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“Last Mile” Transport

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Rising gas prices, overcrowded parking, traffic so bad that you can hit a red light twice... these problems seem even more onerous (look it up) when you only want to take on a short errand by yourself. Perhaps, like me, you also like the efficiency and operational economics of electric cars from Tesla, Chevy, or Toyota, but they’re priced out of your budget, you can’t see them being your main vehicle, or you acknowledge that gas is king for long road trips where fast refueling allows you to travel 600 miles or more in a day. Maybe you’ve gotta take your car in for repairs by yourself, but you don’t want to be stuck at the shop for hours? Finally, maybe you take mass transit like a subway or bus, but you miss the first departure because you’re driving around looking for (paid) parking, and then you really have to hurry for that “last mile“ between your last stop and your final destination.
Most people think of personal transportation as car, bike, and walking. “The Last Mile” concept is to find something faster and more comfortable than walking, but more compact and convenient than biking. I’ve seen three main form factors (maybe 4): Skateboards, scooters, and unicycles.
Skateboards are “cool.” Not just for Tony Hawk, they were big especially in the 80’s and 90’s, and Marty McFly used one to get to school and a Hoverboard (from 2015) to save the day when he couldn’t use the Delorian, as well as many other pop culture references. 4 wheels mean stability, but small wheels and no handlebars mean that bumps and and cracks can easily cause a wipeout. That risk is part of what makes them cool, but also they are trivially easy to take on board a bus or to carry indoors. There’s kick skateboards and electric skateboards, like those from Boost Boards or Skatebolt. These come much closer to fulfilling the “Back to the Future“ promise than Segways and what we currently call “hover boards,” can zip along at 10-25 MPH, and range in price from $200-$1000+ dollars. One example of an eBoards “top choices” list: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/best-electric-skateboards/
An electric skateboard drop: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/skatebolt-s5-mini-lite-electric-skateboard?utm_source=linkshare&referer=Z2JXCA

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Scooters video: https://youtu.be/xmhOzH5BNo4
Scooters are probably the easiest, most efficient “last mile“ options. What they lack in “cool” they make up for in ease of use and control, easily able to weave among pedestrians and potholes while also being more efficient than a skateboard because they only have two wheels. These are still more compact than bikes, and easily will fit on a crowded subway or under your desk, but be much faster than walking. There are adult kick-scooters and electric scooters from companies like Razer, Xootr, and Ecoreco. A sample “best choices” list: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/best-electric-scooters/

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Lastly, electric unicycles. I’m not even going to consider foot-powered unicycles as a transportation alternative, but electric unicycles or e-wheels are compact, fast, maneuverable, and can almost handle off-road terrain like a bike with their large wheel diameters. If you want to ride crushed gravel or slightly muddy paths, this is the choice. Once the rider starts moving on them, gyroscopes and computers help keep the rider upright, and you can have a tighter turn radius than a skateboard or scooter. Depending on your perspective, they also look the most futuristic or nerdy, but they are definitely the most “out-there” option. They’re more easily stowed than a skateboard or scooter without the need to fold them up. They also offer fairly high performance for the price, with 18 mile ranges at 12 mph fairly easy to find at $400 or less, but there are faster models and higher priced ones as well, some offering a telescopic seat to really complete the unicycle look. Notable brands include Ninebot, InMotion, and Airwheel. Store with many video reviews and demonstrations: https://www.speedyfeet.co.uk
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Alright Massdrop Community, what do you think? Dumb topic, all you need is a car and your feet? Fun recreational toys? Or honest-to-goodness errand mobiles and transportation supplements? Social Media influencers say they save money and wear on a car, save time, and these personal transports are a whole different experience allowing them to feel the pulse of their city or town. I personally used to kick a scooter to school and around college campus, honestly I would’ve been late for my high school graduation if I didn’t have my little scooter, but I haven’t gotten one of these “adult” build options yet, and I’d like to see some hit Massdrop.
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Small update, I got a Ninebot eScooter, even though I thought I never would. It’s a blast! I never thought I would, because foot powered scooters are lighter, easier/more compact to fold, and allowed more places (parks that don’t allow motor vehicles, airplanes that don’t allow large batteries). Electric Scooters 🛴 usually aren’t fast enough to go on the streets among 35mph traffic either (I don’t believe there WERE any that fast in 2018, but there are now), and I would feel very vulnerable traveling at those speeds just standing on something!! If I had to don motorcycle safety gear, I would rather just ride a motorcycle. I still think a regular kick scooter would be an efficient pedestrian range and speed boost, and best for travel or one or two “last miles” in coordination with trains, subways, and busses.
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However, the Segway/Ninebot scooter I did get (I found it on Clearance at Walmart!) is surprisingly nice! The 10” pneumatic wheels handle street cracks and rough roads with no problem… where I would have been thrown from my eSkate longboard for sure. I’d say this is location specific, but the roads near me have enough of a side berm, sidewalks, and bike lanes that I can actually reach two strip malls (including my bank, two cafes, and a grocery store), and I was even able to take a backpack and pick up milk, bread, and snacks at a grocery for a negligible amount of electricity instead of firing up the car. So, it is more practical that I thought it would be, plus it was fun to be outside! Since I work from home, whatever gets me outside is a good thing 😂 If I ever rented an RV or got a camper van, I think an eScooter would be an awesome thing to bring along for exploring an area after setting up camp. I still have the Wowgo electric skateboard, two regular skateboards, a bike, and my car, but I’m really thinking I ought to let the electric skateboard go because I haven’t used it since lockdown (plus, I had an arm wrestling accident on New Year’s Day, 2020 😂).
Addison_woods
106
Oct 1, 2018
god if we could get a linky or boosted on massdrop my gay ass would crap an egg
Addison_woodsI need to look into a linky board, thank you!
Addison_woodsBy the way, our Best Buy got Boosted in their stores! I also bought a Wowgo board a few weeks ago, bailed pretty good and scraped my hands on the first day (actually, the bones in my right wrist and butt are still sore even after all this time, was hard to shift gears in my car for awhile), but I had a great ride with it on a rare warm sunny winter day recently and had a great time on a bike path. I think I want to practice falling without hurting myself, a bit of gymnastics lol.
Jino74
832
Sep 28, 2018
EvshrugI added the zoom stryder - based on my research, it looks like a great new product that crosses out a lot of requirements many look for in an electric scooter.
Jino74Thanks! I am at the beginning of research, and I don’t know the good brands out there. Razor seemed like it wasn’t really enough unless you went for the grocery-shopping-cart model. No offense to little old ladies, but I wasn’t up for that!
zypherion
242
Sep 26, 2018
I have a Dahon Jack bicycle that folds in half for trunk storage and looks like an actually bike, instead of most of their bikes which look kinda weird at the hinge... They dont make this model anymore though, maybe try to convince them to make them for massdrop?
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zypherionMaybe? But even a folding bike is hard to take onto a bus with you, or convince your employer that it should come inside with you instead of staying locked up outside. I don't mean that I see these things as puppies, but being able to take these "inside" means you reduce the risk of theft, weather damage, and you can recharge it.
Evshrug5 years later… Puppies? Took me a few seconds to realize what past me was talking about 😂
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