It used to be that weather was the safest casual conversation starter. Today it's the price of gas. Clark was stunned when he was filling up his wife's car and the bill came to $57; he knows that many folks can top that easily, but it was shocking to him! Recently while filling up a rental car, the pump didn't shut off properly and spewed out additional gasoline. Every last drop is precious these days. We are in a time when the high prices have us more focused on alternative solutions than ever before.

Clark loves his natural-gas vehicle, but that type of car hasn't been embraced by the masses. It can be difficult to find a filling station. Still, he firmly believes that American ingenuity will come up with answers to end our foreign oil dependence.

Here's an example: A man named Floyd Butterfield started the E-Fuel Corporation and is selling a home-fueling station that's the size of washer/dryer stack unit. It allows you to take sugar and make it into fuel to power your car. The price of the device is $10K, so the payback is nowhere near immediate. The New York Times reports that the sugar it would take to create a gallon of fuel would cost around 30 cents.

Will this catch on? Is it vaporware? We don't know yet. But the point is bright people are working on alternatives to power our vehicles. GM is preparing an electric car called the Volt, and Toyota is working on its plug-in hybrids. Meanwhile, there are experiments to turn tree waste into fuel, and Pres. Bush is a fan of switch grass as a fuel.

Many of these experiments won't prove viable. But we're at a new time when we're willing to listen and learn from people we might have dismissed as kooks in the past. For example, Clark is a fan of electric bikes for city commuting. They cost a third of a cent per mile to run and emit nearly zero pollution. Just be prepared to get wet on rainy days!

The Norwegians have a new electric car coming to the United States in 2009 that's got Clark very excited. It's called the TH!NK City and it gets 110 miles on a single charge and goes up to 65 mph. The cost? About 2 cents a mile! And it doesn't eat up foreign imported oil like a gas-engine vehicle.

In other news, a group of researchers in the lab have developed an easy way to take sugar and turn it into a power plant for a hydrogen-powered vehicle. This development is not ready for the mainstream yet, but it's in the works. There are a lot of promising advances that are going to take a while to materialize in the marketplace.

In the meantime, Clark wants to encourage you to look at offbeat transportation alternatives. Washington D.C. has launched a Smartbike program. You pay $40/year for access to bicycles that are strategically placed around town. Users have a code to unlock the bikes and lock them up again at the other end of their commute. It's almost like a Zipcar program for bikes!

Worried about getting too sweaty during your ride? Buy an electric bike for around $600 and it will be no sweat getting around. Clark knows this all sounds kooky, but we need to expand our minds and realize we're not sitting ducks for foreign-oil interests. Christa has long had a fascination with a bicycle that runs on a weed whacker motor. If you Google "weed whacker bicycle," you'll even find videos that detail how to convert your bike.

Are you willing to pay more for a car rental just to get a "green" automobile that's fuel efficient? Enterprise Rent-A-Car -- the nation's largest car rental company -- is experimenting with 4 new offices in the Atlanta area offering fuel-efficient or hybrid vehicles at a premium price. Will people pay more for this at a time when we're experiencing record-high fuel prices?

Clark recalls that Budget mounted a similar experiment several years ago in Los Angeles when the Prius was very popular. That experiment was ultimately a failure. But gas was much cheaper at that point. Today, it could be a different story. Enterprise could potentially make a lot of green by going green. Would you pay more? Share your comments and tell us!

For those of you who have been giving Clark some heat over his support of nuclear power, this note's for you: There are now plants generating solar energy by using rotating mirrors to follow the sun's path. These plants are popular in the Mountain West where there's fantastic sunlight. In fact, the sun gets so intense that Clark's brother -- who lives south of Phoenix -- has to flee to San Diego for about a month every year! The New York Times reports there are 2 of these mirror-equipped facilities already on the grid, while 8 more are in the planning or construction stages. It's good to know that there are new solutions on the supply side. On the demand side, meanwhile, Americans now are using less fuel thanks to fuel-efficient vehicles. Clark recently got a question about whether it was smart to ditch a 4-year-old SUV and buy a new fuel-efficient vehicle. The answer is no, you must instead buy a 4-year-old used fuel-efficient vehicle. Remember, let somebody else take the hit on depreciation.

CLARKONOMICS: The story on energy has been ugly for a while now. Every extra dollar you spend at the pump is a dollar that you don't have for your own life, plus it goes to foreign enemies who may want to harm our country. But here's some good news: Natural gas, which is 97 percent domestically produced, is in oversupply. Just under 6 in 10 people heat their homes with natural gas, including Clark. He also runs his car on compressed natural gas, which emits minimal pollution compared to electricity, oil and other types of power. Clark regularly tracks the price trends in oil and natural gas -- and the natural gas picture looks great. We had an affordable winter for heating with natural gas while people who heat their homes with oil have been hurting.

Don't expect natural gas prices to completely collapse; demand will continue because so many power providers can switch to burning gas to produce electricity. You will, however, see a lot of spin-off benefits for your wallet. Clark's home energy bills have been very reasonable. When he fills his car with natural gas, it's so much cheaper than gasoline because natural gas doesn't have to be refined like oil. With oil, there are so many markups along the way from the ground to the pump. The "crack spread" refers to the markup that refineries puts on their finished product. That's before they ship it to gas stations for another markup! With natural gas, it's like a direct sale from the ground into your tank.

Clark has been big on the electric car deal since the 1970s. While he doesn't know much about the science behind it, he does know that energy alternatives will help rescue us from the dangers of buying imported oil. Clark gets all excited when he hears about new breakthroughs, but then he gets crestfallen when they don't prove commercially viable. Yet his hope always triumphs over his experiences. Toshiba has now announced they have a lithium-ion battery with a 10-year lifespan that can be recharged in 5 minutes. It will ship in 90 days for use in electric bikes, forklifts and construction machinery. If it's successful, it will be available for cars in 3 years.

Speaking of cars, Clark is still hot on his natural-gas vehicle. The only problem is that he has to fuel up in a rough neighborhood. Why does Clark put himself through all these crazy hoops? Because we need to know that we're not stuck over the OPEC barrel. We can break our dependence on foreign oil. If we do this individually, then national policy will follow. Clark's natural-gas vehicle is just one idea in a mosaic of possibilities. His car emits zero pollution and the natural gas is domestically produced in the U.S. and Canada. Honda can make over 400,000 of these cars annually right now. They already have a factory in Ohio. But last year only 1,500 were ordered -- probably because they're so difficult to fuel up!

Several automakers announced new plans for alternative energy cars at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. Honda unveiled its Clarity, a hydrogen powered fuel-cell vehicle. The Clarity will emit zero pollution. A 3-year lease would run you about $600/month, so it's not exactly cheap. Honda will be marketing its vehicle in Southern California, where there are several dozen hydrogen-filling stations. Chevrolet/GM has plans to put around 100 of its hydrogen vehicles on the road in SoCal under the Equinox nameplate. Meanwhile, Ford is working to launch its plug-in hybrids. Those kinds of cars usually run on electricity for the first 40 miles before they kick over to a gas-powered engine. Clark salutes the entrepreneurial spirit of these automakers who are experimenting with new kinds of cars. Some of you may remember when Clark previously spoke about a car company called Tesla that's building a $100,000 electric sports car. Their goal is to use proceeds from initial sales to fund further research into developing alt-fuel vehicles that will be much more affordable for everybody. This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that will help us move away from the environmental and national security dangers that go along with gas engines.

There's one call that Clark has taken on the air about 60 times over the years, and he's never been able to answer it convincingly: Is it worth it to pay the extra bucks to buy a hybrid just to pay less in gas every week? Now Edmunds.com has done a cost analysis of some of the top hybrid models. Their research indicates how much longer it takes to get a return on investment if you buy the hybrid versions of any cars in the study. It's the Ford Escape that gives you the quickest payback -- owners will break even at around 3 years. The Honda Civic and the Mercury Mariner tie at No. 2. The Saturn Vue checks in at No. 3, allowing owners to break even in 4.8 years. Keep in mind that any hybrid offering return on investment in under five years is a smart buy. On the other end of the spectrum, the Toyota Highlander takes 11 years before you break even and the Camry will take you 12 years. And what about the Prius? Because there's no exact gas-engine equivalent, Edmunds looked at the Prius vs. Corolla. Turns out it will take you a whopping 13.6 years to get payback if you only drive your Prius 15,000 miles/year! So Toyota -- the greenest of all the automakers -- actually does not give you good payback on your hybrid-purchasing dollar. Clark advises people to only buy a Toyota hybrid if they're doing it because of deeply held environmental beliefs.

Clark continues to receive many questions about the used Honda Civic GX he just purchased. Typically, a new GX runs about $25,000 versus $17,500 for a standard Civic. But some folks have been wondering if the extra investment is worth it. One boon to buyers is that you receive a $4,000 federal tax credit when you purchase this no-pollution natural-gas vehicle. Meanwhile, operating costs are about $1.20 per "gallon," though you don't fill up with traditional liquid gas. Clark instead uses compressed natural gas, which is largely produced here in the United States. He'll report back and let you all know if his GX purchase proves to be crazy or not. Meanwhile, the government has issued new fuel economy numbers for automobiles at FuelEconomy.gov. The push to get new numbers really gained momentum when people bought the Toyota Prius and found their sticker numbers could be inflated by 30 percent. But all 2008 vehicles going forward will feature the true miles per gallon figures. Note that you get greater value for your buck when you go from a vehicle that has 15 mpg to one that has 25 mpg -- rather than going from 25 mpg to 35 mpg. It's all about ratios. So it may make sense to buy a car with good mpg versus great mpg. It's that initial leap in fuel economy that gets you the biggest bang for your buck.

Last winter, Clark first started talking about natural-gas vehicles (NGV). He loves them because they don't pollute the air and they use domestically produced fuel. His wife encouraged him to get one, so he searched on the Internet and a found used 2007 Honda Civic GX. Clark admits that this could either be a really dumb purchase or a really smart one. Honda is making about 400,000 of these cars per year, but they're only for sale in California and New York. The cost is about $25,000 for an NGV versus about $17,500 for a standard Civic. One of Clark's challenges in having an NGV is finding a place to fill it up with specially compressed natural gas. There are a lot of filling stations on the West Coast and on the Eastern seaboard down through Richmond, Virginia. But in the Atlanta area there's only one single station in a more than 200 mile radius! Luckily that station is about seven miles from Clark's home. Clark believes that as a nation we need to start thinking outside of the box about our energy needs. Relying on foreign energy suppliers who want to harm us can only weaken our nation. Clark's Honda GX is his answer to this dilemma. What's yours?

In the latest installment of Clarkonomics, Clark discussed some predictions about the price of oil. The current price is about $83/barrel, while a gallon at wholesale costs an average of $2.08. Now Clark is hearing some predictions of prices hitting $100/barrel. Meanwhile, Forbes recently ran an article suggesting that oil will go down to $45/barrel -- rather than up to $100/barrel. The reason is that there's new supply coming out of the ground that will drive prices down. Another story Clark saw predicted $50/barrel. All this could, of course, change if we have another episode of world turmoil or terrorism. But the fact remains that we in America use way too much gasoline for our population numbers.

There are three ways to deal with our over-consumption: drive less, buy a more fuel efficient vehicle or develop more technology that will allow vehicles to transport us more efficiently. GM is hot on the heels of a plug-in hybrid, which uses practically no gasoline. You plug the car in overnight and then your first 40 miles of the day are generated from electricity. When you go over 40 miles, the vehicle automatically kicks over to gas. This system would work well because most people drive less than 40 miles a day. On a related note, Clark is upset that special interests have gotten tariffs on sugar. The sweet stuff can be used to produce the most efficient gas alternative known right now -- much more so than the corn ethanol some people are pursuing here. The injustice of the situation is that sugar is not a viable solution for U.S. fuel needs because of the ridiculous tariffs in place that protect special domestic business interests. Our energy needs go hand-in-hand with our national security. Isn't it time to start making smarter choices?

Clark's daughter has his Honda Civic hybrid at school and she's happy to be getting about 45 miles/gallon. It seems that hybrids with good fuel economy are now selling like gangbusters. Remember back just a few years ago when this wasn't the case? Ford had to offer incentives just to move their Escape hybrids. Now The Washington Post reports the Escape is so hot that dealers can't keep up with the demand. In fact, the vehicles are selling for thousands of dollars above the list price because people want to save money on gas. Psychologically it may feel OK to pay a little more now with the promise of bigger savings down the road, but Clark thinks you should really crunch the numbers before you make this kind of purchase. Buying with your emotions isn't advisable, nor is overpaying for new technology. Take the rational approach by doing some smart comparative auto shopping on a website like Edmunds.com. The same thinking applies when deciding whether to dump your current gas-guzzling ride for a new and more fuel-efficient vehicle. Look for a similarly depreciated vehicle and try to do a trade where you get an older set of wheels that's more fuel-efficient than your current car.

Battery powered bikes are all the rage and they're great for commuters who want to save money. As some of you listeners may know, Clark often rides a scooter to the studio. He gets more than 70 miles to the gallon and goes around 45 miles per hour. But the scooter still runs on regular gas, which can be expensive. By comparison, electric bikes go 20 miles per hour and they retail for around $700-$800 and up. They're very silent, except for the whirring of the electric motor, and go 30-40 miles between charges. They're nearly pollution free, but you are exposed to the elements. Still, they save a ton of money and are a viable option if you have a commute that's less than 10 miles. Clark admits that the electric bike trumps his scooter for savings. On a related note, Clark wants to warn his listeners that gas-additive scams are back full force. These scams involve people trying to sell you pills and potions for your fuel tank that promise to stretch your gas by 30 percent. The claims are bogus. It is only natural that as we pay more for gas we want to believe there's a way to recoup the extra expenditure. But don't make the bad situation of paying for more expensive gas worse by losing money on these gas-additive ploys.

The Chinese have come into almost every American market except for cars—until now! Starting in 2008, Chinese cars will be sold under the Chrysler name in the U.S. Mainland China has a goal to account for 10% of cars sold in the world. But quality is a huge issue with Chinese manufacturing. Hyundai started off with terrible products at first; China might too! China makes terrible toys, dog food, tires, and much more, because there aren't sufficient checks and balances in the manufacturing system. So it will be a challenge for them to get the quality right. But they'd better, because the quality of cars these days is top drawer. Cars are better, safer and more reliable than they have ever been, so it's a great time to buy.

Ford is working with the power companies in California for plug-in hybrids, which are electric-powered for the first 40 miles, after which the car switches to gas. These are awesome! They cost only 2 cents per mile, only a fraction of what you pay per mile for gas! And it's a great way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

While the big oil companies are the ones ripping us off, it's your local gas station that gets the heat from consumers. But did you know that gas stations actually like it when the price of gas is lower? When prices get too high, people tend to buy less of the expensive convenience store goods like beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets that are profit boosters for gas stations.

No matter how you look at it, fuel is just one cost associated with a car. If you were paying to ride in your car the same way you pay to ride in a taxi, you'd be spending some 50 cents a mile. But what if you could drive for as little as two cents a mile? There are a number of smaller companies such as Kurrent making electric cars offering that kind of fuel economy. Kurrent -- which was bankrolled by ad-agency people using their retirement funds -- makes an electric vehicle that will go up to 35 miles an hour with a 100-mile range on flat ground. You can charge the vehicle in an ordinary household outlet. And though it is very small, it's built strong enough to be substantial in a crash. They're making up to 10 of these cars a day. The primary market is in large retirement communities in Florida, California and the mountain states. But if you think you're too cool for a grandpa-mobile, just ponder these economics: In addition to running for just two pennies a mile, a Kurrent costs as little as $10,000 to buy. Now that's a Clark Car if ever there was one! Clark has been fixated on great fuel economy since the oil shortages of the '70s. As he says, we are the strongest nation on Earth, but we won't always be if continue to give our money to oil-producing nations that want to destroy us. We must be innovative as Americans, and going electric with your car is one way to do it.

A few years ago a French inventor came up with the technology for an automobile that runs on compressed air! It generates no pollution at all, costs about $2 per fill up, runs 125 miles on a tank, and can go up to 70 mph. It looks like a micro-mini van, with a sliding door. Clark loves the idea. But so far, even though they're bringing 6000 of them to India, no one wants to bring them to the U.S. So until they're available here, Clark is considering getting a "GX", a car from Honda that runs on natural gas, the kind of gas that heats your home. It creates almost no pollution, costs about $1.20 a gallon, and about 97% of the gas supply would be from domestic sources. Honda is only bringing about 1200 in per year (to New York and California only) to see if there's a market for them. To fill up, you install your own gas station at your house and plug into it overnight. On road trips you'd have to do your homework to find out where natural gas filling stations would be. But Clark is really excited about these cars, and would even consider breaking his own rule of avoiding costly "new" technology in order to be an early adopter.

When you buy a car, you’ve probably seen a sticker in the window showing the fuel economy that car will get. But did you know that number is not accurate. In order to benefit Detroit automakers, the federal government has inflated the numbers to make cars seem more efficient than they actually are. The numbers were inflated by about 20 percent. The good news is that things have been corrected in the system. If you buy a 2008 car, you’ll get the correct fuel economy. If you’re buying a 2007 model or earlier, you’ll get the inaccurate rating. To get the correct rating on your own, visit fueleconomy.gov. Gasoline prices are still fairly reasonable in the U.S., especially when you consider what people pay in Europe and Asia. Chrysler may not make it. It was out of necessity for those countries to make more fuel efficient cars. But the problem for American automakers is that people now want more fuel efficient cars. Chrysler is in big trouble, and Ford and GM are teetering on the brink. At any point, the Detroit automakers could go bankrupt. So, we need to do something different to turn our auto industry around.

Clark has received some phone calls lately from Prius owners who aren’t getting the gas mileage they were promised when they bought the cars. That is due in part to the fact that the Monroney labels on cars have had inflated fuel economy numbers. The Detroit automakers wanted an advantage in the market and they have gotten away with it to the detriment of car buyers. The inflated numbers have been on all cars, but hybrid buyers have been the most outspoken about the discrepancy because they were counting on getting a certain number of miles per gallon. Well, the EPA has gotten involved and has established rules requiring the correct MPG figure on the Monroney label from now on. So, when you check the sticker, you can be sure that is the fuel economy you’ll get.

Years ago, GM introduced the EV (electric vehicle) car. Clark got to test it out in the mid-90s and it was very forward thinking at the time. Unfortunately, the electric cars didn’t catch on and GM closed the books soon after. The company hasn’t given up completely, though. According to the L.A. Times, GM just launched another prototype that is an electric car and a gas car all in one. Basically, it works like an electric car for most of the day. Then, at night it switches to gas. Clark loves the fact that an American car company is working on this kind of technology. In recent years, Japanese companies have been responsible for all of the forward-thinking models. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up in Clark’s Graveyard.

We are in a tough time economically right now because gas is high again and we’re dependent on foreign sources for oil. Clark thinks our efforts need to focus more on technology if we’re going to help the situation. One of the products out there is called the “Tesla.” It’s an electric car that will go 250 miles on one charge and is about the fastest performance car ever made. It will go from 0 to 60 in four seconds, which is amazing. And it’s on the market now for those who can afford it. The cars cost $100,000, which is obviously not feasible for most people. But the cost will go down. Toyota announced just in the last week that it is adopting the plug-in hybrid. The company was reticent for years, but now the cars will be everywhere. Also, Wal-Mart, FedEx and UPS are working on ways to make their trucking and shipping outfits more efficient. They spend a fortune on gas and average about six miles per gallon. There are also a bunch of new cars on the market that get above 30 miles per gallon. These include the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, the Toyota Camry hybrid and the VW Lupo.

Mercedes is going to bring the Smart Car to the States! Clark has been waiting for this day for years and it’s finally happening. He’s had a longtime fascination with the Smart Car because of its size and efficiency. It’s half the size of a normal compact car but it averages 60 miles per gallon. Also, you might think because of its size the Smart Car would be a death trap on wheels. But they are built on a steel cage and made as safe as possible. As a country, we have a challenge in terms of what we drive and how much fuel we use. Americans make up about 4 percent of the world’s population, but we use a quarter of the world’s energy. We need to start driving smarter cars to reduce that energy use and, in turn, our dependence on fuel from countries that want to harm us. People can get Smart Cars right now from Zap Cars. But they’ll probably be available at dealerships in late 2006. Look for them then.

New, clean burning diesel cars are coming our way. That probably seems impossible to people who owned or rode in diesels back in the 70s or 80s. But the new “clean diesel” is coming to the States very soon. They’ve been around Europe for years, and they get about 30 to 40 percent better fuel efficiency than gas cars. Volkswagen already sells diesels in the States, but more companies are getting in the business. It’s imperative that Americans drive more fuel efficient cars. It helps our wallets and ensures our national security because we’re not as dependent on foreign energy and oil. To remain the world power that we are, we need to stop doing business with countries that want to harm us.

Asian cars are selling like hotcakes these days. In fact, Asian automakers are now selling 40 percent of the cars sold in the U.S. Meanwhile, Detroit and the American automakers can’t give their products away. The Honda Fit is selling so well that people follow the trucks carrying these cars into the dealerships so they can get one. There’s no mystery as to why. The huge gas guzzlers out there are draining people in the wallet. It costs an average of $40 to $60 to fill up cars these days. Clark’s scooter, on the other hand, costs $2.94 to fill up. Now, you don’t want to dump the car you have just because it guzzles so much gas. You want to wait until the car you own has run its course. Although its seems like buying a new, more fuel efficient car would be the smart choice, it would actually be more costly because of all the extras and overhead.

Toyota continues to do well as an automobile company, in part because the company is innovative and invests in research and development. The company is now investing in plug-in hybrids, for example. These cars run on electricity for about 40 miles and they emit much less pollution. Most commutes are less than 40 miles, so you’d charge the car overnight and be good to go. If you’re going longer distances, the gas engine takes over. Clark thinks this idea has enormous promise. Toyota will have about 20 different plug-in models on the market in the future.

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In other car news, sale of mid-size SUVs are down drastically, according to the Dallas Morning News. Dodge Durango sales are down 40 percent; Ford Explorer sales are down 30 percent; GMC Envoy is down 23 percent and Jeep Grand Cherokee is down 18 percent. More people are buying “car-based” SUVs because they get much better fuel economy. Maybe we’re finally getting it.

Clark has been talking about the “Smart Car” for several years. It’s a tiny, fuel efficient car that is a joint venture between Mercedes and the Swatch Watch folks. It fits in half a parking space and people love the fashion statement it makes. But neither company has been able to make money off of it. Mercedes has lost millions of dollars on the deal, in fact. They are great for use as a commuter car, but people don’t seem to be buying them in Europe. Jump across the pond to America where a company known as zap.com is now selling the cars. It took a bit of work to get the cars here and to fight off European manufacturers who were fighting it, but the California company was able to do it. The shocker is that it’s an economy car in Europe, where it costs about $11,000. In the U.S., people are fighting over these cars and have bid up to $40,000 for them. Clark doesn’t get why they’re so big here and not any big deal in Europe. It could be that people want more fuel efficient alternatives. For that reason, Clark is putting his money on the three similar cars coming to the country this year. They are the Fit, from Honda, the “Versa” from Nissan, and the “Yaris” from Toyota. They’re all going to be about $12,000 and they’re going to be a bit hit. But Clark wants to congratulate Zap for sticking to its knitting and getting rewarded for it.

Diesel cars get great fuel economy, which you probably know if you’ve rented a car in Europe recently. Most of the cars rented there are diesels. The problem with diesel has always been pollution – until now. Mercedes has come up with a technology that makes the fuel burn cleaner than a gas engine would. The new fuel and new engine allow these diesels to get 40 percent better fuel economy. They get 20 mpg as a gas car and 28 mpg as a diesel car. The smaller the car gets, the better the fuel economy. Clark thinks this effort will be successful and other companies will follow suit.

About six months ago, Clark talked about the bogus EPA ratings that appear on cars that are for sale. For example, the Toyota Prius is touted as getting 60 miles to the gallon. In actuality, it gets about 40 miles per gallon. This issue has angered a lot of drivers, especially with rising gas prices. The overestimations happened because the Feds were using a 30-year-old test. It would be so much more efficient and helpful to people if the true figure were published. People have a right to know the truth. Well, the Feds are taking a step in that direction. The Feds are going to use updated technology to test cars correctly starting next year, so keep an eye out for it.

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In other fuel and hybrid news, Toyota is going to install a button in its Lexus models that will allow people to use either less fuel or go faster. The company caught flack recently because the new Lexus models were going extra fast but getting horrible mileage, and owners got upset.

Clark has talked with great enthusiasm about the “Smart Car” coming to the U.S. The Smart Car is a Mercedes-Swatch idea that is from Europe and is being sold in Canada. The cars average 60 miles for gallon and many have wanted them to come to the U.S. It’s not going to happen, but all is not lost. Zap, the company that was going to sell the Smart Car in the U.S., is now bringing another car into the States. It’s from Brazil and it can run on various types of fuel, including corn, sugar, gasoline and other sources. It’s called the Obvio 828. It’s one of the oddest looking cars you’ve ever seen and it goes 0 to 60 in about five seconds. The Obvio takes up as much space as a motorcycle, but it can seat three people. Prices on these will ultimately be decided, but we’ll keep you posted. In other car news, Mazda is bringing a micro mini-van into the States that seats six people. It gets about 50 percent more fuel economy than a regular mini-van. Clark is psyched about the options coming our way because they get such better fuel economy and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

Honda has had a reputation as the best engine maker in the world. But Toyota has now one-upped everyone with its hybrid engines. As a result, Honda has been working overtime to recapture its innovative lead. The company has secretly been working on a gas engine that gets 65 miles per gallon of gasoline. It’s a regular car with an HCCI engine. That translates into “Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition” but what it means is that it allows a gas engine car to run as efficiently as a diesel engine. These cars won’t be out next year, but it will be in the next five years. Companies have the ability to cut fuel consumption in half. Many just haven’t tried. So, there are good things happening, including in the United States. But we need to continue on this path and continue separating ourselves from foreign oil sources. If you read the quotes of the Iranian president in recent weeks, you’ll realize how important it is that we assert our independence in the oil world.

Clark is going to step out on a limb and predict that gas prices are going to drop like a rock. Gas prices have been incredibly high at wholesale and retail. The price at wholesale has been as high as $2.80 a gallon, but that has dropped to $1.80. That dollar drop means that the retail price will go down, stubbornly but surely. Katrina and then Rita definitely had an effect on the price of gas. But, barring some other unforeseen disaster, you’re going to see much lower prices at the pumps. Prices take a while to work through the system. But it will cost significantly less to fill up your vehicle by next spring.

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In other fuel news, a super car is coming on the market that will get up to 180 miles per gallon. Yes, 180 mpg. A company called “Electric Control Systems Engineering” recently modified the Toyota Prius, which has both a gas and an electric engine. The company made it possible to charge the electric engine overnight, so the car runs mostly on electricity. When the battery power runs out, the gas engine kicks in. So, the fuel economy goes from a normal 50 mpg to between 150 and 180 mpg. When Clark talked about this last year, Honda was very skeptical about doing this. But now the company is considering following the other company’s lead.

Gas prices shot up to $10 a gallon today in England. If you had a 40 gallon tank it would cost you $400. Well, some companies are combating rising gas prices. Toyota has decided to convert 100 percent of its vehicles to hybrids. The company did not announce a year for its goal, but Clark is sure it will happen. Porsche, Volkswagen and Audi are all working on hybrids as well. In the developed world, we’ve got to face facts that it’s a new era in terms of energy. American automakers are going to have to wake up or we are going to fall way behind. Two people on Clark’s staff now own scooters to combat rising gas prices. What are you doing?

Who is going to do more to quell America’s weakening position in the world? Does the federal government have a plan, or is there a company out there with a plan? Nope. Companies in other countries are more attuned to the problem, however, and are doing what they can to reduce their dependence on foreign oil sources. Toyota, for instance, plans on one-quarter of its vehicles being built with hybrid engines over the next four years. The company is making money selling hybrids and it wants to do something about the energy crisis. What are we doing here in the States? Nothing. In fact, automakers are giving each other high fives because they have convinced Congress to avoid establishing any kinds of regulations on American cars. Honda is also doing what it can to make cars more fuel efficient. Clark thinks GM, Ford and Chrysler need to wake up and come up with ways creative ways to keep our resources here in the States. We have no choice. We have to become more energy efficient if we want to stay alive in the marketplace.

Gas prices are moving up and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Do you feel like a sitting duck? There are things you can do, but you have to be a bit of a free thinker. If you have a diesel car, or can convert your car to a diesel, it will run on restaurant grease, for example. Another man, who recently sent pictures to Clark, runs his diesel Volkswagen Beetle on vegetable oil. Cars in Brazil are “multi-fuel” vehicles, meaning they can run on sugar cane and other types of fuel. The country made it a national policy to break away from foreign oil sources, and it’s working. The powers-that-be in the U.S. are trying to block the use of sugar as a fuel source and luckily it hasn’t happened yet. But they’ll continue to try. Our country should be in favor of any initiatives that reduce our dependence on foreign oil. So Clark doesn’t get it. In the meantime, consider converting your car if you really want to save money.

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In other car news, have you heard of “plug-in hybrids?” These cars can get up to 250 miles per gallon. So, some people are converting their regular hybrids to be plug-in hybrids, which allows them to run solely on electricity for quite a long time. All this news may frustrate you, but it’s becoming a reality. The answer is not to dig for more oil, but to come up with new ways to run our vehicles.

Clark talked recently about tow truck drivers who were camping out on private property, waiting for illegally parked cars to tow away. A number of court rulings had also given tow truck drivers free reign to do that. But the U.S. Congress is now reauthorizing states to set up rules that would allow private property owners to decide who can come on their property. Granted, most tow truck drivers are decent people who work within the law. But there is a rogue element out there. Let’s hope that’s history with the new law.

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In other car news, the state of Virginia allows hybrid car owners to ride in carpool lanes even if there is only one person in the car. California is about to pass a similar law. And the same law that Congress is working on regarding tow truck practices will also make it legal for single hybrid drivers to ride in the HOV lane everywhere in the country. People sitting in regular traffic lanes get furious about it, but it is a great incentive to get people to buy hybrid cars.

These days, more people want small cars or “mini” cars because gas is costing them so much money these days. Clark has a Scion XB that gets great fuel mileage and has tremendous room on the inside. He admits the car is very ugly, but he spends the majority of his time inside and does not really care about the outside appearance. You are going to see a lot uglier, mini cars in the next 18 months. Car companies believe there will be a lasting market of people looking for fuel efficient vehicles, meaning the car gets over 30 miles a gallon.

The price of oil is now $60 a barrel at wholesale and it seems to keep rising. As a country, we need to become stronger in this arena instead of depending on foreign sources of oil. And while Clark shakes his head at our current situation, Honda is already coming up with ways to combat high gas and oil prices. The company has developed a new engine called the IV-TEC (Intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Electronic Control System), which improves the fuel economy of any vehicle. It should get about 30 miles to the gallon. The company is also coming up with a hybrid engine that gets more than 60 miles per gallon. So, while we’re twiddling our thumbs in the States, Toyota and Honda continue to make history in the automotive industry. We need to improve the fuel economy of our vehicles if we want to continue as the world’s most powerful country.

The number of automobile deaths involving SUVs and no other cars is growing at an alarming rate. These accidents occur because SUVs have an unstable center of gravity and flip easily. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has internal documents from the Ford Motor Company stating that certain Ford employees know that Ford’s SUVs roof pillars are not safe. There are innumerable cases where people could have lived if they had safer roof pillars. Now Ford’s secrets are revealed. A Ford spokesman said Ford and Volvo are both safety pioneers and that there is no direct link between roof strength and automobile injury. Clark says this is simply not true. If a roof is not strong enough, then it will collapse when a car flips. Big doesn’t necessarily mean safe. Check crash test ratings for cars you’re considering buying.

Exciting things are going on right now with hybrid technology. Most of these cars have one engine doing multiple jobs or more than one engine doing one job – all in an effort to give the car better fuel economy. And, although there are a lot of naysayers, they are selling like hotcakes. As a result, there will be more hybrid products on the road in the future. Right now, researchers at U.C. Davis are making plans for a “The Plug-in Hybrid.” This is a car that is plugged into an electrical outlet at night to charge it for the next day. It can travel about 60 miles on a single charge. After that, you can fill up on gas and drive further if you need to. The average driver travels 38 miles a day, so most of the driving would be free! Researchers have been working on this model for 25 years and they estimate that drivers will only have to fill up about five times a year. A German company is also working on a similar vehicle overseas, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. It will come to the States this summer for testing, and it will conceivably run on any type of power that can generate electricity. That covers our cars, but what about our homes? Honda is introducing a new power system for the home that will allow people to convert gas energy into electricity. When you use natural gas, a lot of that energy is wasted. But with the new system that wasted energy will be converted into electricity. It will cost more than twice a regular unit, but you get the payback in about five years. The other great thing out of all of this is that it will decrease our dependence on foreign oil sources because we’re coming up with alternative ones.

Clark had a call recently from a man who was concerned about how much money it took to fill up his SUV. The man was wondering if he should replace his SUV with something more fuel efficient to save on gas. Clark told the caller not to dump the SUV because in the end it wouldn’t be worth it. But afterward he thought about how much of a burden it is to fill up SUVs and other gas guzzlers these days. The advice still holds true in terms of replacing a vehicle, however. Forbes confirmed in a recent article that it doesn’t make sense to get rid of a car you still owe money on because of the price of gas. That’s because most of the cost of a car is not in the price of fuel. The majority of the cost is in the depreciation of the vehicle, the interest on the loan and the maintenance on it. Now, if you’re at a time when you would normally sell a car, it makes sense. But don’t just dump a car because gas prices are high. That’s an emotional reaction and it’s not a good idea.

Clark saw a report recently that the average fill up for an SUV is $50. That’s unbelievable to Clark, who fills up his hybrid vehicle about every 500 miles. It takes about 12 gallons, and he loves the gas mileage he gets because gas is so expensive these days. The good news is that automakers are increasing the number of hybrids they’re building each year. Toyota, for example, is increasing the number of hybrids it ships to the U.S. to 100,000. That doesn’t come close to reaching today’s demand, but originally Toyota was planning to sell between 20,000 and 25,000 a year. The company is even thinking of converting plants in the U.S. into hybrid vehicle plants. The Kentucky and Indiana plants are the two most likely to be converted. In past years, experts predicted that hybrid vehicles would account for less than one percent of the cars in the United States. Today, they estimate that one out of five people in the U.S. will drive a hybrid car. However, as you look at vehicles that you’re interested in buying, know that a hybrid is still not a smart purchase for most. A gas car is several thousand dollars cheaper, and it would take more than a decade to make up the difference. So, make sure it’s a smart purchase for you.