Stef JuckerMay 11, 2023
Helen Czerski
I keep thinking back to this Microlino at Fully Charged Live. Reusable water bottles became acceptable, being vegan is now cool, and so is wearing vintage clothes. So who is going to step up to the critical task of making small cars fashionable? The trend towards giant SUVs is ludicrous, incredibly wasteful and dangerous, and bad for our cities. If you must use a car, it should be as small as possible. Where are the micro-car visionaries/influencers? WE NEED YOU. #cars #SUV #climate
May 11, 2023 at 9:09amWeb
Show threadAlbert CardonaMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski

For many, me included, a cargo bicycle is an excellent alternative to cars for everyday use:

(Agree that small cars ought to be preferred over large ones. Perhaps by changing the legal width of the inner city streets so that large cars are restricted to the rural, mountainous areas they were devised for in the first place.)

Show threadwill_shakeMay 11, 2023

@albertcardona @helenczerski I can bike to our market town a mile away, no parking issues. Anything further involves faster traffic where these slower mini cars become a hazard.

For long journeys a traditional sized car is better. I have just don't use it much nowadays!

Show threadHelen CzerskiMay 11, 2023
@will_shake @albertcardona But if you don’t use it much, wouldn’t it be better (in theory) to use a shared car scheme where you only “had” a car when you were actually using it, and someone else was using it the rest of the time, as well as sharing maintenance etc? That’s the model we need - where a smaller number of cars is in use a far higher proportion of the time, and the roads are free for cargo bikes, normal bikes and walking etc.
Show threadAlbert CardonaMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski @will_shake

Would reduce the need for parking space for sure, with the knock-on effect of shrinking cities, making them denser, reducing distances among places, therefore more walkable and cyclable. Yes.

Show threadCelloMom On CarsMay 11, 2023

@albertcardona @helenczerski @will_shake

The small car / active mobility visionaries are here. We're getting louder. But until there is a mandate for higher average fuel efficiency on the nation's auto fleet, carmakers will keep pushing SUVs down our throats, simply because they make more profit out of those than from small cars.

Don't wait for the influencers: be an influencer. Influence the US EPA which right now is working on the next efficiency rule.

Show threadmarkMay 11, 2023

@CelloMomOnCars @albertcardona @helenczerski @will_shake and as long as roads and parking lots keep getting bigger, then cars and SUVs grow to fill them, which causes complaints from the owners so the roads and parking spaces get bigger.... we will be stuck.

I want restrictions on what a normal license can drive, controls on bumper heights, and strict enforcement of sizes of vehicles in certain

Make the giant stuff too inconvenient

Show threadBèr Kessels 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱May 11, 2023

@albertcardona @helenczerski we use such an bike (electric) for all our shopping, transit, moving etc. The Netherlands, so rather common.

But a (shared, or rental) big car is indispensable next to it. Anything that cannot be moved in our cargo bike, requires at least a van.

So, if anything, i'd say that cargo bikes would replace all "small" (sedan, hatchback, or micro) cars. And that the accidental need for big cars remains just as firm.

Show threadEva ChandaMay 11, 2023
@berkes @albertcardona @helenczerski
Cargo bikes are great for high-density places, mild winters & able-bodied people. I live in a car-oriented suburb of Montreal:
-cold winters w/snow, slush, ice, etc
-most stores at least 30 min by bike on dangerous roads w/few bike paths, 1hr to downtown
-public transit is abysmal
-people with mobility challenges can't bike.
We have Smart cars, but an even smaller electric microcar (that could preferably plug into a regular outlet) would be a great option!
Show threadBèr Kessels 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱May 11, 2023

@echanda I'd urge you to dive into the "not just bikes" YouTube channel by a fellow Canadian. It busts the myth that weather or geography make or break "bike culture". That it really is all about (acces to, and integration of) the bike infra.

I know nothing of Montreal. But am quite certain it's neither hills nor snow keeping people off bikes.

Show threadARandomPotatoMay 11, 2023
@echanda sadly, they stopped selling Smart cars in Canada too. And I think I heard Chev scrapped the Bolt so that’s another smallish EV we can’t get.
Show threadPaul QuirkMay 11, 2023
@echanda @berkes @albertcardona @helenczerski https://youtu.be/Qutf9SSf55E
Cyclist clears way with homemade bicycle snowplow

YouTube
Show threadAlbert CardonaMay 11, 2023
@quirk @echanda @berkes @helenczerski Only in Canada! Brilliant video, brilliant initiative.
Show threadAlbert CardonaMay 11, 2023

@echanda @berkes @helenczerski

Driving an electric microcar on icy and snowy conditions seems adventurous to say the least. Particularly next to buses and large SUVs sliding on the ice out of control.

Good public transport, sensible zoning laws that render cities more compact, and more delivery services – all help.

Show threadTricia Sheehy SkeffingtonMay 11, 2023

@echanda @berkes @albertcardona @helenczerski I don't disagree with any of this, other than bikes can be a mobility aid for some, ie with arthritis, Parkinson's (being the two I'm most aware of).

Segregated, safe routes is a necessity for all.

Show threadEva ChandaMay 11, 2023
@Trshsk @berkes @albertcardona @helenczerski
Yes! Curbs, bollards, poles, etc., not just painted lines. People who complain about the risk of colliding with these barriers should think about giving up their driver's licences—they might crash into cars or other "important" things, amirite?
Show threadBèr Kessels 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱May 11, 2023
@echanda @Trshsk @albertcardona @helenczerski the irony is that none of these measures are really bike infras
Show threadjelteMay 11, 2023
@berkes @albertcardona @helenczerski my previous car, a small twingo, could transport larger objects than most large cars; up to closets 2m tall. Went for another small car now (easy to manoeuvre, easy to park, low fuel usage), and this one can't, but small car for "daily" use, rental van for incidental necessity is indeed the way.
Show threadViktoria D. Richards/UddelhexeMay 11, 2023

@albertcardona @helenczerski

I'd love to have one of these. I started to drive to work via e-Bike.
But i live in an area with lots up and downs and where i need to cut ways through the woods/off road which these bikes cannot handle+ the km to work are so long (45 min even when using the shoet cut) , that with weight of groceries and stuff, the batteries do not last for the route i have.
😭😭
These Bikes would be the solution to even take my big dog with us on tours, but the Akku are just too weak

Show threadDave VolekMay 11, 2023
@albertcardona @helenczerski
What a great idea! I always thought that bikes had it all wrong--with so many multiple gears.
Show threadAskPippa🇨🇦May 18, 2023
@albertcardona @helenczerski Works great for a lot of people. But try telling this to suburban hockey moms who are constantly moving multiple kids, sports gear, and 10+ bags of groceries around all the time.
Show threadAlbert CardonaMay 18, 2023
@AskPippa @helenczerski The key problem being “suburban”. Cities afford many conveniences and efficiencies. Suburbia is the unfortunate consequence of often well-intended zoning laws. Change the laws and the suburbs may go with them.
Show threadShield MaidenMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski Making them look a bit more appealing would be a great start...
Show threadEva ChandaMay 11, 2023
@Judeet88 @helenczerski
IMHO that Microlino is adorable! But in North America we have to share the road with these abominations: compare the bestselling vehicles in America vs France in image below.😱
Show threadAlex GranfordMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski SUVs and trucks have developed some serious cultural roots in few countries (US, Middle East, Australia) and will not be easy to forget.
Thanksfully here in Europe small cars have been fashionable all along and surely will further increase their share. Massive Range Rovers, Q7, X7, XC90 etc. are somewhat popular but have really limited use cases.
Recent US stats: https://www.edmunds.com/most-popular-cars/
Most Popular Cars in America | Edmunds

These are the top selling cars in America for this year. The most popular car in your state might surprise you.

Edmunds
Show threadAlex GranfordMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski Disclaimer: I have a small SUV and we pack it to the teeth with a roof box and tent fastened to rails, when going camping. It is really no other way and I was considering having a bigger one - but decided against it on the balance. And we are not in a major city like London, thankfully. 😉
Show threadHelen CzerskiMay 11, 2023
@alexgranford Well, I guess the question is: how often do you go camping? If it’s only a few times a year, it would make more sense (in theory, because the practice doesn’t quite work yet) to have a smaller vehicle that you use every day that’s actually the right size for that, and then on the few occasions when you need a larger vehicle, you borrow one just for that trip.
Show threadAlex GranfordMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski we have a Mini for local whereabouts and only use a larger car for long rides with kids to the coast, weekend sightseing and camping. Yes we rented an 11 seater van once we had friends over and travelled with them. Mini will be replaced with an electric one in the next couple of years, but UK EV infrastructure is not ready yet, and won't be for the next 5-ish years at least, for safe and reliable long haul travel.
Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UKMay 11, 2023

@alexgranford @helenczerski I drive a supermini (VW Polo), but currently would find anything smaller a bit scary as I have to drive on A14 highway to get to my workplace.

Also there's a complication for those of us in UK as many small vehicles are treated as "mopeds" by DVSA and DVLA even if they have 4 wheels, so you have to do a CBT test to legally drive one even if you have a car driving licence (which makes absolutely 0 sense)

Show threadAlex GranfordMay 11, 2023
@vfrmedia @helenczerski VW Polo is an excellent small car, def in the top 3 compact / small class. Agree entirely that anything smaller will not be a good fit for driving on motorways (in the UK or elsewhere), that was actually what I first thought seeing the picture of that Microlino. Nice to move around a town at 30mph but not really a kind of car to rely on to do Portsmouth to Glasgow.
Show threadabhijithMay 11, 2023
@alexgranford @helenczerski People in Asian countrues stay with their parents even after marriage and have small SUVs max. That's for 5 people minimum. Can go up to a dozen for joint families. People in the US live independent but have gigantic monster vehicles. Ironic.
Show threadPhil Thane ✅May 11, 2023
@helenczerski The big problem with small cars is they have almost as many components as large cars and are almost as hard to make, yet people expect them to be cheap. Car makers can't make them profitably. The answer is either to tax cars heavily by size and weight, or subsidise small cars. Unlikely when we keep electing governments in thrall to The Market.
Show threadHelen CzerskiMay 11, 2023
@pthane The microlino currently retails for £13,000, which, while not cheap, is definitely cheaper than bigger cars.
Show threadCoolBlenderKittenMay 11, 2023
@pthane @helenczerski
That's not quite true- manufacturers can't make them "quite as" profitable. A significant difference.
Show threadEva ChandaMay 11, 2023
@pthane @helenczerski
Yes! Tax big cars by weight, just like transport trucks. They take up more space, cause more wear & tear on roads, and cause more severe accidents & more deaths than smaller cars.
Show threadBaron Woke of CarlsbergMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski

Or:

Show threadEva ChandaMay 11, 2023
@SteveJonesnono1 @helenczerski
Ingenious! I've never seen that. Isn't it tippy with the extra weight at the back , with a high center of gravity?
Show threadBaron Woke of CarlsbergMay 11, 2023
@echanda @helenczerski it's surprisingly stable, just takes a bit of getting used to. It doesn't help when she's constantly fidgeting about on the back though!
Show threadQuixoticgeekMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski Aren't they all riding bikes and cargo bikes?
Show threadtwilwel antifascistMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski hello? Motorless cars have been around in glass and carbon fibre since the turn of the century. Velomobiles! If you must you can put an e-assist inside, though it is even for the moderately trained possible to maintain 40km/h easily.
Show threadBèr Kessels 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱May 11, 2023
@helenczerski I presume you are talking about North America? Because while in Europe cars are "growing" too, small and micro cars remain popular, especially in urban areas. I'm not sure about Africa and Asia, or regions therein, but I know Japan, for example has an ever going popularity of small and tiny.
Show threadHelen CzerskiMay 11, 2023
@berkes Well, you should see the number of SUVs in London (and the rest of the UK). It’s definitely not going down…
Show threadBèr Kessels 🐝 🚐 🏄 🌱May 11, 2023

@helenczerski indeed. As I said, cars are "growing" in Europe too.
But -i'm told- it's especially spinning out of control in North America. Apparently something to to with laws and regulations excepting "suvs".

In Europe not only are such cars more expensive (to buy and drive) they are often taxed heavier, get steeper parking license, and have to fit on the tiny infra of many old European cities. Good luck parking your Rover or Dodge Ram at the canals in Amsterdam or Delft.

Show threaddanbjosephMay 12, 2023
@berkes @helenczerski if you're not put off by a bit of snark then this video by @notjustbikes on the rise of SUVs and light trucks is a terrific dive into the issue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo
These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us

Save $20 on an annual subscription to Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikesEngineers, planners, politicians, and advocates all around the world are tryin...

YouTube
Show threadStoneface VimesMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski hear hear. And the çar shares/clubs where you pick up a car on the street, use it and park. So you don't need to actually own one. Like the bikes and scooters.
Show threadBrian SmithMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski
One of the problems is that the cheapest way for car manufacturers to improve safety ratings, Euro Encap etc, is to put more space between the users and the outside of the car.
I'm struggling to find a small MPV or estate to fit in my parking space, all the models have got wider.
Show threadDr Roger E PrenticeMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski
Show threadKarl-Heinz ZimmerMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski

Such small cars are a wonderful solution for many people.

Just not for me: We sold our old car and now are happy with our new electric cargo bicycle. In the (extremely rare) cases when we need a car, we just rent one. :)

Show threadex or current IDF unwelcomeMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski try getting 2 kids, a dog and a week's shopping in it though.
Show threadSquillMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski
A lot of us can't afford to buy a new car. A lot of the bad choices come from lack of funds.
Show threadPaul QuirkMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski the small cars are a fast that come and go. It's the ebike revolution that's slowly taking over right now.
Show threadVicMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski Aww, kawaii! Any city / town I went to in Portugal / Greece had two approaches to cars which I loved: 1) people driving their old and battered cars until the wheels come off, without being shamed or pressured into buying new ones every year and 2) Smart car owners laughing their heads off as they take 0.01 seconds to park anywhere an SUV couldn't even.
Show threadk cavaliereMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski I'm a big fan of small cars. I had two new Fiat 500s that occasionally worked (endless electric problems). Warranty service in NY was terrible. I miss them.
Show threadCragsand May 11, 2023

@helenczerski I gotta repost @notjustbikes excellent video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo

What must come hand in hand is infrastructure and regulations that are friendly for smaller vehicles. The large dangerous trucks should be heavily taxed to discourage their use, not get subsidies. This unfortunately isn't the case in many places of the world.

When the majority of drivers choose to drive ridiculously large vehicles it also forces others to get larger ones just for their own safety. Even if they would otherwise drive smaller vehicles.

It's sadly a terrible negative feedback loop. I could go on but it's already perfectly summarized in NJB video.
#suv #cars #walkablecities #urbanplanning #waroncars #NotJustBikes

Also this haha:
https://mstdn.social/@stux/110225670353018274

These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us

YouTube
Show threadTomasz OryńskiMay 11, 2023

@cragsand @helenczerski @notjustbikes

I took that picture yesterday. There are four vehicles. One is to carry goods. One is fun to drive. One can carry a family of five and their luggage for a small weekend break in comfort. And one pretends to be all of above but it's utterly stupid.

Show threadViktoria D. Richards/UddelhexeMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski
The thing with these cars is: For a family they are useless. You cannot take more than one child from school and you have no space to get the groceries for a family in when you drive home from work. Not to mention if you have dogs or something or if you need to drive elderly ppl sometimes.

These thing are purely useble for singles or a couple in a city to get to work and i'd rather spare that money and go by public transport or use a bike.

But singles: go for it!

Show threadKirstyMay 11, 2023
@helenczerski I was just thinking about something like this today on my way to work. I was crawling in traffic and wished I could zip between the cars like a motorcycle.
But I don’t want to wear motorcycle gear or be cold 🥶 😂
Show threadpenguin42May 11, 2023
@helenczerski To be fair Nissan cut out it's early electric foothold with the Leaf - but both it, and the Mini have middle-age spread; Original (1970's) size Mini's and 1st gen leaf's would probably do what you want.
Show threadLaser314May 11, 2023
@helenczerski It's not even a case for fasionable, they are down right outlawed. Legally Too small for state highways too large for the local trail system.
Show threadempiricismMay 11, 2023

@helenczerski

We should also bear in mind that ecological degradation (e.g., mining for resources) including climate change - will not be resolved by buying more products.

But by changing our lifestyles so we all use fewer resources and power (within a circular paradigm). Although, some countries do need more essential-based products so as to provide basic services such as clean water.

Generally, product manufacturers are not the best source of information to get your "climate" news from.