OH I definitely want this!!! The perfect 'bike' for me ;D
OH I definitely want this!!! The perfect 'bike' for me ;D
#bike #cars #vehicle #ebike #ecar #solarpower #solarenergy #electriccars #eco #innovation
http://www.organictransit.com/about-the-elf
#bike #cars #vehicle #ebike #ecar #solarpower #solarenergy #electriccars #eco #innovation
http://www.organictransit.com/about-the-elf
Definitely a good idea unfortunately my daily commute would be a bit of a stretch with this kind of vehicle.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one thinking "Sinclair C5"?
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one thinking Fred Flintstone?
ReplyDeleteElectric-assist velomobiles aren't exactly a new idea. Good marketing, though.
ReplyDeleteCharles Duffy I haven't heard of electric vehicles that can be totally recharged by sun power that are already being commercialized for affordable prices, have you? The ebikes don't even recharge with the motor energy generated by us cycling.. I find that a waste of energy.
ReplyDeleteSome ebikes do support regenerative charging, but it's a wasteful gimmick -- it's much more efficient to put the power from your pedaling directly into the road than to run it through a generator and then back into a battery. As for solar charging... you get an e-bike, you get a solar panel, you have a solar-charging ebike. I know people who charge their electric vehicles off their rooftop solar systems and get more than enough power for both ends of their commute.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of price -- $5000 is middle-of-the-road for a velomobile; neither exceptionally high nor exceptionally low. For an ebike, by contrast, it's definitely on the high end. (Yes, they go well above that, but that's close to the point where you're getting something with a handmade custom frame fabricated in a first world country).
ReplyDelete...by the way, http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2012/10/electric-velomobiles.html lists at least one alternative which ships with onboard solar panels.
ReplyDeleteWhile its not a groundbreaking idea for a product, I like it and their local micro factory business model.
ReplyDeleteToo slow for the roads
ReplyDeleteChaitanya Sindagi , it's fast enough for city streets -- where unassisted bicycles are already allowed -- and in most US states can legally use bike paths and improved shoulders whenever bicycles are legal there. That's not the case here in Texas, though, as there's a 100lb weight limit for ebikes which it runs afoul of.
ReplyDeletewhy can't we just use a normal bicycle? It is much better!!!
ReplyDeleteparamike mike , that depends on individual circumstances. I used to have a commute that took two hours each way on a regular bike -- too much time to be practical, but an e-bike added enough extra speed that I could afford to bike and not drive. Other advantages will apply to different people -- for instance, my fiancee can't ride a two-wheeled bike due to medical issues that impact her balance, but could drive a three-wheeled trike like this just fine.
ReplyDeleteparamike mike - to add two words to Charles Duffy's response: inclement weather. There are some people that are willing to bike through a torrential downpour, but most people would rather not.
ReplyDelete