On being “greener”
We have read and heard various commentaries about “Global Warming” and even if the scientists are only half right, it doesn’t sound good. Even though many US city’s have been dying a slow economic death for the past 30 years due to the closing of many manufacturing industries, the air is still considered polluted by the automobile. Just drive through a major US city during rush hour traffic, crawling along on a freeway at 20 mile per hour. Add an accident or mechanical breakdown to the picture and you have many hundreds or thousands of horsepower providing a high level of comfort to something that isn’t going anywhere.
I love the automobile, I’ve owned my share. But all in all, it is a means to get from point A to point B. Consider how much it costs to own, operate, maintain, and insure an automobile; then consider the amount of time you actually spend using it. For a working person, the automobile is a huge expense, but we have been sold on the convenience and independence aspect of owning one. Independence from what?
Walk more often, ride a bicycle or tricycle and even try driving at 55mph again--I do. We in the US had done that before, when a courageous government told us we must in order to cut our dependency on foreign oil.
The Bricycle or similar vehicles may never catch on in the US, although they have been available in Europe and other countries for years. The auto industry will roll out its answers in one form or another, and I am certain that they will be beautiful, technological masterpieces and, of course, more expensive. Just remember point A to point B.
Test Drive
The Goal
Design and build a lightweight single-occupant human-powered vehicle with an electric assist. So many people riding alone. Car pooling for many is simply out of the question.
Example: Say your drive to work is a distance of about 12 miles, with 7 miles on a freeway, the remainder on city streets, taking you roughly 20 minutes to work in the morning and 30 minutes home in the afternoon. You drive a vehicle with a 6-cylinder engine, and probably average 20 miles to the gallon. The cost of your daily commute can quicky add up.
Having done extensive research about electric vehicles of various types, mostly conversions; and while a truly practical electric vehicle may be somewhere in our future, the initial cost, weight, and other limitations convinced us to pursue another direction.