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May 22, 2008
The $3 fill-up
It's fun to see the reaction of people when I tell them how much it costs to fill up my vehicle with gasoline.
About $3.
That's usually after the person, usually a stranger, has spied my Yamaha Vino and wants to know more. I love my Vino, I say, because it gets about 55-60 miles per fill-up, or 7-10 days of driving in the city. I know that spreads buzz because inevitably, the conversation usually ends with "I've been trying to convince my wife/husband to let me buy one, so thanks for the info."
Granted, I'm not commuting, nor am I drinking a latte or conducting business on the phone while driving (nor should you be), but I sure feel alive and connected with the world around me when I am. Love that, too.
I can park almost anywhere, nearly the same as bicyclists. No spills and no close calls... so far. I think it helps, too, that plenty of cars here in Austin feature bumperstickers that say, "Be kind to cyclists."
With $5-per-gallon gas looming, scooter sales are surging. All of which brings up a larger point: Are significant cultural changes in store for marketers to think about and prepare for, as the economics of fuel efficiency dictate buying behavior, maybe even decisions on where to live.
Could this be this marketing of the future? "Smithville: America's most scooter-friendly city."
Update: GM said this week it will stop making pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles at four of its North American plants. GM is also considering selling its Hummer brand.
The economics of oil will clearly drive (no pun intended) the fast-looming societal trends that fuse transportation and lifestyle. I expect we'll soon begin to see a lot more stories like this one from the Times, which is an instructive look at the cost of owning a big car:
If gas remains near $4 a gallon, as many analysts expect, a big vehicle like the (Ford) F-250 will cost $100,000 for an owner who keeps it for a typical amount of time (five years) and drives it a typical amount (15,000 miles a year). The gas alone would cost about $30,000, up from about $10,000 in the 1990s.
While the F-250 costs $100,000 and a fully loaded F-150 — the better-known, smaller Ford pickup — costs about $70,000, a Ford Focus still costs less than $40,000 over five years. A Honda Civic Hybrid does, too. A Toyota Prius costs only a little more. A Subaru Outback station wagon runs $50,000 or so.
To put this in perspective, the difference between a Focus and an F-250 over five years is $60,000. The annual pretax income of a typical family in this country is also about $60,000. So choosing a F-250 over a Focus is like volunteering for a 20 percent pay cut. The relative resale values might cushion the blow a little, but not much.
To put my Vino into perspective, it cost $3,000 new. I spend roughly $3 per week on gas. For a year, that's $156. Over five years, the total gas cost (if it remains at $4 per gallon) would be about $780.
Total cost of Vino ownership for five years, including gas, insurance and maintenance: About $4,500.
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It takes a very confident guy to pull up on a scooter. Kudo's to you.
Drive carefully, because if I recall my own first-hand experience, even a Mini will spread you out on the sidwalk if either of you aren't paying attention.
Maybe surging demand in China/India and currency issues will usher in a new generation of Harley riders? Hey, it could happen. Reality TV happened because of a writer's strike, didn't it?
Cool! I am seriously thinking about getting a motorcycle again. I has one when I lived in North Dakota, but Atlanta, GA was not a motorcycle friendly city. The mantra there was "What do you call a motorcyclist on i75? An organ donor!" Austin is definitely more bike friendly so I think this summer might just be a good time to renew my love of motorcycling.
MH
Not to diminish anyone because some people really stand by their scooters, but I just couldn't ever picture myself riding one. Every time I see one, I think, "You could have gotten a motorcycle", which of course is infinitely cooler.
I may not get the hellafied fuel economy that a scooter will, but at 45mpg, I'll think I'll stick with my Harley.
I got one about a month ago (different brand but same style).
I had the same reasons:
1) gas prices (had my first $60 fill-up the week before)
2) parking (my other vehicle is a monster and I hate the idea of getting dings in a tight parking situation)
3) It's a vehicle, it's a toy, it's a vehicle, it's a toy.
Only down side: helmet head. Perhaps not as big of an issue for you as it is for us big haired folks.
@Stephen: I think surging gas prices will almost certainly create a new generation of riders, be they small-bike afficianados or the hearing-loss inducing Harleys :)
@Marshall: You should go for it. Plus, the more of us who are out on the road, the better it is for everyone.
@Dave: Yah, Harleys are cooler. I'll easily grant you that. But I'll bet you 15% hearing loss that it's a lot easier to park my Vino on a sidewalk at a bike rack than it is a Harley.
@Heather: Heh! Hey, bedhead hair has never really gone out of style, so why not helmet hair?
Hmmm. I don't want to start a (helmet-)hairpulling session here, but the coolness-comparison of Harleys against scooters depends a lot where you are. Here in Europe, many folks say Harley riders are trying to prove something... :)
Over here, big bikes are associated with leather vests and big bellies; scooters with sharp Italian suits and a young Audrey Hepburn on the pillion.
I've ridden both, and I love both, but for city living the scooter wins hands down.
Cheers
Adam Lawrence
Work•Play•Experience
"Are significant cultural changes in store for marketers to think about and prepare for, as the economics of fuel efficiency dictate buying behavior, maybe even decisions on where to live?"
Absolutely -- and I believe that companies/marketers who grasp this earlier and better will have a much better chance to navigate these changes.
For better and in some cases for worse, our modern modes of marketing -- not just the trappings, but the bedrock ideas -- have grown up in an era that was dominated by cheap energy. As a chemical, petroleum has an amazing energy-to-mass ratio, and throughout the 20th century it has been, more or less, cheap. As that long-term historical trend changes (apparently permanently), connected trends such a exurban commuting will also change.
This doesn't mean that everyone will buy bicycles or scooters for their commute, but basic economic thinking tells us that it will mean many small choices at the margin that will, in the aggregate, make for large changes in consumer behavior taken as a whole.
@Adam: Is a young Audrey Hepburn a standard feature? If so, I'll take several.
@Tim: "Many small choices" is wonderfully apt. I'd love to see someone categorize and quantify them.
Hey Ben, great post. Scooters make great sense both from an economic and environmental standpoint. Plus they're fun!
I found your blog via a comment on my personal blog about my decision to buy a Vespa scooter this summer.
Looks like we're harbingers of a new trend :)
I would love to get the Vino. But living in a big city it really scares me to think about driving it. Anyone have any advice in living in a big city and riding a scooter?
Scott,
1. Assume everyone - EVERYONE - has not seen you.
2. Be careful on cobbles, manhole covers and slick tar, especially when wet.
3. Repeat point 1.
Adam
20 years (including London), no accidents yet
Scott,
1. Assume everyone - EVERYONE - has not seen you.
2. Be careful on cobbles, manhole covers and slick tar, especially when wet.
3. Repeat point 1.
Adam
20 years (including London), no accidents yet
Ya know what they say: scooters are like fat chicks. fun to ride as long as no one you know sees you doing it.
My husband just shared your blog with me. My father-in-law gave me his Vespa since he never rode it. I love it to death and don't feel guilty running multiple errands since it only cost me $4 to fill it with premium gas last week.
I wish I rode it more often than I do. I certainly love parking at the bike rack though...
