though if you wait until the end of the year, a lithium powered model should be out.
I live in Surrey too, and am hoping to purchase this precise set up as soon as I can afford to.
June 23rd, 2009 at 06:17 AM
How about a USED scooter. Or, keep your hardly-used vehicle until there is an all-electric that meets your needs. It’s better to wait a couple/three years and drive your fossil-fuel-using vehicle (than it is to buy a new, more efficient vehicle that will keep on spewing CO2 for 15 or 20 years—whether you are the owner or someone else is).