micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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I don’t understand the 3 wheel hate. 2 wheel vehicles have a learning curve with counter-steering and require more engagement with driving. 4 wheels makes them huge. I don’t think this looks too dorky either.
It's a safety issue. 4 wheels are stable, 2 wheels while having a learning curve are stable and require additional training and (in most places) additional licensing. Both of these things are acceptably 'safe.' The biggest draw of these 3 wheel vehicles is that they require no additional licensing. The assumption is they are just like 4 wheel vehicles... except they aren't. Three wheeled vehicles aren't stable in motion - especially when maneuvering. This is a physics problem - and most drivers untrained will walk themselves right into the problem and run the risk of injuring not only themselves and others. I have a lot of EMTs in my family and I have lost count of how many times I've heard stories of how these things will kill and maim their passengers. Doubly so for the ones that have two seats. If they required additional licenses, sure go to town- you know the risks but as it is right now... it's a danger that is downplayed and sold to people who are just completely unaware.
Do I think they are ugly? Yes- that's my opinion... but that aside they are a danger to the driver and others. Any "countermeasures" that are introduced to help solve a physics problem that don't involve an extra wheel aren't actually solving it.
I don’t know about your claim that they are inherently unsafe. With fixed wheels, three-wheelers are prone to tipping. I agree with that. With this model they are claiming that it “leans.” It makes sense to me with a clever enough suspension they could solve that issue.
It's not a new design. Leaning is attempting to leverage a concept from 2 wheeled physics to bandaid their poor design (all three wheelers):
Leaning shifts a center of gravity and leverages that force. Except 3 wheels receive different levels of force and cannot distribute it evenly... because it is a triangle. Also leaning doesn't do much for the passenger which is still elevated and raises the center of gravity. These don't just flip- they tumble.