Will electric scooters change the way we drive?

Submitted by acohill on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:50

Two different approaches to electric vehicle design hint at the changes we are going to see in the coming years as the price of fossil fuel heads up again. Segway has designed a more practical version of its two wheel all electric vehicle; the Puma lets you sit down instead of standing up, and has a cover that will provide at least minimal wind, sun, and rain protection. I never could understand how anyone wearing business clothes could be expected to commute to work using a Segway--you'd look pretty rumpled after spending fifteen or twenty minutes in a 20 mph wind.

Piaggio has designed a hybrid gas-electric scooter with a unique two front wheel design that makes it much easier to control and drive than a traditional two wheel scooter.

Both vehicles could be used for short commutes and short trips around town, like running out in the evening for bread and milk. Neither will replace automobiles, but the small size and low prices (compared to full size automobiles) suggests we'll see a lot of these being used as a second or third vehicle. And that means we need to pay attention to the electric grid, because all these electric vehicles have to be charged up. The big opportunity is to merge next generation Smart Grid designs with robust fiber broadband networks. Communities that start early down this path (like Danville, Virgina) will have a big leg up from an economic development perspective.