New electronic vehicle rolls in Creswell

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Story Published: Mar 20, 2007 at 5:06 PM PDT

By Tom Adams

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How does nearly 40 miles of travel for 40 cents of electricity sound? Notice we didn't say "miles per gallon."

That's from a three wheeled, fiberglass contraption that a Creswell product designer thinks will fill a growing transportation need.

It's not a bicycle.

You might call it a cousin to a motorcycle, but you won't confuse it with a Harley.

It's a new personal electronic vehicle called the Bug-E, the brainchild of Mark Murphy.

He says the Bug-E is perfect for running errands, and is inexpensive to drive.

"And kind of fits in between a bicycle and a Buick," according to Murphy.

It has a semi-enclosed, fiberglass body, riding on a frame of three wheels, plus an aero-dynamic front fairing. Four 12 volt batteries supply the power.

From the driver's seat, Murphy tells KVAL, "It's simply a thumb throttle and 2 hand brakes and handlebars, just like a bike or a motorcycle, so there's not much to learn."

Murphy continues, "Then the handlebar control has a horn {beep} and lights and turn signals, just like a motorcycle."

Creswell resident Ed Gunderson is so sold on the concept that he's bought his own kit to build a Bug-E, but his vehicle is going to look a little bit different.

Crews Tuesday unloaded the parts for Gunderson's new rig.
He tells KVAL, "I ordered a body part without the rear fairing and canopy because I ride a bicycle most of the time."

With only 75 parts to put together, Gunderson says the project should be a breeze. He calls the internal combustion engine, immoral.

"I hope to see more vehicles like this and see people get out of their wasteful big vehicles," explains the Bug-E customer.

Interest is already high from people looking to buy the basic kits,
with at least 90 serious inquiries so far.

The basic kit for a Bug-E costs about $3,200.

To find out more about its specifications, log onto one of our local websites and click on news links.

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