The Electric Bike The Elf: an ovoid, semi-enclosed, solar-chargeable, plug-in, bike-lane-legal, electric pedal car. What a mouthful, but that is how they describe this new bike that is available for commuters in cities. With a 1-hp (750-watt) electric motor in the rear wheel hub and a lithium battery pack, or two, snuggled into the center frame rail aft of the front wheels—and a plastic canopy to keep the weather off drivers—the Elf proposes a solution for urban commuters!
Imagine riding to work in this modern vehicle. It is a show stopper and could actually cause accidents when car drivers are too busy looking at the bike and not where they are going. Never the less this could be the answer to many commuters’ problems of dealing with the elements and whether they should ride, walk or drive to work.
You can see from the picture that the rider/driver is sitting in much the same position they would if they were in a car. It appears to be much more comfortable than someone on a regular bike and they also have some protection from the elements.
Electric Bike The Elf – What About Parking
We wonder if this vehicle will have to pay for parking. Although technically a bike, they do take up more space than an ordinary bike and may have to pay for a parking space that would normally be occupied by a car. Before you purchase one of these, we suggest you determine f you will need to pay for that parking spot and whether it is worth it or not.
Paying for an expensive parking spot changes the entire economics of riding a bike to work. If your main objective is just not to use your car, then it is a nonissue. On the other hand, if your plan is to save money, you may not be saving as much as you had hoped.
You just cannot pull up to a regular bike stand, lock this vehicle to the stand and walk away. There is simply not enough room for very many of these without preventing many other bike riders from using the traditional bike stand.
Anytime one of these bikes takes a regular parking spot, whether it is in a parking garage or a parking spot on the street, the owners of the garage or the city meter readers are going to demand a parking fee! Parking is definitely something that needs to be taken into account and planned for if this particular bike is seriously considered.
For more posts about issues associated with electric vehicles, click here.