this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2024
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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility

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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, longboards, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!

"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.

micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"

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When I recently took a trip to China to see the world of electric micromobility, I was greeted with a...

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Its a 3 wheeled electric utv. We moved away from 3 wheeled designs because theyre dangerous. Basically, china made another cheap dangerous product.

You can buy an 4 wheeled electric UTV at tractor supply and other retailers, and they wont try to flip over and crush your head like a watermelon.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We moved away from 3 wheeled designs because theyre dangerous.

Slingshots are a common sight on American roadways, and they've only got three wheels. The difference is that slingshots are designed to end run vehicle regulations, while these appear to still be bound by Chinese regulatory standards.

You can buy an 4 wheeled electric UTV at tractor supply and other retailers, and they wont try to flip over and crush your head like a watermelon.

No shortage of large trucks and SUVs that will flip at high speeds, particularly in the rain or during hard turns.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Those are a reverse trike, and made to sit low, and they have roll bars so it rests on those instead of your head.

China did the opposite of those things.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Low end electric vehicles of this type seem trustworthy, but I would absolutely avoid any of the high end EVs from China. The amount of battery issues (and fires from those) and other structural problems with their more expensive EVs seems like a lot of corners are being cut.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

In the US there's huge tariffs on EV stuff from China anyhow. Hopefully as solid state takes off battery fires become a thing of the past globally.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I would absolutely avoid any of the high end EVs from China

Won't be an issue, since Chinese EV tariffs and trade restrictions are going to preclude imports entirely.

The amount of battery issues (and fires from those) and other structural problems with their more expensive EVs seems like a lot of corners are being cut.

Are you talking about a particular model? I haven't heard of any BYD vehicles exploding into flames, like the odd Tesla.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

There are about 2000 fires in more than 800000 electric vehicle-related enterprises in China every year

Is a 0.000125% rate of vehicle fires considered a serious problem?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Uhhhh, I think you need to check your math there. 2000 out of 800,000 is 0.25% or 1 in 400. And while that's not high as a generality, when it comes to selling a product, especially an expensive car, that's pretty high.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

For US electric vehicles, yes. And for most other nations, as your article notes. China is the exception, it seems, with much higher rates of fires occurring.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The numbers you provided are lower...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Good point! Now I'm the one who can't math. :P Though your source doesn't seem to mention the cause of the fires? I would assume the batteries, but involved in a fire can be vague. Same for the gasoline vehicles.

Meanwhile, the original source I have was fires just from the manufacturing of the cars, so not even including the numbers for the vehicles sold themselves.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Look, I understand you're trying to feel like you're right but you should just accept that compared to gas cars there's pretty much nothing to worry about, people are freaking out because EV cars are the new thing but the stats are pretty clear, gas cars fires just don't get as much coverage because gas cars are the norm.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Eh, I wouldn't say there's nothing to worry about: Worry about taking good care of your batteries is wise. So is avoiding cheap shoddy batteries and bikes that don't have any protections built in.

Take care of your batteries: Don't charge them when frozen, avoid extreme heat, protect them from impact/damage, and regularly inspect both your battery and bike's systems to keep yourself (and your bike) safe.

That said, yeah, cars are still way more dangerous statistically speaking even when only talking about fires.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Any amount is a serious problem that should be addressed by improved safety IMO. Hoping that solid state batteries pretty much eliminate fires but I guess we'll see.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Any amount is a serious problem

An incidence of failure that low can more readily be attributed to human error than manufacture's defect. The idea that Chinese vehicles are less safe than their American or Japanese counterparts is not born out by your citations.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Could be, but why not engineer against human error too? Seems like a very sensible thing to do: Make your products easy to use safely. No such thing as perfect but it should still be an important factor in engineering/designing anything. It can be tough to compromise between usability and safety but a really good design finds ways to meet both requirements.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

In NA, vehicle fires happen at the following rates per 100k sales per year:

Hybrid : 3,474

Gas : 1,523

EV : 25.1

If the proposed 2,000 per 800,000 is accurate that works out to 250/100k per year. Or way lower than everything but EVs in NA.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

And you would trust the cheaper vehicles? You think they use better parts in cheap cars?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It’s a shame that anything close to that will never come to the U.S.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You mean a 3 wheeler? Yeah, because they kept killing people. 4 wheeled UTVs are very popular.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I might fuck with a reverse trike though...

[–] [email protected] -4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

If you enjoy looking like a dork sure

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Mostly, IDGAF. They look fun and if that bothers someone else, that's their problem.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's for your ranch/ farm. All that being said, my utv is already scary to drive on the trails.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I've already known people who have died on 4 wheel UTVs

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I believe it! It's a lot safer than a trike, though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Even if they did, they'd never sell. Everyone in America is so batshit insane with the expectation of everything NOW-NOW-NOW that practically no one would tolerate a "truck" that can't do 120 MPH or 0-60 in 4 seconds.

On the more prosaic side, there is no way in hell these things would pass American crash safety tests nor comply with vehicle equipment and safety regulations without a significant redesign that would add a lot of complexity and cost. Maybe you could get them rammed through as "motorcycles." They would have the same stigma as motorcycles among the general populace. These things would be absolute litigation machines in the US.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Classify them as some sort of tractor maybe?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Definitely yeah, or they can modify the definition of low speed vehicles they already have. But a lot of states are trying to ban those because m o n e y

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

We can't even sell non-V8 trucks to traditional truck drivers yet. 🥹 Can't coal-roll with an F150 Lightning.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Reminder: If you see someone rolling coal, it's morally OK to relocate their stem valves.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

True. I wasn't being entirely objective. 😅

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

You mean like a 4 wheeled UTV? They sell them all the time. What are you talking about?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is that ~10mm rod on the green one the trailing arm?! They look fragile and like they would get stuck really easily. Might be a spooled 2wd but I sort of doubt it.

If the paths are made for them, they would probably work fine but on a western ranch? nope.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Oh man, that makes me feel better.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Oh hey a 3-wheeled tip-over-mobile. I guess the real difference is in how stupid they look.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Looks just like an Ape (Italian for Bee). I still see them in front of pizzerias sometimes.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Looks awesome! Jealous of the creater, I'd love to tour China someday.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hello mister ccp tourism board intern!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

You have been banned from r/sino.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago