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[Richard230]

Here is another version of your transportation future. The BICAR. This one thought up by the Swiss. So you know it will be perfect and expensive. Probably not the best thing to be in if you get into a dispute with someone driving an F150, though:  https://electricmotorcycles.news/the-bicar-a-new-innovative-swiss-urban-traffic-solution/

[togo]

Well, that's fun.  Such a bubble.

Funny they'd choose to showcase its small parking footprint in a perpendicular parking space, where it really would be obnoxious to park it, message is "oh, look, I'll take up a full size car spot, and not even another bicar can share the spot with me."

[Richard230]

Well, that's fun.  Such a bubble.

Funny they'd choose to showcase its small parking footprint in a perpendicular parking space, where it really would be obnoxious to park it, message is "oh, look, I'll take up a full size car spot, and not even another bicar can share the spot with me."

The other problem with that parking space arrangement that showed 6 BICARs occupying just one car parking spot, is that the four in front of the end two would not be able to get out of the parking space unless the ones behind them moved first.    Not a very practical parking system. 

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Micro-urban commuter pods have been discussed for almost two decades now with little to show for it.

I have a little mini-book about such projects from a decade ago, none of which are viable.

Here's an MIT Media Lab site covering a relatively recent similar project:
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/mod/overview/

[togo]

> The other problem with that parking space arrangement that showed 6 BICARs
> occupying just one car parking spot, is that the four in front of the end two
> would not be able to get out of the parking space unless the ones behind them moved first.

Well, it looks like they are making them fleet/rental vehicles,
so if someone boxes in the one you drove, you drive theirs
instead : - )

[Richard230]

> The other problem with that parking space arrangement that showed 6 BICARs
> occupying just one car parking spot, is that the four in front of the end two
> would not be able to get out of the parking space unless the ones behind them moved first.

Well, it looks like they are making them fleet/rental vehicles,
so if someone boxes in the one you drove, you drive theirs
instead : - )

That makes sense. And they could use the same sort of key that the old BMW /2 bikes used - a nail with a streamlined plastic top on it.   

[ESokoloff]

Micro-urban commuter pods have been discussed for almost two decades now with little to show for it.

I have a little mini-book about such projects from a decade ago, none of which are viable.

Here's an MIT Media Lab site covering a relatively recent similar project:
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/mod/overview/

I have to think the with the coming autonomous technology, traction will be gained to bring some of these systems to market. 
Although if you'll notice on the trike video at the 3:12 mark, much improvement is still needed

[Curt]

If the biggest controversy is how to park them, then perhaps they have succeeded!

I wonder how crashes would work out in that thing without the rider wearing a helmet. In a direct collision one's face would plow squarely into the windscreen. It seems just about any crash would lead to a concussion. Maybe they could have several airbags that roll down the front and sides of the shield. Being able to use one safely without a helmet would be a big draw.