this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2024
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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I watched the Aging Wheels video a few days ago, thinking about posting it in this community. But the only thing I can think to say about it vis-a-vis micromobility is that it's an example of looking like a duck, but quacks like a submarine klaxon.

At 9 kW peak output from its electric motor, this machine slips well past the line for what can plausibly be called human-powered mobility. And like some of the larger, heavier ebike builds we've seen earlier in this community, this falls well outside the limits of "micro" mobility, coming in at 240 kg (530 lbs) minimum. And it does 85 kph (53 mph)? That's almost an impractical speed for this vehicle.

I think we can say we've found the true answer to the question of "what if we make ebikes faster, more powerful, and bigger?". The answer is not a car, but a Twike.

Not to say that the Twike is a bad EV. Ok, it kinda is, but it's a matter of having the right standard to compare to. As an ebike, the Twike is horrific. As a daily driver car, probably the same. But perhaps, just maybe, the Twike could fill a role akin to the classic Grumman LLV mail trucks used by USPS in rural communities. Or something like that, idk.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Ok, I thought of some more strengths for the Twike, from rewatching the video:

/s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Some crazy mofo near where I’m currently living still drives a Reliant that can only be described as a pick-up / ute type vehicle. I’m assuming it’s been modded by the owner because surely Reliant never built something that weird.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That's wild! There's so much that can be done with fiberglass, that perhaps we've forgotten to ask whether it should be done haha

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

You are not wrong. Fortunately I was psychologically more prepared to see it as over a decade previously I’d already witnessed a 3 (2?) door Vauxhall / Opel Corsa that had been turned into a pick-up. Like you say, just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Okay that is both slower and heavier than my motorcycle. Plus you can't lane filter in that thing.