• ThunderWhiskers@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    What about living rurally stops you from

    maintaining or retrofitting current vehicles

    Cost, accessibility, and vehicles don’t last forever.

    or going two wheels?

    If you’re talking about motorcycles, they are basically death traps and many people aren’t comfortable on them. If you’re talking about bicycles, they are basically death traps and people don’t always want to exercise to get where they’re going and rural areas are by definition sparsely populated, bikes would take forever Neither of those offers options for families or bad weather.

    Like it or not personal vehicles are a necessity in most of America.

    • Alex@feddit.ro
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      1 year ago

      Bikes are ok outside streets, but pretty dangerous on streets.

      Motorcycles are way faster bikes that are mainly for streets. Truly death traps

    • Sunfoil@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      So if rural people aren’t maintaining their vehicles, what are they doing? Obviously they are and you’re being silly. There are cars that when correctly maintained, have kept running for the entire history that cars have existed.

      Great to see you have such an informed take on two wheeled vehicles. The issue with two wheels isn’t engineering, it’s public perception, fuelled by dumb takes like yours. Obviously we have to change what people perceive as viable personal transport.

      The solution of two wheels in the EV space is quickly obvious. Most car journeys are a single person. You don’t need a 2 ton box to carry one person places.

      When solving for the limiting factors of electric drive systems, you need to minimize resistances. Two wheels is less rolling resistance, less weight, and adding an enclosure, less air resistance. Put the rider in a recumbent riding position and place the batteries underneath, you have an incredibly stable, low friction, light, personal EV that maximizes your effective range while being simple, cheap, accessible. The enclosed nature makes the rider as safe as they would be in a car in case of an accident, and you’re as weather resistant too. Obviously families, workmen etc still need 4 wheels but as I said most car journeys are for a single person. These could be made for two people also.

      • ThunderWhiskers@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        So if rural people aren’t maintaining their vehicles, what are they doing? Obviously they are and you’re being silly.

        So what the fuck are you talking about then? Either you’re implying that existing vehicle lifespans should be extended beyond what normal care allows through “maintenance” or it’s irrelevant to the conversation.

        I won’t bother quoting the rest of your comment but the same question applies. What are you even talking about? Nobody said anything about engineering hurdles or the difficulties of an electric two wheeled vehicle.

        You got so caught up in being “right” you forgot what the discussion was even about. I’ll break it down.

        Two. Wheeled. Solutions. Are. Not. Universally. Practical. Quit trying to assume you know what’s best for everyone.

        • Sunfoil@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Jesus, I’m not saying they’re universally practical, that’s why I have given a range of options. You’re missing the point that people buy new cars while their old car is perfectly good.

          Most cars will run for hundreds of thousands of miles with standard maintenance, which people neglect to do. Retrofitting electric solutions to existing cars would further extend their life, as the low work-life components are all in the drivetrain.

          I outlined what a two wheeled electric solution should be because you dismissed the entire sector as death traps, which is wrong and counter productive. A perception we need to overcome when the only economic option for a lot of people’s personal transport will be motorcycles of some description.

          If there was a 25% adoption of motorcycles to commute with, traffic congestion could effectively disappear.

          I do know what’s best for everyone. Its stopping climate change, removing our reliance of fossil fuels and switching to more economical forms of transport. Rural people do not need to ferry themselves around in a 2 tonne Ford F-150 doing 10 mpg with a v8 to run basic errands. Because you obviously missed it; OBVIOUSLY FAMILIES AND WORKMEN NEED MORE CARRYING CAPACITY. For those situations an electric van or low cc petrol engine could be used. However 60%+ car journeys are single occupancy errands and commuting. There is no excuse for not being on two wheels in that case.