Kinda cool new transit vehicle idea at Kickstarter

[eddief]

Most of us could get a lot o exercise and get a lot o local stuff done in one of these:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/842248593/roll-out-the-elf-to-your-city

[oldpotatoe]

Most of us could get a lot o exercise and get a lot o local stuff done in one of these:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/842248593/roll-out-the-elf-to-your-city

Except, altho 'classified as a bicycle in all 50 states'(doubtful), and the claim that it can 'go anywhere a bicycle can go'..at least not here in the republic. It is a 'motorized vehicle' and cannot be ridden on multi-use paths. Nor legally on most sidewalks.

Seems like a really complicated and expensive answer to a pretty simple question that 'could' be solved with just a bicycle, w/o the solar/electric aspect.

http://www.madsencycles.com/

As an example.

[esldude]

Not cool, rather stupid I think.

Lots of disinformation in the link. Like legal in all fifty states, and then they in the FAQ admit well maybe not.

They claim 1800 mpgE, then claim they don't know the actual aero drag. Obviously the 1800 mpgE claim is mostly wishful thinking without knowing the drag involved. Having looked at such things before I am pretty sure they wouldn't get more than about 1/4 that.

Laying fiberglass is a lost art they say, hard to get assemblers. I think not.

My general impression is the people doing this don't really have much technical knowledge.

Also it would seem they would end up better off making it under the NEV regs. as that is what most localities will call it. Then you have to be on roads with max speed limits of 35 mph (some places allow 45 mph).

Further, with a top speed of 20 mph if you weren't on low speed side streets you will be in the way. And I don't think this thing will crash very well especially against other full size cars.

Looks like a bad idea, poorly thought through.