I want a small electric runabout. Are there any options?
Discussion
The government bangs on about switching from fossil fuels to electric and has set out a clear ambition to make all vehicles electric in the next 20 years.
So why is it so hard to use an electric vehicle legally? I don't mean a Tesla or a Leaf, more single person transport like this:
https://www.gearbest.com/skateboard/pp_596618.html...
I rode one of these for about half an hour in Kiev a few months ago and am totally sold on the usefulness of one for popping to the shops (maybe even the pub?) etc..but I'm not allowed to use it on the road or pavement. I'm sure there are equally good similar devices like those single wheel thingies...obviously I don't care much for how strangers perceive me riding a child's toy!
I work from home and SWMBO takes our only car to work so either I buy a car that I don't need or carry on using my legs to get to the shops or am I missing some other middle ground?
So why is it so hard to use an electric vehicle legally? I don't mean a Tesla or a Leaf, more single person transport like this:
https://www.gearbest.com/skateboard/pp_596618.html...
I rode one of these for about half an hour in Kiev a few months ago and am totally sold on the usefulness of one for popping to the shops (maybe even the pub?) etc..but I'm not allowed to use it on the road or pavement. I'm sure there are equally good similar devices like those single wheel thingies...obviously I don't care much for how strangers perceive me riding a child's toy!
I work from home and SWMBO takes our only car to work so either I buy a car that I don't need or carry on using my legs to get to the shops or am I missing some other middle ground?
Burgmeister said:
The government bangs on about switching from fossil fuels to electric and has set out a clear ambition to make all vehicles electric in the next 20 years.
So why is it so hard to use an electric vehicle legally? I don't mean a Tesla or a Leaf, more single person transport like this:
https://www.gearbest.com/skateboard/pp_596618.html...
I rode one of these for about half an hour in Kiev a few months ago and am totally sold on the usefulness of one for popping to the shops (maybe even the pub?) etc..but I'm not allowed to use it on the road or pavement. I'm sure there are equally good similar devices like those single wheel thingies...obviously I don't care much for how strangers perceive me riding a child's toy!
I work from home and SWMBO takes our only car to work so either I buy a car that I don't need or carry on using my legs to get to the shops or am I missing some other middle ground?
Totally agree, things like this could be massively part of the solution for both traffic and environmental problems. So why is it so hard to use an electric vehicle legally? I don't mean a Tesla or a Leaf, more single person transport like this:
https://www.gearbest.com/skateboard/pp_596618.html...
I rode one of these for about half an hour in Kiev a few months ago and am totally sold on the usefulness of one for popping to the shops (maybe even the pub?) etc..but I'm not allowed to use it on the road or pavement. I'm sure there are equally good similar devices like those single wheel thingies...obviously I don't care much for how strangers perceive me riding a child's toy!
I work from home and SWMBO takes our only car to work so either I buy a car that I don't need or carry on using my legs to get to the shops or am I missing some other middle ground?
p.s.
on a serious note... I had a drive in a Tesla last weekend and I was totally unimpressed by it. Acceleration response was the only thing going for it.
The rest was just 'shoddy' with a few led lights to make it feel modern.
It felt like it was just one step away from being an autonomous vehicle, the driver being the final 'obstacle' in the product.
So my advice is to quietly step away from the electric concept, its hugely boring (has little gain for the environment) and you'll feel like you'll want to lay down on the rail tracks after any amount of time in them.
Electric bicycle would be good, I'm seriously thinking of buying one. Go and try one, several shops will give you an extended test ride.
There's something parked up the road from my office regularly which has Citroen badges but is shaped like one of those little bulbous Mitsubishi things, bit like a helicopter cockpit? Says somewhere on it that it's all electric. Quite small, bigger than a Twizy tho, proper doors and windows on it.
There's something parked up the road from my office regularly which has Citroen badges but is shaped like one of those little bulbous Mitsubishi things, bit like a helicopter cockpit? Says somewhere on it that it's all electric. Quite small, bigger than a Twizy tho, proper doors and windows on it.
Lime, Bird and the other heavily invested electric scooter rental startups have been trying to get the law changed so they can operate in London - so far have got nowhere with it.
You do see a few about - I suspect that if you ride carefully and respectfully then you're incredibly unlikely to get stopped.
You do see a few about - I suspect that if you ride carefully and respectfully then you're incredibly unlikely to get stopped.
CAPP0 said:
There's something parked up the road from my office regularly which has Citroen badges but is shaped like one of those little bulbous Mitsubishi things, bit like a helicopter cockpit? Says somewhere on it that it's all electric. Quite small, bigger than a Twizy tho, proper doors and windows on it.
C-Zero. Along with the Pug iOn, they're just a rebadge of the electric version of the Mitsu i - so, yep, very "shaped like"...https://www.citroen.co.uk/new-cars-and-vans/citroe...
I'm just surprised nobody's yet suggested...
https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/
But if you want to use something without needed licences, tax, etc, then an electric push bike is the only legal option really.
But if you want to use something without needed licences, tax, etc, then an electric push bike is the only legal option really.
Atomic12C said:
So my advice is to quietly step away from the electric concept, its hugely boring (has little gain for the environment) and you'll feel like you'll want to lay down on the rail tracks after any amount of time in them.
Overall impact - I agree. But it does move the pollution out of cities where it is pretty bad right now...Willow1212 said:
Electric bikes have to be pedaled. The motor only assists the pedaling effort.
The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
My Ultra Motor A2B was twist and go - pedals were optional. Would do about 15 miles on a charge.The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
Burgmeister said:
Why are electric bikes ok but scooters not? Both can be leg powered...
Because there's a legal category for electrically-assisted bicycles and mobility scooters, which have to be type-approved even if not registered. There isn't one at all for electric gopeds, Segways, hoverboards, or any of the rest of them. Because they're non-type-approved motorised vehicles that don't fit into any category, they're no more legal than petrol gopeds or petrol pit bikes or jet milkfloats or rocket roller skates or whatever other home-brew suicide-attempt some loon knocks up in his shed.red_slr said:
Willow1212 said:
Electric bikes have to be pedaled. The motor only assists the pedaling effort.
The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
My Ultra Motor A2B was twist and go - pedals were optional. Would do about 15 miles on a charge.The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
Atomic12C said:
So my advice is to quietly step away from the electric concept, its hugely boring (has little gain for the environment) and you'll feel like you'll want to lay down on the rail tracks after any amount of time in them.
Willow1212 said:
red_slr said:
My Ultra Motor A2B was twist and go - pedals were optional. Would do about 15 miles on a charge.
That wouldn't be legal to sell as an e-bike now.The European regs date back to 2002, and require the electrickery to be cut if the rider stops pedalling.
Willow1212 said:
red_slr said:
Willow1212 said:
Electric bikes have to be pedaled. The motor only assists the pedaling effort.
The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
My Ultra Motor A2B was twist and go - pedals were optional. Would do about 15 miles on a charge.The scooter equivalent would be if the motor only drove the wheels when the rider was pushing with their legs too, that isn't really feasible to do.
TooMany2cvs said:
Would it ever have been, at least in the UK?
The European regs date back to 2002, and require the electrickery to be cut if the rider stops pedalling.
I think it was a while before the Euro regs took effect here, but certainly since e-bikes have become more popular in the last few years they have all had to be supplied as pedal-assist. The European regs date back to 2002, and require the electrickery to be cut if the rider stops pedalling.
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