Top eight electric scooters

By Craig Howie

(AOL Autos) -- Maybe you want to save the planet. Maybe you want to save a little more from your pocketbook each month.

The EVT R 20 is classic Italian vintage and comes in just three colors: black, red and silver.

Or maybe you just spent a romantic break in Paris or Rome and loved how good those stylish Europeans looked zipping about congested streets on their scooters.

Now, the electric variants of those once quirky, funny looking scooters have become one of the most popular buys of 2008, providing a largely hassle-free and cheap form of urban or commuting transport for many looking to minimize their carbon footprint and gas costs.

We've chosen eight popular electric scooter models to see what kind of fit they would be for you. So what are you waiting for? Jump on!

The hipster: Go-Ped ESR 750
MSRP: $999

The original step-on lo-fi motor scooter has been improved once again this year with a new electric motor that's capable of reaching a top speed of over 20mph. It uses four 12 volt SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries. Turbo mode allows faster travel in a five-mile range, which the economy setting allows eight miles.

It weighs 52 pounds and its aircraft quality Chromyl frame will hold up to 400 pounds. Its sister model, the Hoverboard, tips its hat to 'Back to the Future' with the board's retro yet futuristic appeal and raised independent suspension, while its cousin, the Trail Ripper 46, boasts a similarly cantilevered frame and rugged tires to smooth out the bumps and dips. A full recharge costs just 10 cents.

The eco-warrior: eGO Cycle 2 Classic
MSRP: $1,399

This one's a perfect, stylish fit for an ecologically minded rider, though it's also great for RV or camping trips. The motor produces 2hp and is powered by 24 volt batteries. It's sturdy at 140 pounds and will carry a combined 250 pounds in rider and cargo weight.

Range is good at 25 miles and it will hit 18 mph at the top end. Large wheels at 20-inches make this one a pretty utilitarian ride. Recharge time is about six hours while running costs are about eight cents a mile.

Range includes the LX and silky SE, which comes with more luxurious trim including directional signals, speedometer and horn. Frame has 10-year warranty and batteries are covered for six months.

The highway patrol: Vectrix
MSRP: $9,395

Rhode Island police officers are putting these to the test in a three-month pilot program announced in July -- officers like them for their ability to maintain mobility and personal contact with residents.

This more substantial highway-legal scooter, with dimensions more akin to a regular full-size motorbike, will take about seven seconds to top out at 62 mph. Remarkably, it costs just one cent per mile to operate.

It takes between three and five hours to charge to its maximum range, which is 68 miles. It uses nickel-metal-hydride batteries -- common in hybrid autos -- which benefit from regenerative braking. Battery replacement cost is $3,000 but Vectrix says the battery will last 10 years or 1,500 charges. Two-year warranty covers entire bike for parts and labor. AOL Autos: Best new car deals

The street racer: Enertia
MSRP: $11,995-$14,995

Look out for this one at the UK's Isle of Man TT road race next year. The new event, called the TTXP, is open to two-wheeled "clean-emission" vehicles. The standard Enertia set for release later this year boasts a 13kW motor generates 18HP at 3,600 rpm, propelling the sculpted carbon fiber monocoque frame to a top speed of 50+ mph in about seven seconds.

Batteries are six Lithium Iron Phosphate modules lodged directly underneath the rider and give a range of 35-45 miles. The company promises low-maintenance, worry-free cruising at a cost of less than one cent per mile.

Onboard software enables the rider to download info about their driving habits and customize the bike's performance settings. Range includes upscale Limited model, with aluminum chassis and leather seat. AOL Autos: 10 safest small cars

The light commuter: HCF 737 Pacelite
MSRP: Approx. $699

The Pacelight is a combination step-on/ride-on scooter that folds for easy transportation or storage. All aluminum alloy frame is light at 60 pounds and will carry up to 240 pounds. It'll zoom to almost 15 mph and gets about 13 miles per charge.

It packs two 24 volt SLA batteries and favored by riders for its reliability. Its 12.5 inch wheels and dual suspension are ideal for rough ground. This one's super quiet, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Charge time is three to four hours. Range includes the Cute 002, which boasts a sturdier frame and basket at back and the sportier Pacelite 705. AOL Autos: Most popular fuel-efficient cars

The style conscious: Zap Zapino
MSRP: $3,495

So it looks great in pink, which may be a first, but this curvy number also comes in great-looking sky blue and lime green variants, perfect to match those Jimmy Choos. The name also evokes a just a touch of Italian élan.

It's a sturdy, storage-friendly ride-on model at 297 pounds that will climb a 25 percent gradient with a 177 pound rider onboard. It'll hit about 30 mph and gets about 30 miles per charge. Batteries are 60V while motor is a 3,000-watt brushless DC hub.

Range includes the Zappy 3 Pro, which is a rugged step-on tricycle perfect for a warehouse or construction yard and the Zappy 3, its road-going sister. The Zapino has a six-month warranty. AOL Autos: Best-selling small cars

Modern living: Vespa Hybrid
MSRP: Expect in the $10,000 range

So we're cheating a little as this is a hybrid that utilizes a gas-burning engine, but to our minds it's difficult to envision any scooter list without the legendary Italian marque. It's been long in development but Piaggio, Vespa's parent, plans to release the three-wheeled hybrid based on its current MP3 model later this year.

It may look cumbersome with two wheels up front, but the sturdy look and feel has proven popular and reports suggest the company is considering a four-wheel model. Piaggio says it'll wring 60 miles out of a liter of fuel and the electric motor, powered by a lithium battery, has a 20-mile range with a top speed of 20 mph.

Range will include a 500cc gas motor alongside a 125cc variant. AOL Autos: Cars with highest resale value

The classicist: EVT R 20
MSRP: $2,499

This retro-feeling classic is a study in scooter longevity, as this second-generation offering has had a loyal following since its release last year. Its design is classic Italian vintage and it comes in just three colors: black, red and silver.

This one emits neither sound nor pollutants and will travel 30 to 45 miles on one charge, depending on speeds driven, and can seat two riders or up to 270 pounds. It'll top out at 45 mph. It's powered by a 2500 Watt brushless 60V motor and its battery life is about 10 years. Two new models will be released this month, the more powerful Z-30 and R-30. Range also includes the two-tone classically styled EVT 168.

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The 15 Must-See Green Shows On TV Right Now

by Tommi Lewis Tilden

In my quest to find the best eco programming out there, I endured a green TV marathon, during which I sat through dozens of hours of enviro-themed shows: specials, regular series, network, cable, news and weather channels.

My once-green eyes have turned red, my DVR remote thumb is raw, and my REM sleep is overrun with images of global warming, endangered species and, even scarier, a couple of corny TV "personalities."

Here, in no particular order, is the best of what's out there:

1. Big Ideas for a Small Planet

(series, Sundance/SUND) Last year, longtime activist Robert Redford announced a much-anticipated green block of programming on the Sundance Channel, and "the kid" did not disappoint, starting with this gem of a show. Simplicity rules with each episode exploring a single topic like water, kids, work, cities and fashion.

In the gadgets episode, we learn that "electronic gadgets have greatly improved energy efficiency, yet their toxic components can be harmful to the environment." Local green heroes and activists across America drive each show, giving the series a homespun, accessible feel. Their stories are interspersed with scientists and eco experts but it's never a lecture...just the facts, ma'am.

2. Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) Anchor Bob Woodruff's weekly eco newscast explores everything from climate change impact to world events. In a recent episode Woodruff checks out Sarah Palin's environmental track record and delves into how the greening of Wall Street (a green collar workforce and eco-friendly jobs) will affect our future. Packed with facts, debates and interviews, and moving at the brisk pace you'd expect from an ABC News production, this show makes a difference.

3. Living With Ed

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) Props to Planet Green for plucking this show from HGTV, who unceremoniously dumped it. Yes...Ed Begley, Jr. lives! Sure, Ed's scenes with his "holdout" wife Rachelle can seem contrived as they often wink to the camera, but at the heart of this show is Ed himself, a true eco warrior who deserves all the screen time he gets. Ed is like the uber nerd who grew into a thoughtful Earth daddy and was at it way before many of us even cared. His wife and daughter are fun accessories, but the real story and soul is Hollywood's green guru.

In this show, celebrities flock to Ed to get secrets and in turn, he puts the spotlight on green stars and their innovative lifestyles. Ed's rivalry with neighbor Bill Nye "the Science Guy" (see "Stuff Happens") is particularly fun to watch; one can't help but believe some of their repartee is actually real competition.

4. It's Easy Being Green

(series, Fine Living Network/FLN) This upbeat half hour, news-style show looks at eco-friendly practices, products and cutting-edge green trends without a lot of interference from pleasant host Renee Loux. One episode goes inside Google, the Mountain View, CA carbon neutral company that sports overstuffed bike racks, abundant recycle bins, and four acres of a rooftop supporting 9,000 solar panels. The company's cafeteria serves organic food, and Google has an incentive program for employees who drive hybrids. Submitting my application, pronto.

View Clip

5. Stuff Happens

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) If you can get through the first five minutes where Bill Nye acts out his theme for the day but the scene ends up looking more like a set-up for a porn film, you'll be happy you hung in (excuse the pun), because the information Nye imparts, and the entertaining way he does it, is quite good. In this half hour, Nye examines our everyday lives-like what pig farming and anchovies have to do with breakfast. With the show's easy-to-follow science, humor and cool stories, one understands why Ed Begley, Jr. is so smitten, er, competitive with Nye.

6. Eco-Tech

(series, Science Channel/SCI) A one-hour show that's a feast for tech-heads. "Some of our smartest scientists are fighting back to tame mother nature," the show promises. "Even robotic ships and satellites could put global warming in reverse." Eco-Tech offers some good news in our race to save the world. In one episode, a meteorologist showcases his "Doppler on wheels" -- a device that helps measure the velocity of storms. Then Joseph Cione at NOAA's research lab demonstrates Aeronode, a 9-foot, 29-pound airplane controlled by a joystick that goes right into the eye of a storm to get measurements.

A geophysicist shows off his "synthetic trees," a machine that absorbs carbon dioxide: a 40-foot container, or one module, can do in one day what an average tree takes a century to do. The fascination never ends.

7. Six Degrees Could Change the World

(special, National Geographic Channel/NGC) It opens with a disturbing premise: "Imagine the 21st century if global warming accelerates. Where does the next super storm hit? The next scorching heat wave? The next catastrophe, as the world warms degree by degree?" The voice over continues: "The debate has ended. Scientists around the globe agree we now live in a world warmer by almost one full degree Celsius. The predictions are alarming."

This HD special predicts and portrays the chilling impact each single-degree increase in temperature will have on our planet. Replays October 28, so don't miss it.

8. Whale Wars

(mini series, Animal Planet/AP) Starting this November (Fridays at 9 p.m. EST), don't miss this high-stakes, high-seas battle between Japanese whalers and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. For more than 30 years, Time magazine environmental hero Captain Paul Watson has been on a mission to enforce treaties and regulations that protect ocean wildlife. Even though the Sea Shepherd crew employs non-violent prevention tactics, the drama and adventure is gritty; in one episode, Watson gets shot (he is wearing a bullet-proof vest), in another his crew is held captive.

9. Survivorman

(series, Science Channel/SCI) Alone, 7 days. No food. No TV crew. Meet Les Stroud, "Survivorman" -- think MacGyver meets Grizzly Adams. In one episode, Stroud travels in a hot air balloon across a remote stretch of Africa, lands, and then his crew leaves him completely alone for seven days. Half an hour after they leave, a lightning storm hits and Stroud is forced to take cover under the balloon basket. It's like watching Into the Wild, but with a happier ending. Survivalist Stroud, a musician and former garbage collector, always gets out alive.

10. Wa$ted!

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) In one episode, James and Dean are branded "highly dangerous" eco criminals, so host Annabelle Gurwitch, with the help of her fellow trash master Holter Graham, puts the New York City-based couple through a three-week enviro boot camp. In "Wa$ted," Gurwitch and Graham unearth eco-horrors, while at the same time revealing how to save money.

James and Dean's infractions? Obsessive dry cleaning garnering hundreds of wire hangers. Food waste. Round-the-clock electricity. No recycling. (Gurwitch points out that just one of James and Dean's unrecycled wine bottles can sit in a landfill for one million years). And the list goes on. For Gurwitch and Graham, no family's hazardous habits are too far-gone. The show is fun, scary and inspirational.

Planet Green - Wa$ted Exclusive Sneak Peek! - More free videos are here

11. Dogtown

(series, National Geographic Channel/NGC) This may not necessarily come under a traditional "green" category, but any show that saves and rehabilitates unwanted dogs helps save our world. Dogtown is a sanctuary in Southern Utah, also famous for taking some of Michael Vicks' abused fighting dogs and transforming them into adoptable sweethearts.

12. Eco documentaries, Season 2

(series, Sundance Channel, SUND) I was this close to picking the irresistible Isabella Rossellini's whimsical insect series Green Porno, but I also could not resist Sundance's new season of stirring documentaries -- like this month's Crude Impact, which takes a look at what happens when worldwide petroleum supplies dwindle down. Or Escape From Suburbia, which follows one family's move to a Canadian eco village, another who leaves New York City to work "the land," and a third struggling to keep their suburban life sustainable.

13. Greensburg

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) In May of 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was wiped out by one of the largest tornadoes in American history, displacing more than 1,500 people. Enter producers Leonardo DiCaprio and Craig Piligian, who created this 13-part series depicting the town's rebirth as a model green community.

The documentary follows the people of Greensburg as they first decide to rebuild their town, through the journey and drama of the daily struggle, even when most residents continue to live out of FEMA trailers. Eco-friendly reconstruction is what this town has chosen and the results promise to be historic, although the path is not always easy.

View Clip

14. Outrageous Wasters

(series, Sundance Channel/SUND) You will feel secretly eco-superior after watching these four families (in separate one-hour specials) transform from "energy-guzzling meanies" to "tree-hugging greenies" in two weeks. This BBC British-import has all the tartness and finger wagging only the English can get away with. Think "SuperNanny" for naughty grownups who are leaving giant carbon footprints.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/outrageous-wasters-episode-3-clip/801610639

15. Total Wrecklamation

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) Spunky redhead Jodi Murphy is a demolition auctioneer who helps reduce waste on the planet. "My job is to sell off everything reusable in a house from toilets to light fixtures," she explains on the show. "The reason there are so many teardowns," Jodi continues, "is because as the American family changes, so does the floor plan of the American home. People want in-town locations with new construction. And the only way to get it is tear it down and start from scratch."

We all know this is a big, fat green no-no, but people like Jodi keep these teardown owners from being obscenely wasteful. In one episode, Jodi walks into a soon-to-be demolished Chicago home containing (gasp!) top of the line cabinets and appliances worth about $85,000, which she manages to salvage and sell at auction.

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New Diesel GenSet Locomotive Cuts CO2 Emissions by 50%

Written by Timothy B. Hurst

On the south side of Chicago where railroads are an integral part of the community’s history, CSX, one of the nation’s biggest railroads has begun rolling out a fleet of new diesel GenSet switcher locomotives that can slash CO2 emissions in half and cut particulate emissions up to 80%. I was fortunate to be invited by CSX to take a look at these new locomotives located at the company’s 59th Street intermodal terminal.**

>>More on rail transportation at Green Options

Perhaps you’ve seen the ads on television or in print. Freight trains have increased their fuel efficiency by 80 percent over the past 25 years and today’s locomotives can move a ton of freight more than 400 miles on a single gallon of fuel. But one of the biggest culprits of air pollution and fuel inefficiency has traditionally been in the railyards themselves where trains are loaded and offloaded, and the “switcher” locomotives that move them are left idling for hours on end. Not only is the practice inefficient and dirty, it can also make for sticky relations with the neighbors.

But the new diesel GenSet switcher locomotives can be cranked up as quickly as a truck engine, avoiding the need to leave engines idling for long periods of time, resulting in drastic reductions in pollution and fuel consumption. The GenSet achieves its impressive 80% reduction in nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions, in addition to approximately 50% CO2 savings capability by monitoring engine idling and switching to a sleep mode after a period of inactivity.

Under the hood of the GenSet are three 700 horsepower Cummins diesel engines. The engines run independently of each other and depending on the need of speed and amperage, 1, 2, or 3 of the engines will be used. When the need goes away, the third will shut down after one minute, after five the second will shut down, the third will go into sleep mode after 15 minutes.

CSX is in the early stages of rolling out the $1.8 million locomotives, with a total of 9 GenSets in operation by 2009. The company plans to eventually replace the entire switching fleet with the low emission GenSets.

**Many thanks to CSX for covering the travel and lodging expenses for this trip, and to all the good folks I met in Chicago from CSX who clearly understand that sustainability is not just a marketing tool but a business strategy; and to the folks at APCO Worldwide for understanding the importance of social media enough to reach out to the blogosphere and green bloggers like me.

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