In all honesty, I would probably drive in your situation, though I might invest in a folding bike/e-bike I can toss in the trunk. It’s crazy how small those things are now! They had some Urtopias at the local bike shop last time I swung by, and I swear they fold up smaller than most adult scooters I’ve seen.
Fwiw my commute is about 35 min by regular bike, 25 by e-bike, 15 by car if the traffic is light (that’s a big if), or around 45 by bus. E-bike is my preferred option.
Well my wife is certainly fawning over it when I showed her photos!
So unfortunately in North America, there is a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs which, oddly enough, predates Trump. In Canada specifically, they are easing this somewhat so that 49,000 will be allowed in every year before the tariff kicks in. (That number apparently reflects EV sales before the tariff was implemented.)
But yes, I would definitely consider something like that if I could actually find one here.
You have a point. My brother gets by fine now without owning his own wheels. And my grownup kids don’t even have drivers licences.
I guess where my situation differs is that they live in big cities compared to me with all sorts of options for getting around. Also, I’m a part-time musician with a lot of gear I have to transport to gigs, particularly if I’m running sound.
So, the fewer humans argument is popular in countries with a low population density, or generally in the first world where populations have peaked and are projected to decline if they are not doing so already. I’m in Canada. It’s a big talking point here.
When you study demographics, though, you start getting a different picture. 1st worlders have a HUGE per capita resource footprint compared to 3rd worlders. Like 10x or more. Our 40 million punches like 400 million in the developing world, which is not something to be proud of.
The point I’m trying to make is that anything we do in wealthier countries that reduces per capita consumption has an outsized effect globally. A car is over 10x more massive than a bike, and the costs reflect that however you measure it, be it in energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, etc.
I got tired of waiting for EVs to become affordable and got an e-bike instead. I still drive at times when the bike doesn’t cut it for various reasons. And now my car is getting super old and in need of replacement, but I’m not sure what to do?
EVs sound ideal, but the usual logic that the higher upfront cost will come back to you in fuel savings feels less compelling in my situation. Otoh another gas guzzler? One thing I can say is I don’t see myself ever buying new again. It’s just not worth it for how little I drive. I guess I’ll leave EV/hybrid/conventional debate up to what’s available on the used market.
I’ve been fascinated by this concept of passive radiative cooling, where you have some material that radiates heat to space in an infrared window where the atmosphere is transparent. Apparently, a sheet of such material can be a fair bit cooler than the ambient temperature without any consumption of energy? It would not necessarily be an alternative to air-conditioning, but it could potentially reduce the energy costs quite a bit, while lowering the heat island effect in urban areas.
I have family I occasionally visit in the Phoenix area. It’s a sobering experience that has made me appreciate more what it must mean to be handicapped. That you must rely on wheels to get anywhere because your own 2 legs are useless appendages. The nearest corner store is a gas station a mile away. I’m not exaggerating.
They’ve built a light rail now. Even made it free to attract user-ship, but it’s an uphill battle. It’s also a test market for driverless cars. I rode one last time I was there and it was an experience for sure! Apparently, they are proving popular with young women tired of getting hit on by the uber driver.
But man, I just can’t see myself ever wanting to live in a place like that. It’s a cautionary tale of where car culture can go if you let it dictate everything.