It wouldn’t be an only vehicle. Most families have more than one car. E-bikes are sort of like motorcycles. Great idea, but rarely used because they can’t carry anything, or else the weather is cold, or raining, or whatever. Imagine a retired guy happily cruising around his neighborhood and occasionally across town for errands. Low to the ground, easier to get in and out of. He’s not going to get on an e-bike.Ken wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 2:29 pmI read the article. It is a dealer trying to sell these vehicles. But realistically, if you are living in say Bend or Redmond. How do you actually get anywhere without going on US-97? Which has a 55 or 60 mph speed limit, not 35? Most of the places people shop (big box stores) are along US-97. This is the most popular model of these things. By the time you get a nice one you are already in the $25,000 range. https://www.bacarts.com/New-Inventory-2 ... t%20states.RZehr wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 2:06 pm You seem to have missed reading the article.
These are actually legal to drive on regular roads as long as the speed limit on that road is 35 mph or lower. They just can’t be on highways, which have speed limits higher that 35 mph. So Seattles I-5 and bike lanes are not used at all.
So yes, a golf cart like these, is completely able to navigate within much of small / moderate sized city limits, from residential neighborhoods to schools, to stores.
At that price point, might as well get an actual small EV that you can take on the highway and out into the country or even drive across the country.
Or spend $2-5k and get a decent cargo e-bike like this that you can actually take on bike paths and sidewalks, bring inside elevators, and park inside your apartment to safely store and charge if you live in a city where on-street parking is scarce and there would be no place to park and store one of those bigger NEVs. https://www.ternbicycles.com/en/bikes/472/gsd And also bring on buses and subways if you live in an actual city with mass transit.
Look how India is using this type of small electric transportation:
https://apnews.com/article/electric-veh ... 386ad44a4b
If electric cars are going to replace gas, is the heavy $80,000 luxury Tesla really the thing that is going to do it?