What Are Alt-Wheels?
Alternative Wheels.
Alt-Wheels are:
– Made for a single rider
– Smaller than bicycles
– Affordable
– Portable
Electric skateboards, electric scooters, electric unicycles, the Onewheel, the Jyroball.
Alt-Wheels differs from “micromobility.” That’s all in this post.
EV Adoption Could Cost Germany 75,000 Jobs
Key point:
Whereas it takes some 4,000 workers to assemble a million gasoline-powered engines per year, just 1,840 are needed to build the same number of electric motors, the study claims. And a battery factory requires only a fifth of the workforce when compared with an engine plant.
That math was behind the recent strike of the United Auto Workers here in America: Payne: UAW-GM fight exposes fears of an EV future
Long supporters of government mpg mandates to force a transition to EVs, the UAW has gotten cold feet as studies — including one from its own research department — show battery-powered vehicle production takes less labor to manufacture.
It takes even less labor to manufacture Alt-Wheels so there’s no hope for transitioning to employment there — besides which China has that all sewn up (Future Motion’s American-based Onewheel factory notwithstanding).
Here’s a good take on the politics of the Alt-Wheels bills being vetoed by the hand-wringing Governor of NY State. This is particularly welcome as it’s from someone outside of the bike-advocacy echo chamber:
NY votes 137-4 in favor of legalizing electric bicycles, dictator Cuomo vetoes.
Truth:
Illegal and Reckless Riding in the PEV Community – What does it mean for you?
Never ride without safety gear:
Inmotion v8 Epic Fall EUC Electric Unicycle
The following is a promo video but highlights that electric unicycles can also be more like conventional transport:
Super electric unicycle Супер электрический одноколесный велосипед
That’s not the first time for a design like that. But it makes me wonder if we might see it adopted by Harley-Davidson, Honda, and other motorcycle makers as an alternative to their conventional offerings.
From Russia with love (with a bit of Queen thrown in!):
wish you a happy new year 2020 on your electric unicycle / счастливого нового 2020 года !!!
That nation’s proximity to China has made it take up eScooters and EUCs faster than here in America. First Sputnik, now this!
Previously here:
Mike Cane's Atomic Supermen 