Enough is enough

I suppose it was just a matter of time before I had to weigh in on the whole gas price issue. Like everyone else, I am sick and tired of feeling that I am being mugged every time I have to put gas into the car. The supply of oil hasn't really changed so much in the last two years as to warrant the current price that we are paying.

At this rate, I am either going to have to give up going places, or give up eating. I'm not talking pleasure trips either. We're talking about trips to doctor's appointments, to get groceries or seeing family.

On the other hand, I have taken the price of gas as an excuse to think about the way we drive, and the vehicles that we do it in. In the city, it wouldn't mean so much. A good transit system, such as I had access to in Ottawa pays for itself in a relatively short number of trips. Living in a small town, with the best shopping being some distance away, it is another matter.

Still, I really don't need all of the engine power that our car has. Why does a car need to be able to do twice the legal limit? Also, I don't need all of the space that is wasted in the vehicle we own. As a rule, it is only the two of us in the car. I keep seeing SUVs on the road with just one person! Talk about waste.

The result of all of this thinking, I would so love to design and build my own vehicle.

Think of it as the Smart car designed for North American realities. The Daimler Smart car is fine in Europe, where they don't do such much grocery shopping in one trip as we do. If you were to extend it slightly at the rear, maybe even giving it jump seats for the occasional extra passengers, it would fit the North American market much better.

The ideal car, as I see it, would use electric motor at all four wheels for locomotion. They would be powered by batteries, which would, in turn, get their power from the smallest possible gas generator, or plug in charging, depending on availability. That is my idea of a true hybrid vehicle, using as little fuel as possible.

I once saw a cartoon (of all things), with a great quote. "A problem is just a misunderstood opportunity."

How do I get in touch with General Motors and Ford?