I've long had the feeling that if we want to co-habitate on this planet for many years and generations to come, we need to drastically cut our consumption. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is great, but it won't be enough. Not even close. We need to cut down on the total amount of material we consume.
When you buy a car, you buy approximately 3-4k+ pounds of material that had to be mined, trucked, manufactured....you get the point. The amount of consumption that goes into making a 3-4k lbs car is much more than just the raw material. What is needed is to drastically cut down on the amount of material needed to transport a person.
I love that Americans are finally embracing E-bikes as more than just a novelty, thanks largely to the recent advancement in motor and battery technology that has gotten to the point where they are actually fun AND affordable.
I recently saw this ad for investors in exactly what is needed for personal vehicles. Brace yourself....
Eli is a small startup that promises to deliver a small affordable electric vehicle to the masses. Admittedly, the car looks dorky. But I know how difficult it is to make a micro car look cool, so kudos to them for doing a great job considering. According to their website, the company is made up of people with Small ev backgrounds, such as golf carts etc. I've long wondered why that gap has yet to be filled between golf carts and small street legal EV's. I wish them the best of luck, hope that they don't turn into the next Helio Motors, and hope that they can get it to a price tag under $15k. Oh yeah, using sustainable materials would be great too!
If you are looking for something even smaller and on an electric bike platform. Checkout the Virtue Cycles Pedalist. An enclosed 2 person Ebike with a storage compartment for hauling groceries, pets, etc.
At $6k, it is not cheap, however when stacked up against a standard vehicle, it is.
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