On 10 Sep 2022 at 9:11, Gary Krysztopik via EV wrote: > our best hope is to create a new system separate from the roads that > are now ruined from a safety/efficiency standpoint. That new system can > be closing some city roads to fast/heavy traffic to help connect bike > paths but it seems that we have to separate fast/heavy from slow/light.
That's a fine idea. Europe has quite a lot of such infrastructure right now. Look at Netherlands and Denmark. With bike trails and routes everywhere, 52 percent of Copenhagen workers commute by bike, and 70 percent of trips in Amsterdam are by bike. Germany has a "bike autobahn." In France, the 27% EV direct subsidy applies to e-bikes, and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo (go Anne!) vows to make Paris one of the world's most bike-friendly cities by 2026. Some EU countries have, or have experimented with, laws requiring employers to pay their employees to bike to work. Once again, although they're often baby steps, Europe is actually somewhat interested in reducing their carbon output. But Europe is a different, more communitarian culture. Here in the states, we're about ME and MY SAFETY, more into force and might-makes-right. Hence that Hummer - AFAIK, the world's only vehicle named after a sex act. :-\ But I think it can happen here in the most forward-looking cities - maybe a dozen or two? The feds would have to stay out of the way, and not literally prohibit it, as they've tried to do in the past (and probably will again) with CA and other state-level stricter emissions laws. One or 2 dozen cities wouldn't be likely to prompt manufacturers to develop EV "enhanced bikes," but some of those that you and Bill cited seem aimed at Europe, with prices in euros. We might get the leftovers and B-stock. :-) And your suggestion in the other post of building such vehicles locally from open-source designs sounds VERY promising. I don't think they'll replace "normal size" EVs for very many people, but they can certainly supplement them, again as long as the price reflects their range and utility. My "French connection" used an e-bike as sole transportation for the better part of a year. When the Renault Zoe EV arrived with 4 wheels and a roof, it was a relief to no longer get home from a downpour looking like sodden roadkill. Enclose that open e-bike in a weatherproof shroud or body, and the equation would rebalance. David Roden, EVDL moderator & general lackey To reach me, don't reply to this message; I won't get it. Use my offlist address here : http://evdl.org/help/index.html#supt = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The metaverse as envisioned by the tech giants is not some promising new frontier for humanity. It's just another place to spend money on things. --Keza MacDonald = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/
