Read more: Local, State, Business, Colorado Springs
If you think you're seeing more and more scooters on the road, you aren't imagining things. As the cost of gas has skyrocketed this summer, many are turning to this fuel-efficient transportation.
In Colorado Springs, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $3.80. That's nine cents less than the all-time high just a couple of weeks ago, but still a whooping 91 cents higher than a year ago.
At City Auto Plaza, when someone buys a car, that person gets a scooter with it. The company started the promotion during the July Fourth holiday, and it's gotten a great response.
"Customers have come in and bought a car here simply because they wanted that scooter," said Manager Rick Haddock.
He says customers like the idea of saving money on gas, without having to sacrifice a car or truck entirely. "It's a way for them to save some money in the short-term without spending a whole bunch of money on, say, a motorcycle."
At Sportique Scooters, some customers are getting rid of cars altogether. "Some people are getting it just so they can commute to work. Others are actually selling their vehicles, their cars, and actually coming in and purchasing a scooter," said Sales Manager Matt Fisher.
Depending on the size and model, scooters get anywhere from 60 to 90 miles per gallon. With one and a half gallon tanks, a fill-up costs less than $6. "You can go a long distance with just one tank of gas," said Fisher.
Which is why sales here have doubled in just a few months. In five years, this July was their best yet. In fact, they are running low on inventory, and have started pre-selling most models.
"Many people, including our vendors, didn't expect us to do this much business."
It is a trend they don't expect to end any time soon.
The price of oil continues to fall, ending the day Tuesday at about $122 a barrel. Still, scooter stores don't expect to see a significant drop in sales, because gas and heating oil will likely remain higher than in years past. In fact, stores are already anticipating a good holiday season.
