Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost Cause
Um, why hasn't anybody mentioned bio-diesel, or motorcycles as alternative means of transportation or fuel?
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Bio-diesel seems attractive because we wouldn't rely on foreign oil imports, but there are issues with raising production enough to meet serious demand. Doesn't it also suffer from the same criticisms as ethanol additives in regular fuel: that we're using resources that could be used for food, for fuel? No matter how you slice it, electricity is cheaper to generate and "transport" than any liquid fuel. Combine it with the fact that electric cars that are available today should easily cover the majority of driving needs, and we're ready to go: all that we need is to expand our electric production capabilities.
As for motorcycles, I can think of many reasons. You're exposed to the environment, they're more dangerous than cars, they have extremely limited storage capacity. Sure, we can redesign many motorcycles to be enclosed, easier to handle (like the "motor tricycles"), and to have more storage space... but I don't think that would be popular. I got my motorcycle license for the fuel efficiency factor, but I have never met any motorcycle rider who stated that as their reason. It's an interesting idea, but we're having a hard enough time of moving people away from huge vehicles over to tiny cars; why would they make the jump to an even tinier vehicle that may lack the "coolness" factor of a traditional motorcycle?