Registration of scooters that sip gasoline are rising along with the price of fuel in North Carolina, with state figures showing a 46 percent increase in scooters over five years.

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles said nearly 200,000 scooters were registered last year alone.

Jeff Gregory told The Charlotte Obserer that he drives his scooter between Charlotte and Raleigh for business meeting sometimes.

His latest model gets 72 mpg.

Gasoline prices averaged $3.44 a gallon in a AAA national survey Thursday.

Stephen Speer owns a scooter dealership in Charlotte and said his sales have increased four times over last year.