NECN: Peter Howe, Fall River, Mass.) - The rising cost of gas has small business owners looking to make smart choices about fuel consumption. Here in New England, at least one company that relies on deliveries to make money is turning to a tiny coupe to keep profits up. Seth Hockert Lotz has had a Domino's Pizza franchise in Fall River, Massachusetts for 23 years. Like small businessmen across New England who run delivery fleets, he's been squeezed by gas prices and commodity prices. But, Seth just found a new solution.t's Smart Car -- the tiny, fuel-efficient Mercedes car that doesn't even look as big as a medium pizza from Domino's. It is just 8.8 feet long and five feet high and wide. It's rated 33 miles to the gallon city, 41 highway -- where it can hit 90 mph top speed. The list price ranges $11,000 to $16,000, sometimes more with options.
The European import just went on sale in the U.S. in January, with 14,000 sold already, over 2,500 in July alone. There's a year-long wait list just to buy one. Only five dealers in New England carry them -- in Lynnfield and Somerville, Massachusetts; Warwick, Rhode Island and East Hartford and Fairfield, Connecticut.
WATCH VIDEO HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment