Potentially a world saver ...

[Joe Blake]

I'm not normally one who is prone to hyperbole, but given the population increase on the Indian subcontinent and the increasing "modernisation" trend ie number of internal combustion engines, THIS idea has the potential to make a marked difference in reducing greenhouse emissions, worldwide.

http://dst.gov.in/whats_new/press-release08/solekshwa-launched.htm

Now if only the developed nations will take note and start introducing them in the major cities, and simultaneously banning or restricting ICE's ...

Brilliant.

And best of all not just an IDEA. It's concrete action.

Joe

PS Some people are very unfortunate in their names ...

[Rob Beckers]

I hear you Joe, and would agree that if we got rid of all those taxis, swapped them for rickshaws it would make quite a difference. Call it my cynical nature, but I don't see it happen. Quite the reverse: When those at the lower end of the wealth spectrum driving rickshaws gain enough, the first thing they will do IMO is buy a gas-powered car for their taxi company. It's just human nature. Unless there's a compelling reason, such as mandated by law, gas powered cars not allowed (such as in Beijing during the Olympics on certain days), gas too expensive etc.

-RoB-

P.S. Agreed about that name... :laugh:

[Sean Skirvin]

Lets hope someone can get an electric V going that is cheap with the distance before the ICE usage goes up too much more worldwide.

I'm waiting to see what happens with this one

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219103105.htm

I think if those are available/affordable anytime in the near future, they will be a world changer beyond what many grasp. 1000 miles on a single charge, with a 500lb pack would be quite a thing.

[Joe Blake]

Cool.

It's been great to watch electric motor technology get to its present level (though there's still work to be done) but batteries are coming along too, which is very positive (pardon the pun).

The thought of a battery which expands as it charges will probably give new piquancy to such expressions as "Hey, my battery's flat." Or "I'll see if I can squeeze a bit more power out of this battery."

Maybe new batteries will created in long strings that you can exchange at a recharge station. Imagine asking for 6 metres of 24 volts please.

Hmmm.

Hope this means I'll never have to buy lead acid again.

Joe

[Alex Bennett]

My hope is that the rickshaw is culturally integrated enough so that the desire to replace it with a car isn't there. There's a lot more potential (imo) for a rickshaw to be a green vehicle than a car/SUV on account of the passenger:vehicle mass ratio.

[Joe Blake]

Speaking from personal experience, one of the great incentives of pedal power is to go along a cycle track beside a freeway with a 100 km/h speed limit and pass the same cars 3 or 4 times within a km or 2. I would imagine a rickshaw operator would also have first hand experience of this in the traffic jammed cities, and hope that the uselessness of sitting in a gridlocked road system wasting petrol would overwhelm the desire to flaunt one's wealth in ostentation, and thus keep "ridin' the ricky" rather than buy a car, even a cheap one.

Joe

[Ralph Day]

Hi Joe

Too much time in the sun Joe (or supposed to be in the sun...it's summer)!

...hope that the uselessness of sitting in a gridlocked road system wasting petrol would overwhelm the desire to flaunt one's wealth in ostentation, and thus keep "ridin' the ricky" rather than buy a car, even a cheap one....

When the rickshaw comes with BMW or Mercedes medallions you'll see people lining up to get one. Ostentation is what drives the world economy (the world of the "west"at any rate), so people want to show off. Now maybe if Hummer made a rickshaw...with a big Governator (Arnie of California) to drive it for you...:love: My Janet has all his movies, she'd want one.;)

Ralph