Alternative to electric car

Yes, ethanethiol has a very noticeable and disagreeable odor.

Quote: Pacomartin

I think we need a few more cities with density 21 ppl/acre of Vancouver, 28 ppl/acre of San Francisco or 33 ppl/acre of Queens Borough.

I don't see this country creating another Bronx, Brooklyn, or Manhattan, but we can build very nice cities with reasonable density so that walking and public transport are options.

Some of this is already going on in some of our cities. The choice is do you like a nice yard and lots of toys or do you want to walk to the cafe around the corner?

Quote: AZDuffman

The choice is do you like a nice yard and lots of toys or do you want to walk to the cafe around the corner?

Particularly in the Southwest our cities are vast unwalkable places of low density that chew through gasoline.

PPl/acre
4.4 Phoenix
5.5 Houston
5.7 Dallas
6.3 San Diego
12.9 Los Angeles


The most impressive toy I've seen that belonged to a middle class guy in a crowded city was in Stockholm (19 ppl/acre). He had a tiny little one room flat, but instead of car he had a motorcycle and a speedboat tied up at a pier. Stockholm is called the Venice of the North because of the vast network of canals.

Quote: Pacomartin

Particularly in the Southwest our cities are vast unwalkable places of low density that chew through gasoline.

PPl/acre
4.4 Phoenix
5.5 Houston
5.7 Dallas
6.3 San Diego
12.9 Los Angeles


The most impressive toy I've seen that belonged to a middle class guy in a crowded city was in Stockholm (19 ppl/acre). He had a tiny little one room flat, but instead of car he had a motorcycle and a speedboat tied up at a pier. Stockholm is called the Venice of the North because of the vast network of canals.

The life of the average American is too customized to change our ways. In Phoenix you might drive from Glendale to Gilbert as a commute to work. Low skill workers can find work nearby, but as your skill goes up you need to drive. If you pack dense then living cost skyrockets, look at how much more expensive LA is than Phoenix and Manhattan than LA. Public transport can help but only goes so far, if you are more than a few blocks from your terminal point on either side it starts to not work.

Quote: AZDuffman

The life of the average American is too customized to change our ways.

But maybe the life will become unaffordable in ten years. We could return to life 115 years ago when most people died and only a handful could live. Life expectancy rocketed downward in Russia as old order collapsed in the 1990's

USA 1900 life expectancy at birth
White males 48.23
White females 51.08
Other males 32.54
Other females 35.04


Over the past 15 years, life expectancy in Russia has varied from roughly 58 years to 65 years for men, and roughly 71 to 74 years for women.

Quote: Pacomartin

But maybe the life will become unaffordable in ten years. We could return to life 115 years ago when most people died and only a handful could live. Life expectancy plu meted in Russia as old order collapsed in the 1990's

The global warming crowd wants us to return. But what is happening is we are making metro-plexes to live in. Some call them metro-messes. Phoenix, Dallas-Ft Worth, North Jersey, L.A. People accept being crammed together, but they want their tract home or townhouse. In Phoenix most homes have maybe 1/8 an acre but you can find yourself commuting 30 miles or more easily.

Public transport really works in only two ways. Either very dense populations like Manhattan or suburbs traveling into a city center. In a metro-mess too many people are going too many varied places.

Legally classified as bicycle the ELF can operate up to 18 mph on electric, and with pedaling can push as high as 40 mph. It can also be charged with solar power, but it takes very long, so you would have to park it in the sun while working an 8 hour day.

As always, the price is high. It starts at $6K and options can drive it much higher. The idea is that it gives some protection from the elements and added safety given it's bright color. If you are on busy streets you can operate it on electric power.

It takes 90 minutes to charge. There is no indication how long a charge lasts. Although it weighs 150 pounds, it has a 350 pound carrying capacity, so it's good for groceries and light trips to hardware store.

For just $85,000, you could buy a hoverbike.

Quote: reno

For just $85,000, you could buy a hoverbike.

Now they just need to make a hoverboard, as prophesied.

Outrider 422 alpha ($12K) . Under 100 lbs and hit 86 mph.