Driving isn't cheap these days—unless your name is Gaetano ``Guy'' Mannino.
With gasoline at around $4 a gallon, many U.S. drivers have found it difficult to balance keeping both their tanks and their wallets full. On the other hand, the former CEO of Pirelli Tire North America Inc. has traded in the traditional gas guzzler for vehicles running on electric power, leaving him with one daily driving dilemma: ``Do I take the sedan today, or the truck?''
Last October, Mr. Mannino left Pirelli after 25 years with the company and committed himself to the development of ``clean and green technology.'' He founded Verdek L.L.C., a global company that offers consulting services to companies with ``green'' service and product offerings. In March, the company also began marketing and distributing products for its clients via its Verdek-EV e-commerce division.
``There has been so much focus on the issue with global warming, and the weather conditions have changed and gas prices going through the roof,'' he said. ``There was so much going on that I felt like I could do my part and that's why I left the company and started looking at some alternatives that were available.''
The career change was followed by a change in habits for Mr. Mannino, who spent the better part of his time with Pirelli driving Porsches, Ferraris and other high-performance rides on road and track. He has since switched to electric-powered vehicles.
``(Starting Verdek) has affected my life definitely, because you have to walk the talk,'' he said. ``You can't go around talking about it and then do something else…. Now I have this commitment to my company, and it has become an even stronger impact in my life. I walk the talk now.''
Coming from a background in the tire industry, one of Mr. Mannino's first goals was to improve transportation. One of the first companies he approached was ZAP Inc., an electric-powered vehicle maker based in Santa Rosa, Calif.
What initially attracted Mr. Mannino to ZAP (Zero Air Pollution) was that the company already was producing vehicles that ran solely on electric power.
``You go to the automotive shows, they all have a car that will be available in 2010, 2011, 2012…,'' he said. ``I was looking for something that was available now and could be promoted now, because now we have a problem.''
A spokesman for ZAP said the company has seen momentum growing for its products in the last year because of rising energy costs and other economic factors. The independent vehicle manufacturer has gone from about 20 dealers in 2007 to nearly 60 and its backlog as of May is higher than all of last year—and that's just for the three-wheeled Zebra model sedan and truck.
``Guy and many other people in the auto industry are suddenly waking up and saying, `This is the future. The future is now,''' a ZAP spokesman said.
That goes for the tire industry as well, Mr. Mannino said. While he acknowledges people within the industry recognize that tires have to become ``greener,'' there's more work to be done.
``I think there is a lot to be learned,'' he said. ``I think the companies overall, they need to stop talking and start walking the talk on this issue.''
Mr. Mannino said part of the difficulty in tire production is that the manufacturing process ``is such that you have to compromise between performance on one side and being green on the other.''
Part of being green in the tire industry, he said, is in the disposal process. Mr. Mannino said several possibilities exist to transform old tires to more ecologically friendly uses, such as shredding them for mulching or use in athletic fields and other forms of rubber recycling.
``In the end, (the companies) know this is an important issue that we all need to show commitment for,'' he said. ``A lot can be done, but I think we need to start thinking more deeply about protecting the environment.''