It’s Time for Single-Passenger Electric Vehicles

I don't understand why this is supposed to improve traffic flow by 70%. Its not like you can fit 2 of these side-by-side in one lane. Maybe you can, but nobody will do it, and if they did, there would probably be more collisions on the freeway slowing down traffic anyway. Or are we just supposed pack in more vehicles per 100 yards and have everyone tailgate each other?

If it had 150 mile range, I would be more interested.

Sorry Dana,

Folks will never get it. The real choice is not between keeping the SUV, the minivan, and the pickup vs setting for an enclosed 3-4 wheel scooter. The choice is between the enclosed scooter and your grandkids living like the middle ages. The news about climate change, and increasingly expensive fossil fuel just doesn't sink in.

Party like rock stars while you can.

I'm waiting on the C-1 from Lit Motors. I hope they make production. Until then the Volt will do just fine!

I'm loving my little 2-seater Think City. I think there is indeed a market for low-priced electric commuter vehicles. But having the price low is key. People can then buy as a 'second car' even though it will end up being the car that they drive most often.

There is no secret here. Batteries are heavy and expensive. Compared to gasoline, that will be true even for next generation batteries. The answer is to start with a 100 mpg vehicle. Super efficient ICE drivetrains are expensive and complicated.

In a truly efficient vehicle, electric drive wins hands down. But it only makes economic sense in a very efficient vehicle. Such vehicles have existed as concept cars, and limited production series for decades. But the public never wants them. Every time they appear on these car sites, they are called clown cars, golf karts, fish-mobiles.

We are like junkies, covered in sores, looking for a vein that hasn't collapsed yet. We have it under control. We can quit any time.

Dana Myers,

You have hit upon the primary part of our energy problem: we routinely put much more into motion than what is required. Your vehicle needs the support of a specialized guideway for its long haul travel, and operation on safer low speed ordinary roads while not on that guideway.

What you are building is essentially an electric "bubble car." They became somewhat popular in post WWII Europe. One can be seen at the Ripley's Museum at Baltimore Inner Harbor. A particular one in Brazil became known as "pizza-butt," because the little bubble hatch back was used for pizza delivery.

I'm sure I could help you with your project, and would even like to discuss it with you offline, if you like. Let me know in this forum.

I am keeping my eye on this one. I like the idea of a kit. Right up my alley.

http://theroade.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/the-road-e-project-electric-veh...

We need to rethink this absurd notion that people will commute more than 10 miles each way by SOV. A person driving 50 miles to work in a Prius is no greenie. Factor in the congestion, the huge socialized costs of maintaining and ever expanding a road network and you have an unsustainable vision of the future. Move closer to work, use public transportation and limit car use to a minimum.

Unfortunately your two seater, which I like, is still not ready for production and cost as much as a leaf if you want decent range.

The Twizy is selling quite well in Germany, a country with widespread green consciousness compared to the USA - the price matches its performance. There are a number of other enclosed e-bike/ 3 wheelers being developed here in Europe too - but remember we have extremely expensive fuel, at €1.55 a liter or €6.00 per US gallon - if your fuel prices were $6.00 per USG people might start to take more notice. The difficulty with EVs is that oil prices have been set so that if they go high enough to cause enough pain to make people clamour for EVs, they kill all economic activity as at the end of 2008 (the global economy basically stopped in Janaury 2009) - but even at $100 per barrel, it's not high enough to make enough people demand an EV because they are too expensive - or there isn't enough value in them until oil hits $150.

But you have the emerging markets yes - Magacities. But price needs to be right.

What is really needed is a breakthrough or re-think in EV propulsion technology to bring the price of the powertrain and battery to below €/$/£5000 with acceptable range. Unlikely with LiIon. Other batteries exist as do other understandings of electrodymanics.

The problem is most people can't (or don't want to) afford two vehicles, and you still have situations where you need to carry somebody else.

So what is really need is a system of automated single and multi-seater (self driving) EVs that are accessed on a monthly subscription service (or pay per use).

That way I don't have to have "ownership" of any particular configuration. Bring up the app on the phone, tell them how many people, and get the right self driving vehicle to come to you. Or maybe you just get 3 vehicles if there are three people and they are automated to stay in a cluster.

Keep working Google, the self driving cars will get us there.