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Back at the 2007 EICMA show in Milan, Taiwanese scooter company Motive Power Industry Co. Ltd. (PGO) was showing off a new electric scooter. The design of the machine apes a model that they already sell, but the innards are actually pretty intriguing. The scooter uses both lithium ion and lead acid batteries. The lead acids provide the necessary power to move the machine while the lithium ions act as additional storage. When a large lithium ion battery pack is assembled, small cells are placed in both parallel and serial configurations in order to hold enough juice for extended running while also being powerful enough to provide quick bursts of acceleration. In this case, the lead acids could provide the necessary output while the lithium ions could just keep the system "topped-off."

Take a close look at the picture above. Note that the front wheel is powered by an electric motor. We can't confirm this for sure, but this appears to be a two-wheel drive electric scooter, which would be really awesome! There is a small chance that a version of this scooter could make it to U.S. shores, as Genuine Scooters in Chicago currently imports certain models from PGO, including the one that this scooter is based on. In the states, it's called the Buddy.

[Source: Taiwan Economic News via 2 Stroke Buzz]

A few years ago, Bajaj stopped making their Chetak and Legend scooters, and since then there has been a dinstinct lack of any steel-bodied, manual transmission, 4-stroke scooters on the market. Genuine Scooters has begun selling their Stella scooter again after a short absence and Vespa themselves re-released 500 of the PX150 model to the American market, but both of those machines feature 2-stroke engines. Bajaj made some pretty compelling claims regarding the emissions improvement of their 4-stroke engine as compared to the original 2-stroke powerplants like those used in the Stella and PX150, so scooter riders who feel the need to ride "green" machines have been forced to scour the used market or buy a newer "twist and go" style model. There are a few rumors circulating, though, which could change all of that. The Stella scooter is made in India by a company called LML, and that same company may begin creating four-stroke, steel-bodied scooters using an as yet unnamed 4-stroke motor ranging from 125cc, 150cc and even 250cc versions.

If LML does start making 4-stroke Vespa PX clones, we can foresee a huge market for them in the States. We would love to see Genuine Scooters offer these models alongside their current range of Stella scooters, keeping the vintage designs in dealer showrooms for years to come.

[Source: 2-Stroke Buzz]

Scooters are great when it comes to saving gas, and some studies show that they can cut down on emissions too, especially when you consider that they are less likely to be stuck in traffic. Obviously, due to their smaller size and the ability to fit more of them on the road, scooters can also cut down on congestion and parking problems. But, like other two-stroke scooters that we have shown you, the Genuine Scooters Rattler Buck Ten is not likely to show up on your green-radar. Two-stroke engines can in fact be made clean enough to meet emissions requirements, but it takes more effort to do it. Four-stroke engines are likely to always be cleaner under the same circumstances. But, if your sole goal is to save money on your gas bill, a scooter like the Rattler will do very nicely.

[Source: The Scooter Scoop]

Don't start to worry, I'm not gonna go all "crazy whacked out enviro-whatever" on you or anything. I'm not going hippy and talking all about peace and all that. Sure, peace is well and fine - I'm certainly all for it, but that's not the point of this post. So, what is the point? Making a statement. Making a point, or in this several points - on a map, that is. The plan for Alix B. is to make a virtual "peace sign" on the map. She will make the entire trip, all 9000 miles of it on her Genuine Scooters Buddy 125. For those who don't know, Genuine Scooters was started by a group of scooterists. Their first product was the Stella, a two-stroke 150 cc bike which looked very much like the old Vespa PX model. They imported them from India, and rumor has it that they might start importing them again this year - we'll see. Anyway, the Buddy is a more modern design, with an automatic transmission and a four stroke engine. Alix chose to make this trip by scooter to promote alternative transportation choices. This will be a two month journey, so if you are into the idea, check out her site and see if she'll be near you at some point.

[Source: Peace Scooter]

Considering my affinity with riding on two wheels for the benefit of saving money on gas, there are very few sites out there that cater to the two-wheeled riding crowd that I am not aware of. So, that is why I was surprised when I stumbled on this new site: justgottascoot.com by David Harrington. If you are interested in riding a scooter for the near 100 miles per gallon, or are thinking of purchasing one, you owe it to yourself to read his scooter reviews, commentary and even listen to his podcasts. There is a forum you can join as well, and read about other people who have decided that scooting is for them.

While on the subject of scooting, I always try to remind riders to be safe. If you are a new rider, or are interested in riding safely, why not click here and get a few tips. You can never be too safe, as they say...

[Source: Just Gotta Scoot]