Submitted by For_All_Humanity t3_zvznmd in Futurology
Surur t1_j1slt98 wrote
In another thread someone said that the developing world will miss out on the EV revolution as EVs cost too much, but in fact the developing world would benefit most from the fuel and maintenance benefits from EVs, and with ICE vehicles you cant get your fuel from the sun.
Human_Anybody7743 t1_j1sugik wrote
They'll also get several huge benefits that the global north is trying their absolute best to avoid.
Small EVs with swappable batteries are safer, more convenient, less damaging to their surroundings, and battery swapping stations provide arbitrage and grid stability rather than superchargers which increase peak demand and reduce stability.
mhornberger t1_j1tjtjn wrote
I think it depends on the speed those small EVs are driven. In a place with poor roads, maybe everyone has to drive more slowly. But in the US, motorcycles have a quite significantly higher fatality rate per mile of travel. And I'd wager that countries in which people travel more by scooter have a higher death rate on the road.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate
I definitely prefer EV scooters over ICE scooters.
Human_Anybody7743 t1_j1tnr65 wrote
I was more thinking something like this moving at 40. Also without a car-free sample you can't distinguish the danger caused by a scooter from the danger caused by not being protected from a car (statistically death and injury rates are heavily skewed towards crashes involving a car) and high speed motorcycles are frequently lumped in with low speed.
Surur t1_j1tto74 wrote
I wish the anti-car movement would campaign for small EV cars instead of buses, trains and bikes. At least they offer the real benefit of cars without the negatives of public transport and bikes.
Human_Anybody7743 t1_j1tu5do wrote
They're not a viable 'instead' though as they also don't offer the upsides of those options. A 4 wheel LEV parking lot and road system will occupy 30% of your city rather than 75%, it still needs a sober adult without any balance, sleep or coordination disorders, it is still dangerous, it still makes outdoor spaces horrible to be in if you have enough of them to move everyone. It needs to be an 'as well'.
Surur t1_j1tuh9v wrote
They could use the same infrastructure as bikes lol.
Or are you implying bikes don't need parking lots and roads?
And of course being electrified they could be centrally controlled e.g. robotaxis.
Human_Anybody7743 t1_j1tvvhi wrote
> They could use the same infrastructure as bikes lol.
Well no. If it's status quo rather than disability and elderly only then you're just making the bike paths uninhabitable by children, new riders, etc.
> Or are you implying bikes don't need parking lots and roads?
It's a matter of density. A 4m wide train line can take 80,000 people an hour. A 4m wide bike lane can move 10,000-20,000 people an hour. A car park sized spot can fit 40 bicycles vs 10 mopeds or 3 of these. A folding bike can fit under your desk, as can an escooter. Doubling or tripling your capacity and reducing danger with LEVs is appropriate for some areas, but there are no silver bullets.
You need local streets heavily biased towards smaller vehicles and transit and active transport pathways safe enough that you see a 60 year old grandma biking to the shops next to their 3 yo grandkid.
[deleted] t1_j1tx0zs wrote
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Shillbot_9001 t1_j1xmux9 wrote
>Well no. If it's status quo rather than disability and elderly only then you're just making the bike paths uninhabitable by children, new riders, etc.
Uninhabitable? The dutch manage just fine.
Human_Anybody7743 t1_j1xnaiu wrote
Their bike lanes aren't full of microcars because they're restricted, scooters are a big problem, and there are ongoing efforts to improve safety.
Mescallan t1_j1txs0g wrote
I live in Vietnam and they are piloting a similar program now with the intention on going full electric by 2030 (not going to happen). Most people ride motorbikes here anyway, so switching to electric bikes wouldn't actually be too hard. There are 7-11 like connivence stores with a wall of batteries that you can exchange without needing to recharge yours (which is an option as well).
I could see an all electric urban environment here faster than in the states if only because driving a car is not the norm. If high density urban environments prioritized two wheel transportation it would be much quicker to transition.
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