Bikes & Cars...
Jul 14, 2008
How to Find the Cheapest, Greenest Travel Options
Planes, Trains, or Automobiles?
The sun is out, and beach trips beckon. But guilt at raiding the college fund for gas money or spewing toxins into the air just because we want to feel sand between our toes is keeping us housebound. There is a way to get away this summer, if you do a little research.
DrivePricing.com is a new Google Maps mash-up that calculates the cost to fuel your summer road trip. Just enter your zip code, miles per gallon, starting and ending points, and gasoline grade to get an estimate. (If you don't know your car's mpg, there's a link to trusty FuelEconomy.gov on the site).
This info makes for great travel comparison shopping if you're not locked in to driving this summer. Let's take a real-life example: My brother wants me to visit him in Montana this summer (I know -- no beaches), and I'm trying to find the cheapest way to get there.
- Drive Pricing calculated the cost of driving my little red pickup truck from Portland, Ore., to Great Falls, Mont., at $281.93. Whoa, Nelly!
- Amtrak can get me close enough to Great Falls for $227 on an overnight train. A little better, but train schedules are unreliable.
- Kayak, my favorite flight finder, tells me that I can fly directly into Great Falls for $434. Not cheap, especially if my husband wants to join me on this trip.
The greenest option is the train trip, especially if I end up taking this trip by myself. The Nature Conservancy spells it out and does the math, but the bottom line is that the train has the lowest per-passenger emissions of any form of long-distance transportation. (I know, EVers, that your plug-in cars have zero emissions, but for now they have to stop every 40 miles to recharge.)
Hear that, Ryan? You may have to pick me up at the train station after all.
Time for Electric Cars-NEV's or EV's
| BG Auto | Jul 17th, 2008A fundamental change in our driving habits is now required.
The Automobile Industry is going to be in the same position as the Airline Industry in the next few months. Unless we get away from gas combustion vehicles, including Hybrids, the automobile industry (as we know it) will die.We need to make drastic moves. America needs to move to ELECTRIC. The vehicles are not as fast, not always as fun to drive, but the move will save Americans money (Billions) and help bring change to our automotive companies. Let's "Be Green"!!!!!!!!!!!! BG Automotive Group Ltd. has a car that will travel 80-100 miles per charge for $15,995. Finally a car that most Americans can afford. Did you know that 80% of all drivers, drive less than 50 miles per day? This new car will cost an equivalent of $0.20-0.25 cents/gallon (depending on electricity rates in your area). Why send $700 Billion per year to OPEC (now buying up U.S. companies) when we can use this money for our schools, health care, social security for all Americans, etc, etc, etc. We can make the difference if WE change.