Tuesday, December 13, 2005
My Next Car
RHOADES CAR

Seats two, top speed 18 mph.
Weight of vehicle: 135 lbs.
motor: 24 volt 750 watt Powerdrive motor assist
Range: without electric assist? as far as you can pedal in a day.
With ONLY electric assist? 30 – 60 miles, depending on weather, load, and terrain. Which is about as far as I would want to pedal one of these in a day, anyway…

I figure all I need a car for is to schlep a few miles to work, pick up groceries, liquor & drugs, clothes, etc. and occassionally go downtown so I can dance to the boogie (get down!) with my sweeeeeetie pie, and “the next morning”, take the weeee child to school. This thing would more than suffice.

It’s open, so winters would truly *suck ASS*, but you just do what motorcyclists do: dress appropriately, or move someplace warm.

(In that regard, I was thinking this vehicle could benefit from an actual “body” perhaps made of doped canvas and safety glass. I’m uncertain as to how it would effect the range and speed – it would certainly have less drag than an open vehicle, and be more comfortable in the cold, but it would increase the weight, and could be kind of stifling in the heat of summer… perhaps a removeable canvas body?)

In any case I think ultra-light electric assist vehicles are the bee’s knees. If anyone who commutes less than 5 or 10 miles to work owned something like this, the world would be a much better and cleaner place – we would see a dramatic reduction in fuel consumption, and people might actually lose some weight. What a notion…