Buy a ZEV instead of a SUV

There is no need to wait for fuel-cell powered cars and other sustainable technical innovations, some solutions for the energy-crisis are already available today.

I'm convinced that if we want to become sustainable we need to limit our resource and energy consumption by more than 70%. To achieve such ambitious goals we need to rethink and redesign our transportation and residential concepts and find alternatives for some of our daily routines, which only require a fraction of the actual energy and resource consumption. The good news is that some residential innovations, like LED-lights and storing rainwater for flushing toilets are already available today, but sustainability also requires complete different thinking about transportation.

Let's analyze the concept of a modern car from an energy efficiency point of view. Seen from this perspective it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to use a machine of 2000 kg (4,400lbs) to move a human being of only 75 kg (165lbs.). This is even less logical if you take into account that a substantial part of the weight of a human being consist of muscles designed to move the body.

By using a ultralight electric vehicle that is partly (pedal) powered by human muscles, it is easily possible to save 90% of the energy that is currently used by conventional cars.

Does this sound like the long-term future? Yes, and no, because such a vehicle, called the TWIKE has already been designed more than 20 years ago.

The Twike is a human-powered/electric hybrid Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) designed to carry two passengers and cargo.

The Twike is controlled using a joystick and can speed up to 85 kilometers per hour (53 mph). Fully charged, the vehicle is able to reach between 50 and 90 kilometers (25–55 miles) per charge. The Twike uses 4-8 kWh to drive 100 km. This is 10 times less than a normal car (the energy value of 1 liter petrol equals 8.3 kWh). Driving a Twike instead of a normal car saves about 90% of the energy used for transportation.

I have owned my Twike for about 6 months and drive it about 4 times a week to our offices in the Netherlands. While driving I always pedal along, although a Twike can also be driven by only using the electric motor.

In the summer the roof can be opened so that it will give you the special cabrio-like feeling.

The most enjoyable part of driving a Twike is seeing how people respond to it. Most of them are so surprised they start laughing, which is a very funny sight. Most people instantly gather around it and start asking questions like: Is this a car or is it a bike? A young child once asked me if I could fly away with the Twike. I have never seen so many happy and curious people as I have in the last six months.

Until now I haven't found any real disadvantages in driving and commuting. This has made me wonder why more people don’t use a Twike for commuting. The price (around 20.000 euros) is obviously a big hurdle to take, but the energy cost are less than 1 euro per 100 km. The initial investment can be earned back by making a lot of kilometers.

One reason I can imagine is that people simply love big cars, because they offer the driver a status symbol and a sense of safety and invulnerability. Big cars are also very practical when going on a holiday with the whole family. A Twike cannot replace the family car in that respect, but it certainly makes a perfect second car for commuting and short distances.

Although the Twike in itself will not save the planet, it clearly demonstrates how a different conceptual approach to our daily rituals can save up to 90% of energy consumption without compromising on the result. I'm convinced we can create a sustainable world, just by making different choices.

So the next time you buy a car buy a ZEV instead of a SUV. You can find the complete version of this article on my blog web.mac.com/edwardbongers/iWeb/Site/Blog/D6132679-56AE-4DD1-999B-FA40C57AE8A5.html

You may also find more information on the Twike website at www.twike.com.