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A Velomobile is basically a bicycle with a body surrounding it-- a pedal powered car. They've been around for decades. Now they are also being designed with electric (even solar) power assist.
The body usually provides favorable aerodynamic characteristcs so that speeds of, say, 30mph can be achieved with the same amount of effort it takes to go 15mph on a standard bike. ...The carriage provides defense against the elements, and with 3 or 4 wheels, safety problems on wet or icy roads is improved. That also improves cargo capacity.
Weather is a major factor against using bikes regularly in three quarters of the country. The velomobile solves that.
As long as any type of 2-wheeler or velomobile style vehicle has to share roads with drunks, teenagers and little old ladies behind the wheels of 3 ton motorized weapons, there will be safety issues on the open roads, but maybe the velomobile is an appropriate choice worthy of encouragment for use in walkable neighborhoods/small towns.
I've been an avid bike rider for over 4 decades. I have seen a handful of those torpedo shaped velomobiles, which look like a little submarine below the top part of the rider's body. In fact, I saw one about a week ago on a bike path near Dayton OH.
They are almost useless on the practical side for bicycling. You can't attach a pair of luggage bags (pannier) to carry stuff as I can on my regular pedal power bike that has a heavy duty rear rack. Good luck trying to transport that monster if you want to put the bike in the car and go somewhere else to ride, unless you own a heck of a large truck or van. You better have a good large space to park the velomobile too that does not involve having to lift it.
The only upside I really see is that it can go faster than most bicycles on relatively flat terrain on relatively smooth pavement. That eliminates their use on so many other types of places that a bike is useful to ride. Good luck with a velomobile if you want to take off on a gravel or dirt road or path.
^^^ Both astute observations that a velomobile, like any other engineering solution, won't adpat well to all situations.
We could also point out that a standard bike or a convertible car is not a suitable choice for use in Nome in January, nor could you use your standard bike to carry home a pallet load of toilet paper when it's on sale at Costco.
A velomobile doesn't have to be a tiny, cigar shaped single seater. It could, as pictured in the one refs above, be a more comfortable seating arrangement with easier access...
You don't fold your Mini Morris up when you get to work to carry it inside to store by your desk. A velomobile could be parked on the street or in a parking garage like the larger, fuel hungry vehicles it would be replacing.
Two of the biggest hurdles for more use of bikes is (a) problems with the weather- particularly precipitation, and (2) "the perspiration factor" when you're using it for transportion for shopping or commuting and such, and nor just for recreation.
If it's not too early to be talking about EVs to replace ICEs when the petrol runs out, why not start talking about replacements for EVs for when there's not enough juice for all those?
But the price???
Well, these are short-run vehicles, so Twike is expecting to charge as much as EU€50,000 (US$56,700) for a fully pimped out Twike 5 with 120 mph (190 km/h) capability and a range up to 310 miles (500 km). Mar 18, 2019
...It was removed from the U.S. after a crash test wavier ended....
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Many, if not most, EPA and DOT regs on vehicles are really designed to prevent a clever, industrious entrepreneur giving us a moden version of a Peoples' Car (Volkswagen)-- a cheap, simple vehicle that would essentially put the BigGuys out of business....My first car was an MG Midget-- basically a go-cart with a widshield and sheet metal body. One thin sheet of metal was the door, separating the driver from the outside world...It would be illegal to market that now. "Steel girders" are regulated to be inside the door ...Those "steel girders" are nothing more than a slightly thicker grade of steel corrugated a little for stiffness...T-boned by a three ton truck, the driver of a new car will fly only 8 ft to his right instead of the 12 ft I would have flown in my Midget. BFD for the regs....I could go on and on on the subject.
My screen name is a play on words in Italian-- "guido" is not only a proper name but also translates as " I drive." "La Moto" is slang corresponding to "a bike" in English....Most Italians get about on 2 wheels. The population is attuned to them and respects them...Here, people driving cages don't seem to know what to make of 2-wheelers. It's dangerous out there. We'd need a complete change in general attitude if we were to adapt to tranportation a la Italiana....Of course, Italy is more suitable for 2 wheels than most of the US with our four seasons, more precipitation & cold.
Those little 50cc Moto Guzzi/ Peugot/ MoPeds have been getting 100mpg for ages.
I wish more Americans were interested in 2 wheelers...but then, I wish I were rich, hadsome and could fly too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
But the price???
Well, these are short-run vehicles, so Twike is expecting to charge as much as EU€50,000 (US$56,700) for a fully pimped out Twike 5 with 120 mph (190 km/h) capability and a range up to 310 miles (500 km). Mar 18, 2019
Smart marketing. They know it's mostly well heeled, virtue seeking Yuppy types interested anyway..may as well gouge them while they can....This is why EV sales in general are tanking-- all those interested in them have already bought one, and faced with the problems of reality, only a small percentage replace them with a second EV.
EVs have their niche as commuter cars or urban delivery vehicles, but they're not for everyone.
Many, if not most, EPA and DOT regs on vehicles are really designed to prevent a clever, industrious entrepreneur giving us a moden version of a Peoples' Car (Volkswagen)-- a cheap, simple vehicle that would essentially put the BigGuys out of business....My first car was an MG Midget-- basically a go-cart with a widshield and sheet metal body. One thin sheet of metal was the door, separating the driver from the outside world...It would be illegal to market that now. "Steel girders" are regulated to be inside the door ...Those "steel girders" are nothing more than a slightly thicker grade of steel corrugated a little for stiffness...T-boned by a three ton truck, the driver of a new car will fly only 8 ft to his right instead of the 12 ft I would have flown in my Midget. BFD for the regs....I could go on and on on the subject..
Well, the Lotus Elise is a lightweight car with a strong frame. What it lacks is likely front and rear subframes that absorb impact. Then the Lotus Evora/Emira is the larger car that meets crash test requirements.
Now I began saying that U.S. laws don't support neighborhood mobility vehicles. But then the research indicated that neighborhood mobility vehicles in the U.S. are three-wheel vehicles licensed as motorcycles. Of course two-front wheels with one larger rear wheel has become the standard
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Last edited by T Block; 11-14-2023 at 03:53 PM..
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