As someone whose interests lie in the sights, sounds and smells of older, classic vehicles I don’t spend much time exploring the cutting edge technology in the automotive world. But I’m not a luddite and try to stay informed about some of the developments and certainly have an interest in the societal changes happening in mobility in general.
Recent cataclysmic changes have prompted many of us to think a more about day to day life and question old assumptions and traditions. When it comes to driving this has certainly been the case for myself. We’ve already been running a more efficient and less polluting petrol vehicle for the last 4 years and in the last 2 we have also more or less halved our mileage. While it wasn’t deliberate even my classic is now a more efficient choice than before.
Of course some people who can afford to have gone much further by switching to electric alternatives. The economic and environmental cost / benefit becomes less clear the further you take the drive to become ‘greener’. But regardless shifting fuel prices and availability have certainly made everyone who uses a vehicle consider what they can do to reduce the cost, just as it has done in the past.
The renewed focus on reducing consumption is one glimmering positive we can take in today’s uncertain world. It’s lead me to discover some interesting developments happening alongside the hype of the ‘electric car revolution’.
Wheels - less is more?
OK I’ll come clean - I’ve been thinking about getting into motorcycles. Specifically classic old bikes that are of no use to man or beast in today’s world like a BSA Bantam are what piqued my interest. My next project ambition (which may or may not happen) aside, learning about bikes has made me realise there is big potential for things with less than 4 wheels to grow in popularity in the near future.
Firstly motorbikes are generally much more efficient. Depending on the bike and rider you can potentially halve your fuel consumption while producing the same or less emissions. They are also smaller and more nimble offering a range of advantages including the possibility in future, if governments and authorities deemed it a priority, different road layouts and designs. The humble motorbike is often forgotten when it comes to planning, but it needn’t necessarily be the case.
In fact consideration given to motorised two-wheeled transport is going to become increasingly urgent due to the proliferation of ‘e-bikes’. Regulation is slowly changing to deal with a number of problems created by the rise of electrically assisted bicycles (push bikes) and electric motorised bikes / scooters. There is a evolving and confusing range of electric two-wheelers available, but there is huge interest in the potential they offer.
Are electric bikes the future, now?
Firstly lets explain what is currently on the market in simple terms
Electrically assisted push/pedal bikes - speed limited to around 15mph, designed to ease cycling. Subject to same rules as normal bicycles.
Electric scooters / mopeds. Some of which are speed limited to around 30mph, some are not. Technically all are subject to the same rules as scooters / motorbikes of equivalent power. Legislation around these is a contentious and potentially changing situation.
Electric motorbikes. Available as a direct alternative to petrol powered bikes.
The diverse options available meet a very different assortment of needs. Some have ranges of up to around 80 miles, others much less. The same applies to acceleration and top speeds - going all the way from not much faster than an average cyclist can pedal to the equivalent of a sports bike.
As a result it is difficult to say whether these will prevail other than stating the obvious that there will be some winners and losers depending on which catches on and how legislation evolves.
My money is on there being two distinct markets that buy into these - Those that want to get around at low speeds in urban areas and those that want a cheaper equivalent of a petrol motorcycle for commuting. They probably won’t take over the sections of the market catering for enthusiasts and touring bikes. To do that there needs to be a huge improvement in range, charging time or facilities for battery swapping.
All this said electric bikes make a lot of sense for some buyers and are definitely a massively overlooked growth area of the EV world, somewhat dwarfed at the moment by the hype around electric cars.
One more than 2, one less than 4
We’ve all seen the legend that is Billy Connolly riding around on his Harley trike, haven’t we? So we’re familiar with the concept of 3 wheeled motorcycles. However what you may not have seen (at least I haven’t in the wild until very recently) is a ‘reverse trike’. It seems this is a market that has been growing for a while now. Ranging from the scooter-like Piaggio MP3 and Yamaha Tricity, to the more wacky Can-Am Ryker and Spyder. These are stable machines, much more like ordinary scooters and bikes. The scooter style offerings both have buttons which ‘lock’ them in an upright position meaning as you come to a stop you don’t even have to put your feet on the ground.
I’ll be honest at first I thought these were somewhat of a gimmick. But the more I looked into it and more I researched, the more sense they make. The Can-Ams look cool, but are meant for fun rather than commuting and aren’t particularly efficient either. But all 3 wheelers that meet certain criteria (including each of the above) can be ridden on a car licence. Whether it is sensible or not, they are the perfect gateway drug to using less than 4 wheels. This seems like a master stroke at a time when people are more likely to consider a cheap way to get around and reduce their outgoings.
Also from an engineering point of view, some of these 3 wheelers are a work of art. It’s encouraging there’s space for genuine innovation when it comes to vehicles of the future.
What about walking / cycling / public transport
There are strong environmental, health and social arguments for reducing all motorised transport, which means more walking, cycling and use of public transport. We do desperately need to invest in making things better for pedestrians, cyclists and improve public transport networks. But I don’t believe there will ever quite be a replacement for the flexibility of motorised private transport. Some of the emerging options such as electric bikes or motorised trikes make a lot of sense for those that want to explore them, particularly if they need to get around on a budget.
For families, for some time to come, the car will be king. Unfortunately I can’t help but feel it will become an increasingly expensive and stressful proposition, unless our relationship with transport is radically reformed. The sheer physics of transporting extra bodies and all the associated modern accoutrements and safety measures required seems hard to overcome, particularly all the while there is still ‘status’ attached to car ownership.
Autonomagical stuff
Yeah there’s that too. It’ll happen in some form. Probably not in a way any of us can quite conceive of today though. Let’s not go there for now.
Conclusion
Some really interesting things could happen in the world of mobility in the near future. Driven by external factors nobody could have predicted it seems to me like change is coming. Amongst that change there are some unexpected developments that we needn’t fear which offer hope for a brighter future.
There’ll always be a part of me that wants to tinker with oily old stuff on 4 wheels, but the engineering behind some of these new bikes and trikes is interesting. I’ve no idea if I’ll ever get to grips with any of it, or even ride a classic motorbike one day, but it is always worth keeping an open mind.