this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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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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Focus on discussing the idea, not attacking the person.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

14k for a "car" with a top speed of 16 mph / 25 km/h??

I guess they've managed to unify the drawbacks of cars and e-bikes as well.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Stuff like this always seems to be stupid expensive for some reason.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Because they're not going to sell a ton of units. Economics of scale work against them. They need to at least break even, and not just on the parts and labour for the unit (which are already higher than they would be on a higher volume product all on their own) but also on the r&d, post-sale support and warranties, administration, etc.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That's a great explanation for why it costs that much, but not for why they think it's a good idea to sell it for that price.

Other companies first build a prototype and gather investment so that they can build a first 1000 (not 60) units and can reach a price that can be attractive for the market. Or build first a niche, super exclusive product so that the lack of economies of scale doesn't matter as much.

In here I just can't see the value proposition really. For half the price I can buy something like a Renault Twizy or Citroen Ami with similar size, twice the speed, twice the range, and still zero emissions. Plus I don't have to pedal, and I get a radio. Why would I ever want this?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Entrepreneurial ego plays a part I think. Unless they already found 60 people that want them for this price.

Developing an agile enough process and factory to make things like this might be an interesting business model. Probably way Too low profit to attract investors though.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago

The ground clearance on that thing looks like it would ground out on the first pothole.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

things with bike in the name or being compared to bikes should have teh capability of being human powered. an e-bike that has no human power is an electric scooter.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This is pedal driven as well. You can see the driver using their legs in the video, essentially this is a very luxurious e-bike. It is both street and bike lane legal in germany, which requires meeting fairly strict limits in how "motorized" it is allowed to be.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

thanks. I tend to not watch videos and just look at pictures. Still to expensive though.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Anyone got a clue why there appear to be 2 steering wheels?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Probably second wheel is a brake handle?
Hard to tell from the pictures and video.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Hun!?! So you can pull on it regardless of the position of the hands on the steering wheel, I guess? That's a new one on me.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent 1 points 7 months ago

No idea but I was wondering that myself.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] FartsWithAnAccent 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

There was another one made in the 80s, I forget the name now though. It was an independent company as I recall but it was also stupid expensive.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Going back, there's also the 1950s-era Reliant Regal (aka Mr. Bean's blue 3-wheeler that keeps tipping over):

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

The Sinclair C5 is pretty much the same idea and from the 80s.

But not enclosed.