26-02-2012, 08:41 AM
Certainly a very clever contrivance, which looks far safer than a conventional scooter or other 2-wheel vehicle.
It might find a market in large towns and cities where parking is an issue, and where commuters want to arrive looking smart and to be protected from the elements. In some cities, (Nottingham for example), if you have a workplace parking space you pay a heavy tax. It's price may be a drawback - price of a small car, but that may not deter highly paid people who work in the city.
BWW brought out a semi-enclosed petrol motorbike which gives some protection from the elements, but doesn't have the gyroscopic stability that this new bike has. However, being battery powered makes it expensive, and means that the residual value will plummet to zero due to replacement battery costs after four or five years. There seem to be a lot of hose little battery powered 4-wheel vehicles in London which look little a car but officially aren't classed as cars. Free of tax, free of exemption charges, free of parking meter charges, because they don't cause pollution at the point of use. However, their 'environmental footprint' isn't so impressive, because people don't have them INSTEAD of a family car, but in ADDITION. Also, the electricity they use causes pollution at the power station, and consumes fossil fuels, the batteries have a limited life, the lead ore has to be mind, smelted, and made into batteries, with all the energy that goes into the production of the batteries and the car. Not so 'green' as they might appear at first sight, in fact quite the opposite.
To succeed a high volume of sales would be needed to cover the huge R&D and production costs.
It might find a market in large towns and cities where parking is an issue, and where commuters want to arrive looking smart and to be protected from the elements. In some cities, (Nottingham for example), if you have a workplace parking space you pay a heavy tax. It's price may be a drawback - price of a small car, but that may not deter highly paid people who work in the city.
BWW brought out a semi-enclosed petrol motorbike which gives some protection from the elements, but doesn't have the gyroscopic stability that this new bike has. However, being battery powered makes it expensive, and means that the residual value will plummet to zero due to replacement battery costs after four or five years. There seem to be a lot of hose little battery powered 4-wheel vehicles in London which look little a car but officially aren't classed as cars. Free of tax, free of exemption charges, free of parking meter charges, because they don't cause pollution at the point of use. However, their 'environmental footprint' isn't so impressive, because people don't have them INSTEAD of a family car, but in ADDITION. Also, the electricity they use causes pollution at the power station, and consumes fossil fuels, the batteries have a limited life, the lead ore has to be mind, smelted, and made into batteries, with all the energy that goes into the production of the batteries and the car. Not so 'green' as they might appear at first sight, in fact quite the opposite.
To succeed a high volume of sales would be needed to cover the huge R&D and production costs.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
