Natural Perspectives:

Once I stopped laughing, I fell in love with the little French Smart Fortwo car. I mentioned the vehicle last week but didn’t have room to say as much about them as I wanted.

As we mentioned last week, the Smart Fortwo is a two-passenger, gasoline-powered micro-car that gets 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, based on the new EPA standards for 2008. The EPA has changed the way they report mileages this year, so it appears all cars are getting lower mileages.

The standards are now more in line with mileages you’ll actually experience. According to www.fueleconomy.gov, the Smart Fortwo is the most fuel-efficient two-seater available. In comparison, the mid-sized Toyota Prius is the most fuel-efficient car overall at 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the freeway.

I had a great time learning about the Smart Fortwo from Mark Derengowski, general manager of the Smart Center in Laguna Niguel. Part of Smart’s commitment to environmentalism is running a paperless office. Derengowski joked that the only paper at the plant in Hambach, France, is toilet paper. One of the things I liked about their manufacturing strategy was the use of recycled materials. The Smart Fortwo has inner fenders and underbody trays that are made from renewable raw materials and 100% recycled plastic.

Another area is in the vehicle’s coating. It isn’t painted; it’s powder-coated. This uses 40% less energy than conventional painting. There are no solvent emissions and no water consumption with this method. Any overspray is collected and used again with 98% reusability. They even get their parts in returnable containers as much as possible, or recyclable containers if reusable ones aren’t available. I really liked the company’s green manufacturing philosophy.

The California Air Resources Board classifies these cars as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. This means they’re 50% (or more) cleaner than the average car made in that model year. That’s not bad, but Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles such as the Prius are 98% cleaner than average. Even better are all-electric cars, which qualify as Zero Emission Vehicles.

At this point, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Yeah, sure, Smart cars are green as all get out, and just adorable, but are they safe?” I asked myself — and Derengowski — that same question.

Derengowski had answers.

The Smart Fortwo is built around what they call a Tridion Safety Cell. This is essentially a reinforced, high-strength steel cage with bumpers, crash boxes and four air bags, front and side. The interiors of the seats are sheet steel with integrated rolled tubes in the headrests.

Bottom line is that the Smart Fortwo is redesigned from the European Smart Car to withstand U.S. crash and safety tests. The Smart Fortwo has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest rating for front and side crash test safety.

The seats are elevated in a Smart Fortwo so that I actually stepped up to get into it, not down like in a low-slung sports car. Once I was driving the car, I forgot how little it looked on the outside. The interior felt roomy, and with the anti-lock braking system, I felt safe. A lot safer than I would on a bicycle or scooter.

Let’s go there next in our search for a green way to get around town. My Harley-riding brother has been trying to talk me into getting a Piaggio MP3 scooter. These zippy things have two wheels in front and one in back. My brother says they steer like a car and are quite stable. But while the MP3 models may work nicely for commuting, they’re not going to be useful for groceries. You can learn more at www.piaggiousa.com or take a peek at them at Piaggo/Vespa of Newport Beach.

Piaggio and Vespa scooters are going to be available soon in hybrid HyS models that will run on either gasoline-powered or electric motors. These hybrids get a fantastic 170 mpg. When run in all-electric mode, the scooters are Zero Emission Vehicles. When the gasoline engine is switched on, it recharges the electric battery.

Right now, the hybrids are available in Italy, but not the U.S. The price tag for the hybrid Piaggio MP3 may be in the $8,000 to $9,000 range.

Finally, we come to iZip electric bicycles. Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr., rides one. These bikes are called hybrid electric because the electric motor is supplemented by pedal power.

A number of different models are available at Zclipse in Newport Beach. The iZip comes in a three-wheeled model called the Tricruiser, with two wheels in back supporting a large cargo basket. This feature makes it a great bike for getting groceries. The iZips run for about 30 to 35 miles on a charge and run at speeds of 15 to 20 mph. Prices for the various models range from about $600 to nearly $3,000. You can learn more about them at www.iZipusa.com or www.currietech.com.

A Piaggio MP3 would be a nice green choice, and probably a lot of fun to ride. An iZip electric bicycle would be an even greener choice. But that little Smart Fortwo sure is cute. With air conditioning and a Tridion Safety Cell, it would be a heck of a lot more comfortable and safer than a bike or scooter. And at around $14,000 for the Passion Coupe, it’s more affordable than a Prius.

VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and environmentalists. They can be reached at vicleipzig@aol.com.