Someone is going around and removing the anti-siphon flaps from the filler necks on cars. With the cost of gas going up people are getting desperate and draining gas from neighborhood cars. They’ve been smart and not draining the tank only skimming from the tank to avoid notice. I immediately bought locking gas caps for both my cars. It’s worth the $12 for the added protection.

Carver Engineering has developed technology for vehicles that will enable 100mpg with 100+mph, and a +350mile range…Sounds fantastic! Unfortunately the cost of this efficiency is a 1+1 seating arrangement. Those not familiar with the auto industry lingo: two people per vehicle, one behind the other. While the practicality of the mechanics are fantastic, the seating limitations eliminate this vehicle from ever becoming widely utilized.

Here’s the car of the future…unless you have a family, or want to go shopping with your girlfriend. I like the car, but this is not the solution to the world’s automotive oil dependency. Read more about the cars here:VentureVehicles

The other good car coming out is the Tesla. Fantastic! a sexy, dynamic, fast and ultimately saleable vehicle. Or is it? Read the fine print: ~250 mile range, all electric, 0-60 in 4 seconds. Sweet. Price: $90,000 USD. And it only seats two. They foresee producing a more economical version in the coming years, ~$50,000. But that is a ways off, and only if they sell enough of the roadsters to keep the company moving.

Here’s my take. It’s great that companies are trying new things. It’s fantastic that small nimble companies are taking risks to move automobile technology out of the Model-T age in fuel efficiency. But when is someone going to produce a mass marketed, practical automobile that will seat four, with groceries or luggage, get 100mpg, have a range of 300 miles, recharge/refill anywhere, and cost $30,000 or less? Who wouldn’t buy one? I firmly believe that the capability to accomplish this is within reach for any of the Japanese or US companies. It would be a fantastic reassertion of American ingenuity and innovation if we could beat the world to this goal. We used to be the best at reaching for the moon, why can’t we do this?