One Gallon, 100 Miles

JORY SQUIBB, a handyman in Camden, Maine, liked his Toyota wagon just fine. But in September 2005, he grew tired of spending so much on gas and decided there had to be a better way. And that’s when the Moonbeam was born. The three-wheel vehicle – built from two Honda Elite scooters – is tiny. “Two people who are on very good terms can fit into it,” says the 65-year-old Squibb. But he’s OK with the close quarters. The goal here is fuel economy. It gets more than 100 miles per gallon on the highway and 85 around town. Top speed: 52 m.p.h. “But you don’t want to go 52 in it,” he cautions. “It really likes 35 to 40.” Too slow for most of us, but not for Squibb. Though he still has his Toyota, he drives the Moonbeam every day. He’s even slapped a bumper sticker on the back: “Change happens at the speed of thought.”