India’s electric rickshaws are leaving EVs in the dust

Dnnnnnn wrote:

Something similar here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5wrf.

There probably isn't great charging infrastructure for electric cars in India yet, and the cost of the vehicles will still be a major barrier. But when those are addressed, China's massive EV manufacturing capacity will surely respond...

I'm convinced that the problems with four wheel EVs are due to their size and weight. The heavier the vehicle is, then the more batteries you need to accelerate it and that also pushes up the charging time and increases tyre pollution. The larger it is and the more trouble you'll have not getting stuck in jams. And of course, the larger and heavier it is means you'll pay more for it.

Personally, I'm not convinced by the three wheel form factor as they're significantly larger than a cargo bike, but I suppose their stability (despite them tending to fall over round corners) is a selling point.

Edit: Just realised a major problem with e-rickshaws in the UK. If they're not made to align with e-bike restrictions (i.e. with pedals and e-assist only) then you'd be needing registration, MOT and insurance which would likely make them more expensive than an e-cargo bike.

Secret_squirrel wrote:

Its a totally overblown issue, that will eventually die out as lighter battery technology comes into play.

In the meantime EV's are only 12-25% heavier than the equivalent ICE car so most still sit well inside the upper weight limits of cars, and are almost irrelevant compared to PSV's and Trucks.   

Solve the fashionability of SUV's and you solve the weight problem regardless of power source.

Regardless weight is a side issue generated by an EV hostile press strongly influenced by the Petroleum lobby to slow down ICE car removal.

I disagree. You're comparing four-wheeled EVs with four-wheeled ICEs and yes, the difference could disappear if we get much better battery tech. However, I'm comparing four-wheeled EVs with two or three wheeled EVs and it's the different form factor (fully enclosed vs partly or not enclosed) that makes the biggest difference to the weight. A demonstration of this is that motorbikes are much lighter than cars and they also don't suffer so much from congestion.

For the record, I'm in favour of four-wheeled EVs to replace four-wheeled ICEs, but they aren't really a solution, just a little bit better as they don't have exhaust pollution and regenerative braking means less brake dust particulates. Their tyre particulates are currently worse than ICE's due to their heavier weight though. It's just that we need to move more people onto fewer wheels if we want effective and human-friendly transport (as opposed to corporation-friendly transport).