Electric vehicles (EVs), their emissions, and future viability

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bhtooefr

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AFAIK they switched because they used solid tires and suspension (hypothetically lower maintenance, no flat tires at least), instead of pneumatic tires and no suspension.

...and I believe they're removing all of those from the fleet because they were hideously unreliable, but the M365s stick around even as they're bringing out their own new custom scooter.
 

nicklockard

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Responding to Bizzle's post 4785:

Spot on target. You pretty much nailed the exact conclusions I came to from modeling. Arizona is the same way. The utilities have so many scummy tricks to cheating you out of every penny. I conclude that a metered solar system is not worth is for me. Even best-case scenario would be 13 years to pay back, and over its expected lifetime, much like putting money in the stock market and getting 3%.

I think the better way is to find your biggest variable electric demand cost driver, and push that solar, off-grid, but keep the base loads of your home (and the ones which are easy to time-shift) on the grid. By example, I mean here in Arizona, 4 months of the year are so bloody hot, we consume $275/month JUST to cool the house.

I'm modeling the case to build a dedicated PV-battery system which powers a DC inverter chiller (they exist but still a little pricey.) That way the utility would have no knowledge--it'd be disconnected from the grid, and I'd only cool the two spaces we spend 90% of our time in (master bedroom and kitchen). My current model shows 3.5 years payback. This is possible because the units heat which would also offset my winter gas bill (surprisingly high this past winter).
 

Lug_Nut

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Volt stat: one year of usage

One year in on my gen 1 Chevy Volt: 9,470.4 miles.

8,366.8 miles on 2,851.62 kWh of grid electricity, or 2.93 mi/kWh.
I measure my electric consumption prior to the ESVE and so my kWh consumption includes all ESVE and charger/inverter losses, and also grid connected pre-heat or pre-cool episodes.

2,851.62 kWh at 3,412 BTU per, and an equivalent of 124,000 BTU per gallon of gasoline, works out to an equivalent energy of 78.49 gallons, or about 106.6 mpg(e).

1,103.8 miles were driven on the electricity produced by 32.08 gallons of gasoline that fuelled the on-board generator. That's an equivalent of 34.4 mpg.
Overall mpg equivalent of grid energy and gasoline for that distance is 85.67.

My longest single trip has been 430 miles, 33.9 on grid electric and 396.1 on on-board generator electric for a trip average 34.9 mpg. No range limit anxiety for me.

Do I regret turning my back on diesels for this half-fast, half electric, half gasoline compromise? Nope.


(p.s. I need to change my signature motto)
 

Powder Hound

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There are a few issues with your calculations. Particularly I note your 106.6mpg(e) claim. As such, to compare it with real world costs, that mpg figure would have you thinking that your electric cost per mile is less than 3 cents. In fact, if it was in my home town where electrons cost in the vicinity of 25cents/kwh, the cost is more like 8.5 cents/mile.

If you claim that you didn't say that, then you are drinking too much koolade [intentional misspelling], else why even bring it up? For a viable comparison, you must bring things to an actual comparison point: the hit to your wallet.

Such is the subterfuge of the political wranglings that try and obfuscate the truth in favor of the politically correct solution. They can't really change the physics, though.


Cheers,

PH
 

bhtooefr

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Considering that he's talking about energy usage, it's fair, IMO.

MPGe is an energy metric, not a dollar metric, because of the variability of electricity and gasoline costs.
 

compu_85

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One year in on my gen 1 Chevy Volt: 9,470.4 miles.
Glad it's working out well for you! I know I've been enjoying my ELR.

Just under 3 Mi/kWh is a fine average - winter stop and go driving really sends the efficiency down.

Also a note about the engine... there are conditions where engine torque is sent directly to the wheels, despite what GM's marketing fluff would say ;) But this improves fuel efficiency!

We crossed 30,000 miles on the Telsa over the weekend (the odometer is at 31,327 right now), and have averaged 3.5 mi/kWh or 286 wh/mi. Last week we drove out to Custer SD, adding 4429 miles to the car, and used 1,292 kWh of electrons! Not bad for driving 80 mph, through rain & snow, and using the heat!

-J
 

bhtooefr

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For an idea of what this Xiaomi scooter can do... I just rode from work to the recreational bike trail system, then into downtown, ate dinner, and back home, 16.83 km (10.46 mi), at an average speed of 19.2 km/h (11.9 MPH). Battery was at 34% (of 280 Wh) when I got home, for 11.01 Wh/km (17.72 Wh/mi, 1902 MPGe).

...really, it's hard to beat this on efficiency.
 

rotarykid

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these things are death traps when used in the real world

Meanwhile, here's a writeup on an electric vehicle that I purchased and have been riding around quite a bit now that spring has come: https://bhtooefr.org/blog/2019/05/15/smol-wheels-big-fun/



...it's just a much smaller and slower electric vehicle than the ones we usually talk about.
I am not supporting or against their use but these things currently for rent in the metro denver have acomplished one thing, they have filled up emergency rooms with idiots who get on these things to shortly afterwords land on their heads or break a limb!....

In colorado illegally without clearling it with denver and other metro cities in Colorado these things suddenly and without warning to local government showed up across the metro area! Uder the current law introducing them for use with no warning or approval for use on city streets was against the law.... we have no helmet law so idiots are ending in the emergency room in ridiculously high numbers...

The main governent hospital in metro denver are claiming injuries related to use of these dangerous things are up as much as 1,000 %, life changing head injuries, at least two deaths after crashes are tied directly to the use of these rental deathtraps, broken limbs, life changing injuries are happening in such high numbers as to make metro denver cities consider completely outlawing the use of these things! .....

The denver metro cities are in the process of puttiing a regulatory scheme into place to try to regulate their use here in metro cities.....
 

dremd

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I just had my first EV failure (short of tires) today. I leaned on my Tesla's drivers door handle while deployed, head a crack and now the handle does nothing. Looks like this will fix it https://evtuning.com/products/model-s-door-handle-rebuild-kit-service
Otherwise I'll cross 100,000 miles on Sunday on a Trip from Louisiana to Central Florida with the 13 year old. Not looking forward to climbing through to open the door from the passengers side though.


Current Lifetime average is 331 WH/Mile. I do drive it pretty hard though. I know how hard I can drive it to get 300 WH/Mi (rated) and usually this its way to boring, but I ended up test driving a Prius that I had just repaired for a friend and realized that MAX performance from the Prius wasn't even close to how I have to drive the Tesla to be as efficient as the EPA.
 
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bhtooefr

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rotarykid: I'm gonna need citations for all of that.

This claims that the number of injuries is unclear. They're definitely happening, but those guesstimates shouldn't be "filling up" emergency rooms, and they're not "ridiculously high numbers".

And, referring to absolute percentage change in injuries is pointless when the activity is also increasing by a huge percentage. Before the rental companies came in, people using scooters was incredibly rare outside of kids in suburban cul de sacs. The metric you actually want is injuries per passenger mile traveled (which on scooters should be equal to vehicle miles traveled).

If scooter injuries have actually gone up 1000% in absolute terms, I wouldn't be surprised if injuries per passenger mile traveled have actually gone down for that particular mode.

But, per the article I've linked, it looks like any kind of metrics of the precision you're claiming exists don't exist.
 

Tin Man

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Yeah, well just duckduckgo and you can get a few articles with some data:
E-scooter injuries have generated $1.4 million in hospital costs, Baylor Scott & White says
A suggestion up for discussion among council members later this year is limiting scooter availability at night and setting a curfew for use.
Author: Matt Howerton
Published: 10:46 PM CDT April 22, 2019
Updated: 6:06 AM CDT April 23, 2019
DALLAS, Texas — New data from Baylor Scott & White surrounding e-scooters in Dallas shows injured riders aren't wearing helmets and that injuries have generated more than $1 million in hospital costs since scooters landed in town last year.

At the end of June, the City of Dallas passed regulations for bike share companies and gave the green light to electric rental scooters — which can travel up to 15 mph — after the rider pays a fee.

You can’t ride on sidewalks in the Central Business District (which includes Deep Ellum and Downtown Dallas), and you can’t ride in a street where the speed limit is over 35 mph.

Companies like Lime and Bird both dumped hundreds of scooters almost immediately after everything went through.

As of Monday, five companies offer rental scooters in Dallas. Those companies are Lime, Bird, Ojo, Jump, and Lyft.

Spin has been permitted to offer e-scooters but hasn't hit the streets just yet.

After e-scooters hit the streets, WFAA did several reports regarding riders and bystanders who were injured in scooter crashes.

RELATED: Dallas councilman facing felony says: 'I'm a resilient person,' talks reelection chances in May

RELATED: Someone is trolling SXSW scooter users with these stickers

RELATED: Lime warns scooter riders about 'sudden excessive braking' issue

RELATED: Could sit-down scooters become the newest rental ride in Dallas?

RELATED: Birds banished: City of Frisco ditches electric scooters

RELATED: Arlington man racks up nearly $1 million hospital bill after scooter accident

In early November, Baylor Scott and White in downtown Dallas polled emergency department doctors for WFAA about the number of injuries related to scooter accidents that they've seen.

That number was up to 480. In reality, it's actually much lower.

The hospital around that time started to seriously track injuries surrounding e-scooters and decided to share what it found with the City of Dallas.

Karen Mynar, the Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator at the hospital, helped develop a system that would identify a patient's injuries as scooter related when they arrive.

Before scooters dropped in Dallas, there wasn't a system like it. Mynar started from scratch and began collecting data back to June of last year.

"It started out as, 'Wow, we're seeing a lot of these injuries,' and we wanted to know how many that might be," Mynar said.

"When we started pulling those numbers, we realized this is bigger and more significant than we thought it was going to be."

BY THE NUMBERS

Below are key data numbers surrounding scooter injuries collected by Mynar and her team since June of last year:

156 total patients
30 admissions
10 patients sent to ICU
1 death
But Mynar dug a little deeper. The below info was collected from injured riders seen at Baylor Scott & White between June and January.

57 percent of injuries occurred between 7 PM and 6 AM
33 percent of riders used alcohol
58 percent of riders had injuries to their extremities
43 percent of riders had facial injuries
35 percent of riders had brain injuries
No injured riders seen between June and January wore helmets
Mynar also found that e-scooter injuries have generated a total cost of $1.4 million to the medical center downtown.

Of that cost, $491,000 in uninsured trauma costs are included.

Those costs may never be recovered by the hospital. And since it is a level 1 trauma center, taxpayers may even help reimburse that cost.

Per Mynar, Baylor Scott & White can get reimbursed by tax dollars through the state and the federal government to help offset uninsured costs it absorbs through being a level 1 trauma center.

According to the Texas Hospital Association, trauma hospitals in the state bear more than $320 million in uncompensated trauma care costs each year.

Mynar added that the uninsured costs have dealt an unanticipated financial blow to the trauma center downtown.

"It's a lot of money...a lot of money," Mynar said.

Mynar will present her findings next week at the annual conference for the Trauma Center Association of America.

LIMITED SCOOTER USE AT NIGHT?

A source within Dallas City Hall told WFAA that council members may make tweaks to its rental bike and e-scooter ordinance later this year.

A suggestion up for discussion is limiting scooter availability at night in Dallas and setting a curfew for use.

That suggestion is emphasized not only by the data Mynar collected but also the death of Jacoby Stoneking.

Stoneking, 24, died after crashing a rental scooter while riding home from work last year.

Stoneking’s body was found off Munger and Terry near I-30. Dallas Police said he contacted a witness, stating he had just fallen off a rental scooter and requested them to order him a Lyft.

But by the time that driver showed up, investigators say that Stoneking was unresponsive, so 911 was called and he was rushed to the hospital.

His brother, Chris Phillips, said he would like to see city leaders do more to protect riders.

That includes, he said, holding rental companies accountable for the safety of their products.

"I think it’s important that those companies give us a product that doesn’t have to be unpredictable," Phillips said. "They need to give us something that is reliable or at least close to reliable 100 percent of the time so we don’t lose family members."

"There are a number in my family who would like to just see them gone completely—where I think that we just need something that’s going to be safe for everyone," Phillips added.

"Right now...they’re just not doing that."
 

Tin Man

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Looks like CU has found another cause celebre:
National Crash Data From E-Scooter Ride-Share Companies Revealed for the First Time
Consumer Reports wins public records fight, even though Bird and Lime argue information could contain trade secrets
By Ryan Felton
February 05, 2019


At least 470 electric-scooter injuries were reported to Bird and Lime, the two largest e-scooter ride-share companies, as a result of accidents through July 2018, according to records obtained by Consumer Reports.

The records—released Tuesday evening in response to a public records request by CR—also show that the startups were aware of dozens of complaints since their launch in the fall of 2017. The data also offer insight into what the companies tell local governments when seeking permission to operate in their jurisdictions.

Bird had no immediate comment; Lime also didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The records could raise additional questions for the fledgling rentable e-scooter industry, which exploded onto the scene in 2017 in cities across the U.S. An investigation by CR published Tuesday found that more than 1,500 people have been injured in e-scooter crashes since late 2017. CR's deep examination also showed how difficult it is for medical professionals to get a sense of how risky the transportation mode may be.

Bird and Lime included the safety data as part of their applications last summer to operate in Portland, Ore., during a four-month pilot program that ended in November 2018. See the data from Bird (PDF) and Lime (PDF).

MORE ON E-SCOOTERS
E-Scooter Ride-Share Industry Leaves Injuries and Angered Cities in its Path
Electric Scooter Injuries on the Rise as Riders Go Without Helmets
A Heads-Up on Bike Helmet Safety
The battery-powered scooters are offered through a smartphone app at affordable rates. Bird, for example, usually charges about $1 plus 15 cents per minute of use, and its e-scooters can travel at speeds of up to 15 mph.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation asked the companies to provide in their application a summary report of safety incidents for each market where they operate, including the total number of reported crashes, injuries, and complaints. At the time, Bird operated in 22 markets; Lime, in more than 60, including some of those where it offers bicycles for rent.

Of the reported injuries, 411 were reported by Bird and 59 by Lime. The applications also noted how many accidents involved people with disabilities. Lime reported none; Bird tallied 7. The filings underscore the difficulty regulators and researchers may face in trying to track injuries. By comparison, CR's tally from 60 hospitals across the U.S. found more than 1,500 injuries since the scooters were introduced nearly a year and a half ago, after Bird and Lime expanded into several more cities.

Lime wrote in its application that it doesn't possess a detailed record of incidents.

"We do not maintain a comprehensive record of reported/observed crashes and collisions across our more than 60 markets," the company said.

CR filed a public records request last month for unredacted copies of each application. A day later, the Portland Bureau of Transportation released versions that included several lengthy redactions, including the safety history summary for each, and said that those portions either contained trade secrets or that the information had been submitted "in confidence."

In response, CR appealed the bureau's decision to the Multonamah County district attorney's office, which has jurisdiction over Portland, for review of the decision to keep the documents secret. Bird and Lime argued that the information they had submitted should be held confidential, Rod Underhill, the county's district attorney, wrote last week. But Underhill said the companies provided his office no information to support that assertion.

"The materials certainly contain details here and there that would likely be of interest to a competitor, but on balance, these are marketing materials designed to convince a municipality to afford the firm the opportunity to operate in its jurisdiction," Underhill wrote in a Jan. 29 order to release unredacted versions of the applications to CR.

In addition to CR's recent analysis of e-scooter injuries across the country, other studies have offered some insight into the situation. A report published in January by the Portland Transportation Bureau found that 176 people had been injured in scooter crashes during the city's pilot program. And a recent study by researchers at UCLA reported that 249 people were treated at two hospitals for injuries as a result of e-scooter crashes. But the injury records obtained by CR are the most comprehensive yet to come from the companies.

"From scooters to self-driving cars, the way we get around might really change for the better, with consumers gaining new affordable transportation options," says William Wallace, a senior policy analyst for CR. "But as these technologies come out, people have a right to know how safe they are and how they’ll affect their community. It’s critical for both companies and governments to be transparent."
 

bhtooefr

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I was looking for specific citations of these claims:

these things currently for rent in the metro denver have acomplished one thing, they have filled up emergency rooms with idiots who get on these things to shortly afterwords land on their heads or break a limb!....
idiots are ending in the emergency room in ridiculously high numbers...
The main governent hospital in metro denver are claiming injuries related to use of these dangerous things are up as much as 1,000 %
 

Lug_Nut

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There are a few issues with your calculations. Particularly I note your 106.6mpg(e) claim. As such, to compare it with real world costs, that mpg figure would have you thinking that your electric cost per mile is less than 3 cents. In fact, if it was in my home town where electrons cost in the vicinity of 25cents/kwh, the cost is more like 8.5 cents/mile.

Cheers,
PH
My electric costs are $194.83 for the 2,851.62 kWh or about 2.3 cents per mile. I did not include any of the monthly flat rate billing charges as we were paying those for household electric anyway.
Most of my charging is off-peak at 6.73 cents per kWh (1.2 cent generation and 5.53 cent delivery). On weekends I'll occasionally charge during peak at 13.1 cents (6.45 cent generation, 6.65 cent delivery) per kWh if I think I'll go back out that day.


When the gasoline powered engine is running the cost per mile is 7.8 cents.
 

Powder Hound

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Many people think New Hampshire is a low cost state. Obviously, from your billing rates, that is not the case - I'm paying double what you are.

In my own case, back when I was commuting to work, an EV would have made perfect sense. But since I work from home, there's no reason to buy yet another car since I have more than I need already.

But, seriously and sincerely, I am glad the Volt is working well for you. Yay!

Cheers,

PH
 

Deadend

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Just wanted to add a quick note about PV systems and housing values. Seems like a lot of people are talking about appraisers, but at the end of the day someone who wants to buy your house is going to offer want they think they have to pay.

So in my mind, it really comes down to *which* housing market you're selling on.

Here in Alberta the previous government would pay for 1/3 of your solar array. I could argue with myself the merit of this but I would have been quite happy to take the money on the table regardless.

The problem is that I live in an entry-level half duplex that was a rental before I bought it. So who am I going to sell it to? I'm going to either a cost-conscious entry level buyer, or an investor who's going to start renting it again. Two groups that are the least likely to care to have PV on the roof.

Now had I been living in a home that was three times the size with granite countertops and all the other bells an whistles, I think the potential buyers would be more interested in something like a PV system. I'm all for PV systems, but even when the numbers are good, there are still some levels of risks involved, like owning anything. Fact is the more you go up-market, the more people can afford to carry that risk.

But down here in the bottom of the housing market people would be more concerned with low, immediate costs.
 

Nevada_TDI

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There is a very wise poster on this site that quotes, "Some times you get what you pay for, and sometimes you pay for what you get." Good thinking on this one.
 

john.jackson9213

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My own experience with a 2018 Chevy Volt is very close to that of Lug_Nut.


At 10 months into a 3 year 36K mile lease, I am paying $254.xx per month and my electric operation cost is well below $0.10 cents per mile. Even in San Diego, which has some of the highest cost Electric rates in the country.


On longer gasoline powered trips, I still manage $0.10 per mile even with California gas prices at $4.00 per gallon. That is 40+ mpg



My old B4V would get 45 mpg on a trip. With current Calif diesel at just over $4/gallon, practically the same cost/mile as the Volt under the same conditions. Just a whole lot more comfortable and Zero maintenance issues.



Most important- none of the B4V constant maintenance problems and discontinued parts.


Love the electric TORQUE!


Also still have my TDI powered Jeep Comanche pickup. The truck works great! So have not totally left the TDI world.



Can provide more specific info, if anyone cares.


JJ



One year in on my gen 1 Chevy Volt: 9,470.4 miles.

8,366.8 miles on 2,851.62 kWh of grid electricity, or 2.93 mi/kWh.
I measure my electric consumption prior to the ESVE and so my kWh consumption includes all ESVE and charger/inverter losses, and also grid connected pre-heat or pre-cool episodes.

2,851.62 kWh at 3,412 BTU per, and an equivalent of 124,000 BTU per gallon of gasoline, works out to an equivalent energy of 78.49 gallons, or about 106.6 mpg(e).

1,103.8 miles were driven on the electricity produced by 32.08 gallons of gasoline that fuelled the on-board generator. That's an equivalent of 34.4 mpg.
Overall mpg equivalent of grid energy and gasoline for that distance is 85.67.

My longest single trip has been 430 miles, 33.9 on grid electric and 396.1 on on-board generator electric for a trip average 34.9 mpg. No range limit anxiety for me.

Do I regret turning my back on diesels for this half-fast, half electric, half gasoline compromise? Nope.


(p.s. I need to change my signature motto)
 
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turbobrick240

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Well, if you get carjacked while driving a Tesla, I believe that qualifies as assault and battery. :eek:
 

Tin Man

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My own experience with a 2018 Chevy Volt is very close to that of Lug_Nut.


At 10 months into a 3 year 36K mile lease, I am paying $254.xx per month and my electric operation cost is well below $0.10 cents per mile. Even in San Diego, which has some of the highest cost Electric rates in the country.


On longer gasoline powered trips, I still manage $0.10 per mile even with California gas prices at $4.00 per gallon. That is 40+ mpg



My old B4V would get 45 mpg on a trip. With current Calif diesel at just over $4/gallon, practically the same cost/mile as the Volt under the same conditions. Just a whole lot more comfortable and Zero maintenance issues.



Most important- none of the B4V constant maintenance problems and discontinued parts.


Love the electric TORQUE!


Also still have my TDI powered Jeep Comanche pickup. The truck works great! So have not totally left the TDI world.



Can provide more specific info, if anyone cares.


JJ
Comparing a 1996 model diesel to a 2018 model hybrid and mentioning comfort and maintenance is interesting, but hardly fair game. Tech continues to advance as do choices for those wishing to pay less to Putler and other totalitarian countries for oil. I'd rather have a choice of diesel or gasoline hybrid without the government market manipulation that occurs today.
 

turbobrick240

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I just watched this awesome Fully Charged meets EV West youtube video. EV West is doing some of the coolest EV conversions out there. The zero mile DeLorean/Tesla hybrid should be amazing.

https://youtu.be/mOx5uCufB2Q
 

rotarykid

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I was looking for specific citations of these claims:

On my info, it comes from me watching local news interviews of hospitals and government officials....I am stating the facts as they have been reported in local media....

I am NOT going to engage in a back & forth with you over this, the previous posts more than back up my info on how dangerous and costly they are to local medical agencies putting taxpayers on the hook for these costs...

If you really want more of this info on how dangerous these things are, you can easily see they are having the same injury and death issues, spend a little time looking up the data coming from local cities all over the US where they are showing up, in many places they pulling the same crap they pulled here dumping them in cities without warning or cosutation to local goverments...

since this seems to be becoming a real issue where ever they are currently being dumped on the public I suspect my numbers can be verified pretty much anywhere they are in use by the medical establishments.....

From watching how these dishonest companies have acted here and what was documented in the other posts showing how they have acted trying to keep injury data out of press when questioned about how dangerous and costly to local medical facilities....

I believe it is a pretty clear picture from what has happened here was by design because they didn't expect cities here would come after them for their cost $$$$$ to society....

To be allowed anywhere on local streets without planning, like having an insurance requirement in place or a helmet requirement before they are allowed to be put on local streets is proving to be a really bad idea...

From the data the costs hopefully that denver and other cities around the US will learn from these places that have suffered 10s of millions of losses in lost wages, lost medical costs which is money the taxpayers in these cities are on the hook for...

And their efforts to put them into a city quietly getting these things into places by these rental companies to keep quiet the lost lives that seem to have been lost in every place these death traps have been put onto the roads show how dishonest this entire enterprise is currently..

These things without minimal regulations in place to require helmets and insurance are too costly to taxpayers and the people who are too stupid to get the danger they are putting themselves and others in by using them until they are taken by ambulance ...$$$$$$$$....

In denver at least they have had to change the law on where they can be ridden because they were leading to so much misuse, used in ways the laws that were on the books did not allow......

In the denver metro area specifically these companies dumped these death traps all over the metro area without warning, consultation or approval for their use...

On seceral ocasions, they have been collected by individuals and dumped into piles to get them out of an area where they are causing so many issues.....

This has been from the start since they have dumped them all over the metro area an attempt to get these death traps all over the metro area before cities had time to react with rules & regulations that are needed...
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
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Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
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One problem is how to manage a helmet requirement with the convenience factor.

If you have a docked system, it becomes easy - you can just have a helmet locker and helmet sock dispenser.

If you have a dockless system, you now need to have a way to secure the helmet to the scooter itself, as well as dispense helmet socks from the scooters.

(Why helmet socks? I sure ain't putting on a shared helmet without one.)

As almost everyone's said when writing pieces about the scooters, nobody's carrying a helmet around in preparation to ride a scooter.

It is worth noting that myself, I do wear a helmet on my own personal scooter, even when I don't typically wear one on a bicycle - the small wheels are an additional threat above and beyond the usual bicycle risks.

Oh, and it's also interesting that first-time riders are such a high share of the injuries - that would make sense, there's a bit of a learning curve before you'll really feel comfortable on one. When I rented a Bird to try out the Xiaomi M365, I definitely tried it out on a side street where there was basically no traffic at first, just to get a feel for it, and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't do that.

That said, with how cheap these things are, I don't see the business model for rental working long-term - people who find scooters indispensable will just buy one.
 
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kjclow

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Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
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2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
For an idea of what this Xiaomi scooter can do... I just rode from work to the recreational bike trail system, then into downtown, ate dinner, and back home, 16.83 km (10.46 mi), at an average speed of 19.2 km/h (11.9 MPH). Battery was at 34% (of 280 Wh) when I got home, for 11.01 Wh/km (17.72 Wh/mi, 1902 MPGe).

...really, it's hard to beat this on efficiency.
Well, let's see: Yesterday, I rode 31.7 miles in just under three hours. I consumed one hot dog, two bananas, three power bars, about a gallon of water, and one beer. Burned about 3000 calories.

Based on other comments about injuries associated with scooters. In Charlotte, we are also seeing a rise in injuries on rental scooters and bikes, mainly because most riders do not have a helmet. NC bike helmet law only covers those under 16. Us old folks are able to decide for ourselves. Myself? I never get on my bike without a helmet. It may not save me from all harm, but it least it might keep what brain is left working correctly.
 
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