I saw the above vehicle today, as I went to the bank to clarify an issue I had with newly issued credit cards. And it got me thinking about the future of these vehicles.
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For a long time, I've held that it is unlikely that we will meet the political deadline set by the governors of New York and California to end the sales of internal combustion vehicles. But I'm not as sure as I once was due to the use of electric vehicles by two people in my circle of acquaintances. (Only one of these people drives a Tesla. The other drives a Nissan Leaf.) Although I could make a case for a Tesla being a person's only car, I can't say that yet for any other brand of electric vehicle.
Today, I saw an article noting that Toyota has developed a battery that could get 750 miles on a single charge AND be fully charged in 10 minutes. Assuming that the cost of manufacturing these batteries could be brought down to a reasonable price point (even Toyota says this technology is not ready for prime time) and that the charging station infrastructure can be fully built out in 12 years, I feel that it might be possible to migrate to a fully electric transportation economy. These, still, are two gigantic ifs!
The above vehicle is classified as a motorcycle by New York state law. If you look at the steering control in the top picture, you'll see something resembling handlebars. I wonder if the driver of this vehicle still has to wear a helmet. I'm also concerned that entry doors (if any) on this vehicle are removable, and that climate control (both air conditioning and heat) does not exist for this vehicle.
Years ago, I saw a internal combustion (ICE) commuter vehicle designed for a single driver, whose price point was set at $7,500. In 2016, I was able to sit inside one of Elio Motors' ICE prototype vehicles. Unfortunately, Elio Motors' ICE product never made it to market - gas prices stayed cheap, and people were able to buy new and used ICE vehicles at a price point which took away the market for Elio's product Today, Elio is looking to sell an electric vehicle for $15,000. Elio realizes that any vehicle being sold in this market needs standard safety features found on current model cars, needs appropriate climate control for passenger comfort, as well as other features now found on current model cars.
Would I buy an electric vehicle designed to carry only two people? I'm not sure any more. I'd still want a ICE car for long distance travel. But, if Toyota's technology proves to be practical and affordable in the near future, I'd consider an electric version of a 4-dor sedan. Yet, if I had the ICE vehicle, I'd consider a 2-person electric commuter vehicle for short trips. As you can see, electric powered vehicles are a growing share of the transportation market, and is creating confusion while the transition from ICE vehicles to Electric vehicles takes place.....
