When I traveled to Western Europe last year, I expected to see plenty of signs of American influence. It surprised me just how different some aspects of Italy and France were from other places I’d been. For instance, small cars and scooters made up the bulk of traffic on highways and in the cities as well. It got me to wondering why so many people would be driving mopeds and smart cars.

As it turns out, these vehicles are much more energy-efficient than standard automobiles. An Xtreme electric moped doesn’t even require gas. The second and most obvious reason is that the vehicles save space. As America becomes increasingly crowded, there’s a good chance that people here will look to smaller, more compact forms of transportation.