Peak Oil revisited

[Stan]

Time to dump your stocks boys, two major forecasters in europe have predicted extreme bear markets in the last half of the year.  Sell that hummer and buy that moped.
It's tough to take a 200lb calf with scours to the vet on a moped or in the back seat of a jetta though. 
Stan

[Doug]

Thats why you buy the waggon Stan.

I was munching away at a tube full of ground and well seasoned nusance bear this eveing Stan thinking about you.......

[rpg52]

I'll never forget a friend who owned a Metropolitan (tiny little two-seater, not sure where they were made) carrying two bales of straw "in" the trunk.  He was a starving student at the time.  The trunk wouldn't carry even a single bale, so they were tied on.   I've seen photos of French farmers carrying calves in the trunk of their little sedans.  They didn't say they had the scours, but, it really doesn't matter much with a calf.  I've never seen a photo of a scooter carrying calves, but I have seen one carrying a family of 5.  Likely you'd do what you have to, depending on circumstances. 
To bring this back around to the subject of the forum, George B. of Utterpower seems to like the Chinese two-wheeled "tractors" with diesel engines.  Seems like it would be possible to make a low-speed vehicle with brakes, lights, etc. that would easily haul typical loads for short distances but still be inexpensive.  May be the wave of the future.   If the powers that be could create incentives for such a thing, (cheap licenses, insurance, etc.) it could happen pretty quickly. 
Ray

[Doug]

They have special lisceneces in China for famer to drive " Converted tractors ".
Fancy name for low speed truck.

That way they have no emisisons and qualify for cheaper agricultural fuel and registration.

I tried to import one for a while since it seemed with a little effort it might make a off road comercial machine. No luck Chinese wouldn't reply to me.
What I saw looked like about the size of the Japanese mini trucks but with more ground clearence and solid axcel front suspension dual wheels and dump box.
Very intersting machines

[GuyFawkes]

http://aistigave.hit.bg/Logistics/

Lords of the logistic.

[mobile_bob]

that last picture from your link gives a whole new meaning to

"mass transit"


bob g

[Stan]

Greek Island of Paros.
Stan



Obviously the barrels aren't full, but it shows the volume capacity of this little vehicle.  And Doug, it's 3 wheeled! 

[Doug]

Yes very nice but I'm a little concerned about stability especialy ona snow road at 90km/h
A modified Moke would make an accelent little car for around town today especialy if moderniozed slightly with better engines and suspension stearing.
This more my style Stan ( but keep it simple and maybe a hard top with a heater for winter )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moke01.png

Then I get to drive around in a black suit screaming at the top of my lungs " I am not a number, I am free man "

[Stan]

It looks like a toy army vehicle.  What powers it?  I guess it could be anything you want.
Stan

[captfred]

Drove one around in Tonga - petrol fuel - great little ride - love to have one now (and the 68 mini cooper I had in New Zealand)

Check this one - NEV ;

Here's the link  http://www.thecarmangroup.org/e-ride.htm
Cheers, Fred

[Stan]

All that looks great, until you bump up against the red-tape wall trying to import one.  As soon as our "big auto" bribed politicians see that start to happen, you're going to get several hundred "hurdles" to get over before you could lay your hands on one. (especially since it's electrically powered)

Already we are starting to see politicians coming out against importing right hand drive vehicles from Japan claiming they are too dangerous to drive on BC's roads.
Stan

[captfred]

Down south some states have adopted Neighborhood electric vehicle regulations (NEV) that allow people to drive these things on roads with lower speed limits - also they don't require the same safety standards (airbags etc)

In Honolulu they rent GEM's to tourists where they can cruz Waikiki.

Interesting option for short hops.

Fred

[Doug]

There is a town in BC where the mayor and city ploiticians ( and reisdents ) want to drive their golf karts around town.

They are bumping up against a lot of red tape fromt he province over it.

In Ontario you can't liscence any car that doesn't meet thes afety highway speed criteria so there is another road block.

The Mini Moke had a stock 950 cc engine, some had engines and power trains suspension striaght from a mini ( makes sence they were Rover product ).

You could even scqueeze in the engine from a Copper S, amagine how fast that would be?

Rover tried to get the DoD to buy them, they even built a 4Wdr version, it would have fit in the same catagory I guess as the US Mule did in Vietnam

[dpollo]

   For years I have driven a 318 Volare wagon, and the more disreputable it became, the better I liked it. (all ribald comments about my impeccable taste in automobiles will be ignored)  Recently I got tired of fueling the darn thing and besides, it had taken to marking its territory with oil spots,  so I sold it to a friend with a wrecking yard. I went out and bought a Smart Fortwo.  A bratty little carriage to be sure and it will not carry a newborn calf or even a sheep. (all ribald comments about my sex life will also be ignored) I figured that at 60, I was not about to take up motorcycling. It reminds me of the old limerick..... There was a fellow from Boston.. Who drove a baby Austin... There was room for his a** and a gallon of gas.... But his balls hung out and he lost 'em.   dp

[Stan]

You're not a Montana sheep farmer are you?   
Stan