9 out of 10 monkeys believe they are not behind glass

In the push for reducing the need for foreign oil, you would think that we would be seeing a boom in small commuter vehicles on the market. And I am not talking a Mini Cooper or a VW Rabbit… I am talking full-on small scale small engine vehicles. Like the Commuter Car’s Tango, or any number of small commuter concepts. But yet, they are all still concepts or expensive as hell.

The cost is too high for these small corp products, all because of scale. They have to charge higher to cover the higher costs from being a small fry.

Another point, the Foreign Oil thing has been at the forefront of the popular consciousness for years now. The war in Iraq and the increase in violence in the middle east has been on for years as well. 9/11 happened in 2001. 6 years ago!

How long does it take a major manufacturer (GM, Toyota, Ford) to design such a vehicle, or even buy an existing design, and certify a vehicle with the feds? 18 months? 24 months? Cisco (a major Information Technology player, has made their business boom by buying other companies and their unique designs or technology and rebranding them as Cisco products. If it works for Cisco, why can’t a design be purchased by one of the big automakers? There seems to be no shortage of concepts out there.)

The math does not seem to add up. The market seems ripe for a small scale, high powered, gas sipping (or even electric) commuter vehicle for one or two people. A motorcycle without the the cycle… an enclosed canopy that is fun to drive, relatively safe, and can get to point B from point A in relative comfort. I would buy one.

I would think it would sell like crazy in larger cities with significant commutes. Right? I would think if economies of scale is the issue, then a big automaker would alleviate some of that. Reducing technology costs, etc, for a major distribution to large cities while keeping the price down so it is actually affordable for most families.

Do we have to wait until gas hits 10 bucks a gallon before someone makes the first move?