Earth Rated Products

Just exactly how short-sighted are we as consumers?? Gas prices have been below $4/gallon for less than a month and SUV sales are already rebounding! How can this even be true? Maybe Detroit is suffering from a case of wishful thinking and prematurely issuing phantom sales figures? More likely, I am suffering from a case of wishful thinking. I’d like to have more faith in my fellow Americans, but I don’t. I believe each of the those reports that say new car buyers are still in love with giant gas-guzzlers.

Geez, now that we’ve pretty much blown by the $4 per gallon mark (I filled up this morning for $4.10/gallon), looks like the next milestone is $5 per gallon. While it might seem insane to our country of SUV-lovin’, exercise/walking adverse cheap gas addicts, our petrol is still relatively affordable compared to what Europeans have been used to for decades. I remember spending about $80 to fill up a little go-cart-of-a-car when I lived in Europe almost 15 years ago (makes me sound OLD, doesn’t it?). I’m still not to $80 to fill up a much larger vehicle, and gas tank, here yet. But, I see it coming…

Right on cue, after my $4.10 per gallon experience this morning, I saw an article in MSN Autos for Volvo’s latest concept plug-in hybrid based on its C30 model. As with all things still in concept, this little gem has been given the somewhat cool name of ReCharge. Though, knowing Volvo, the actual production name will be something entirely more bland like R30.

Some interesting highlights for the ReCharge include:

• No central motor! Rather, each wheel is driven by its own electric motor. (more…)