Scooters aren’t the first vehicles to leap to mind when thinking of battery-powered transport; after all a Vespa’s pretty fuel-efficient as it is.  Still, burning no gas at all is better than getting 100mpg, and so we decided to check out the all-new EM60-A09 scooter available from Las Vegas-based Xtreme Green Products.  This fully electric, plug-in two-wheeler has a range of about 75 miles and will charge in about an hour.   This makes it perfect for short commutes and suburban errands, all without burning a drop of gasoline.

The EM60-A09′s light weight makes it a handy alternative for RV living as well.  It will fit on most ramp-style carriers, and is small enough to be stowed in the bed of a pickup truck if need be.

This is a young and energetic company; Xtreme Green Products initially designed a proprietary battery management system for electric vehicles, with the intention of installing it in personal watercraft.  When the market for Jet-Skis began to dry up (no pun intended) with the economic recession, Xtreme Green realized that its electric propulsion system could be applied to two-wheeled transportation as well.  The company also produces the “Sentinel,” a purpose-built three-wheeled electric vehicle designed for police and security company use.

In the Xtreme Green scooter, this system is applied to a 3500-watt, 60-volt hub motor whose lithium-ion battery pack is good for over 2000 charges, which translates to daily use for at least seven years.

About forty percent of the 310-pound curb weight is batteries, and the 60-volt lithium ion cells are mounted low in the chassis, keeping the center of gravity down near the ground where it should be.  As a result, the Xtreme Green scooter is very stable and confident.   It has no trouble keeping up with traffic on surface streets thanks to a top speed of around 50 miles per hour.  Like many electric vehicles, the scoot has a single-speed transmission, but Xtreme Green equips the scooter with a three-position throttle switch that limits engine power.  This makes it more efficient when high speed is not called for.   For riders who need more capability, the Scooter has a bigger brother, the EM72-A09 X-Rider, whose more powerful 4000-watt, 72-volt motor and 65-mph speed qualify it as a full-blown motorcycle.

This is a new market segment, but the Xtreme Green EM60-A09′s looks aren’t particularly revolutionary.  The Xtreme Green Motor Scooter is a gas-powered design that has been adapted for full-electric power.  It’s not a conversion; the scooters are built in China as electric vehicles.
Front and rear-wheel disc brakes are standard, and include a regenerative function that trickle-charges the battery when they’re applied.  It’s similar to the regenerative braking systems found on most hybrid and many electric cars.  There’s a small storage bin under the seat, where the gas tank would be on an internal combustion-powered scooter, and Xtreme Green plans to offer a range of luggage racks and cargo boxes to increase the EM60-A09 versatility.

If you’ve got a short commute or are in need of economical auxiliary transportation, the Xtreme Green scooter will fill the bill nicely.  Pricing starts at $6999 for the EM60-A09, and the X-Rider is $8495.  Want more details?  Check out the company’s website at http://www.xgpinc.com/.

That’s right; I’m a knowledgeable car enthusiast, with years of experience in visiting dealerships and evaluating cars.  I’m the person that non-car-savvy friends want alongside them while they’re car shopping, and I fell right into the dealers’ trap, more than once.  Chances are, you will, too.

Next time I step onto a dealer’s lot, I’m going armed with insider information.  Inside the Minds of Car Dealers is a new book written by Ray Lopez, a former car salesman with thirty years of experience in numerous dealerships.  Inside the Minds of Car Dealers is, as the title suggests, a 118-page insight into the mind of a car salesman, and contains engagingly-written explanations of what goes on behind the curtain at a car dealer, so to speak.  Inside the Minds of Car Dealers offers tips on how to find a good dealer before you even leave the house, explains the head games salesmen play and how they can spot a so-called “auto expert” a mile away–and take him or her for even more money than they will the average consumer.

Reading Inside the Minds of Car Dealers, I saw exactly what was going on when I bought my Miata…and my Saab…and my Escort.  This book explained what the dealer was doing in each case–and how I was getting taken for every last cent each time!  Lopez’ writing style is a bit heavy-handed at times, but the information contained in this volume is vital, valuable stuff that’ll make your next car buying experience a great deal less stressful.  It’s $15.95 well spent.

Inside the Minds of Car Dealers is available from Five Star Publications.  For more information, check out www.insidethemindsofcardealers.com.

Adult life is full of difficult questions, such as “who am I?” and “Why am I here?”  Folks much smarter than you and I have been working on those for centuries, and they aren’t much closer to finding the answers.  On the other hand, TomTom is happy to provide the answer to what is often an equally difficult query:  “Where am I?”  If that is the burning question in your soul, TomTom’s compact handheld navigation system can quickly consult the satellites and tell you the exact answer.

As navigation systems have proliferated in new cars, a market has sprung up for retrofittable GPS units as well.  We’ve got a lot of places to go and things to see, and while half the fun is getting there, it’s still no fun getting lost.  Fortunately, we’ve got a TomTom GO 730 along for the ride.  Our electronic navigator features a large, easy to read touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, TomTom’s Map Share technology that enables editing of its internal maps, and has already served us well when seeking out obscure antique stores, the local recycling center and a nearby furrier (don’t ask).  In fact, during our stay in Nashville, TN, we went out without consulting the TomTom twice, looking for a Blockbuster Video the first time and a laundromat the second.  Nashville’s streets are a tangled web, and we got lost both times.  As we traveled farther into the Mid-south, into Atlanta, Knoxville and Savannah, the TomTom proved to be an indispensable tool, locating nightly campsites and points of interest with reasonable reliability.  It’s portable enough to carry in a pocket, as well, which made it a useful friend when we toured downtown Savannah.
The TomTom’s touch screen is very easy to use, and switching between modes is quick.  We like the scroll and zoom feature, which zooms in closer for better imaging of important intersections when it’s giving directions, and TomTom’s “Advanced Lane Guidance” even gives a three-dimensional, multi-lane view of the more complicated highway intersections (Atlanta, Georgia, we’re looking at you!) showing you exactly which lane to be in.  The multi-color display is easy to read in all but direct sunlight.
The TomTom isn’t without its quirks.  It doesn’t always cancel navigation once you’ve reached your destination, resulting in an occasionally psychotic attempt to take you back to the place you just left.  And, like any static map, it can be stymied by a business whose address has changed since the map was updated.    There’s a section of Hendersonville, just north of Nashville, that drives the TomTom completely batty; a number of new developments in the area are not on its map, and it gets lost and turned around.  We’ve found that overall, about one in ten destinations entered results in a misdirection due to a changed address, so the TomTom’s Map Share system is a vital tool to prevent obsolescence.
The online system also allows users to upload novelty voices, so if you’d like to get directions from Mr. T or C-3P0 from Star Wars rather than the computerized standard voice, your TomTom can be customized.
We also approved of the TomTom’s multiple-destination feature, which allows entry of several addresses or points of interest and eliminates the need to add information while driving.  The feature does not offer sufficient notification when you’ve reached a waypoint, allowing you to drive right past some of your stops.  Additionally, it does not always tell you which side of the street your destination is on, in the case of large retail stores.
Gripes and grumbles aside, it’s rare that we leave home without the thing, as we explore the unfamiliar roads of our temporary homes.   The TomTom GO 730 retails for $450, but sells for up to $100 less at most of the online outlets we checked out.