Canon PowerShot G9
ƒ/4
7.4 mm
1/800
80
with demi-cars at the AlwaysOn conference at Cavallo Point today (recently converted from military barracks by the owners of Post Ranch Inn).
11 responses to “GoingGreen”
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I thought the full width ultra short cars were way too short but these are quite funny! I would call them quarter-cars! I would be far more worried about being easily crushed like a pancake than consuming too much energy. They are not a whole lot different from motorcycles and I saw too many victims in intensive care while I used to do E.C.G.s for many years (a long time ago).
Would YOU drive on the highway or a busy suburban road in these? Are these used on the road or just on the property?
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I hate to split hairs, but if you’re going green, you should probably turn things off when you’re not using them. Saves energy, dontcha know.
😉
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…I can just imagine them tumbling like Keystone cops. Head on, they look like a cartoon car that squeezes between others on the highway by sucking it in…. Part of the problem is perceptual. The lead acid batteries put 2000 lbs of weight down low, so it looks more top heavy than it is (imagine the body ended at that diagonal body line, and it would be more accurate). Nevertheless, when I saw one zipping up the hill toward me, I almost freaked because I thought it was going to tip over for a head-on.
Mimosa: not me, but I imagine urban commuters would love ’em. Supposedly, you can do lane splitting with them, like a motorcycle to add to the zaniness…
Todd: very good point! The AlwaysOn brand extension to Greentech is a bit problematic!
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I honestly could not find this safe nor practical. You cannot do much errands with this limited space. There is no room for more than a couple of grocery bags, no room to add dry-cleaned clothes without wrinkling them, no room to add any large item bought at most stores. You cannot ever have a passenger. I think this is a good idea for a large private property, a farm, a plantation, or a resort, a golf course, an industrial plant or other such large place with a private road but away from any traffic.
It is a matter of knowing the positive and practical uses and not overextending them. So the idea of going green with such cars is not really achieved if one wants to be practical and safe.
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> cannot do much errands with this limited space. There is no room for more than a couple of grocery bags, no room to add dry-cleaned clothes without wrinkling them, no room to add any large item bought at most stores. You cannot ever have a passenger.
I guess that means the somewhat similar "bicycle" concept is dead in the water then.
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Nice little programme-ette about e-cars in general, but feat. the Tango – check out the squeeze through traffic trick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl9ke41bcRI
(mostly in German)I can just see these buzzing round Milan or Warsaw or wherever, like, next week, though they might need more marketing in the USA.
I still think pedals are the way to go.
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@Drift Words, the point is a bicycle are cheaper and more eco-friendly whereas a Tango mini-car is expensive for the use it offers. If you buy a car, it is usually in part to have room to transport more people or things. I too would prefer a bicycle.
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I think you may be right. Are electric cars a transport methadone, a poor substitute for the user and not a cure for their addiction?
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This comment to all.
Every vehicle has its use, merits, advantages and disadvantages. Considering only the usefulness of a vehicle, for transportation rather than pleasure, one needs to compare each type and determine which one satisfies our particular needs. It depends on where we live, the environment and terrain we travel in, where we travel to each day and week, who and what we need to transport in a month, how fast we want to get to our destination, how much we need to be protected from the weather conditions (rain, wind, sun, heat, cold, snow), what we want to wear in our travels (suit, dress, high heels etc), how fresh-looking we want to look at all times (hair, make-up, clean clothes). It also depends on our budget and our consciousness concerning the environment. A bicycle is ideal for the simplest of needs. A motorcycle gets you faster to your destination but is not more practical and is less safe. A spacious vehicle is ideal to transport people and things, especially large items. A mid-size car is ideal to transport yourself and your groceries and other purchases, all well-protected from the rain and wind, but also for the occasional larger loads. A mini car seems to be useful only for the single person who never wants a passenger and who only needs to carry a few small items and has the rest delivered at home, which would defeat the purpose of having a smart car to save energy. As I mentioned before, I see it more as the perfect vehicle for a large private property, a farm, a ranch, a plantation, or a resort, a golf course, an industrial plant or other such large place with a private road but away from any traffic.
Going Green with a bicycle/taxi.
In Montréal, we are going to have a smart bicycle to use around town as a taxi. The specially designed bicycle is called bixi (bi for bicycle and xi for taxi, both identical in French and English). This very sturdy bike can be used on all kinds of terrain, including our mountain in the city and the cobblestones in our Old Montréal.
The $15 million program was created for the purpose of using a bicycle to travel green. It was announced on September 22, 2008 and the service will be launched in Spring 2009.
bixi.ca/index.php?page_id=1&lang=en
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=4909958...
http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_archives/2008/9/22/3895242.html
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