Wouldn't it be nice...

Haven't we seen so many presentations of new groundbreaking technology starting with those words?  Too many, perhaps.

But often, people don't think it's nice. Or, more correctly, not nice enough to buy. Take a look at this offer (put your European glasses on):

Wouldn't it be nice to buy a Volvo V70 that takes you 100 kilometres for SEK 70 ($9), that decreases greenhouse gasses with between 30 and 100 per cent and with no bad smelling emissions when filling to a price 10 per cent lower than other V70s?

Really? If you live in Sweden you then still have the opportunity. About 50 vehicles alike are still available on the Swedish market right now. But more likely you belong to those who still think CNG (compressed natural gas) is something you only have heard of, still waiting for friends of yours to buy one. Then, here I am:

I bought my V70 Bi-Fuel last week. A 2003 model, it cost me SEK 195,000. Taking a look at bilweb.com (Sweden's largest car buyer's website) I conclude it was in fact the lowest priced V70 in the whole nation, taking milage, equipment and model year (but not fuel system) into account. As this particular car as new actually is priced about SEK 30,000 above an equal traditional model, this means a lot more people like expensive, bad smelling gasoline cars instead of those using clean and cheap gas.

Why is this? Well, one reason is probably that you never have seen an ad for this car, have you? And talking to Volvo people they say this is only "in waiting for" (in waiting for what??). There are no proud people out there telling you this is a great car, running on a great fuel. The CNG stations are normally small and located in industrial areas so normal people never sees them and the prices are never displayed.

Adoption is not only about rational thinking. It's much more about emotions. And what emotions do you have about a car that its maker isn't proud of, when you are standing there in the industrial area, under no roof.