Subaru has cooked up another electric kei car for me to park in my fantasy green garage, right next to the R1e and Mitsubishi i MiEV I don't currently have. It's a plug-in concept version of the Stella, and it will make its formal debut at next month's G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Five of the cars will be on hand at the conference -- four to shuttle folks hither and to, and one on static display as part of the on-site Environmental Showcase

The electric powertrain is the same one Subaru uses in its R1e demonstrator -- permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power output of 40 kW powered by a lithium ion battery pack. Operating range on a full charge is 80 kilometers, and the cars have a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The plug-in Stella is an advance over the 2-seat R1e in that, like Mitsubishi's i MiEV, its wagonoid body is a far more practical package overall.

[Source: Subaru]

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]

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]