By the end of the 19th century, 38% of American cars were electric. But early car batteries were expensive and inefficient, and the vehicles were twice the price of a gas-powered car. Enter the cheap Model T, and goodbye electric autos. Now that gas-powered cars have warmed the climate, can the market for electric cars heat up again? A TED-Ed video by Daniel Sperling and Gil Tal, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, and animated by Lobster Studio.
In regions where there’s real winter, a “sneckdown” (“snow” + “neckdown”) can help illustrate how a traffic neckdown curb extention makes intersections safer for pedestrians by slowing turning vehicles. A Streetfilms video.
More:
“Undriven Snow: Activists Trace Winter Car Routes Reshape City Streets,” Kurt Kohlstedt, 99 Percent Invisible
Commercial airline flights today take longer than the same routes in the 1960s. Why? The same reason your morning commute takes longer: traffic congestion. A video by Sam Denby of Wendover Productions.
The root problem is definition: when is a bike not a bike? When does a “power-assisted bike” become a moped, motorscooter, or motorcycle? And when do electric 2-wheeler riders need operator licenses? As with e-commerce, ridehail, Airbnb, and consumer drones, lawmakers are fighting a rearguard action after technology got well ahead of regulation, and it’s hitting New Yorkers where they eat. Ironically, NYC says it will let UPS make deliveries by ebike.
More:
“Electric Bikes Are Blurring The Line Between Bicycles And Motorcycles,” Matt Brown, Jalopnik
“Uber has unveiled plans for a flying taxi at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The ride-sharing company on Tuesday showed off a full-size mock-up of the electric plane concept vehicle created with South Korean carmaker Hyundai, as it seeks to fly above traffic rather than add to it.”
— “Uber reveals plans for flying taxi to bypass road traffic congestion,” Joanna Partridge, The Guardian
Related:
“Uber, Hyundai Team Up On Flying Cars. Will Landing Portals Be Standard For Office Buildings By 2040?” Dees Stribling, Bisnow
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