Comments on: Zed's zero carbon, baby: hydrogen-cell motorbikes

Zed's zero carbon, baby: hydrogen-cell motorbikes

nthdegx — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:58:29 -0800

If hydrogen-cell cars are no good, how about hydrogen-cell motorbikes!

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:17:36 -0800

Nope, also no good. Less no good, though.

By: dubold

dubold — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:30:23 -0800

Compared to standard gas bikes, they're expensive. In my opinion, (and from other comments in the link) they're ugly. Those are pretty big hurdles to overcome before they're widely adopted.

By: nthdegx

nthdegx — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:35:12 -0800

Thanks, Cpt. Obvious ;)

By: DU

DU — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:36:36 -0800

Hydrogen cell cars aren't "no good". They are too late. Because of foot-dragging. And some of that foot-dragging is actually warranted, because we've flip-flopped on what (or IF) we want to do so often that everyone is gun shy. For crying out loud, start doing something. It doesn't matter if the plan is suboptimal because a) it's going to be better than continuing to poison the air and b) we're going to need, and want, a diverse collection of energy sources anyway.

By: nthdegx

nthdegx — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:46:51 -0800

My wording was deliberately tongue in cheek, DU. Clearly confusingly so. There are clearly finer points to the first article, and in my view the article is right to identify that alternate actions are necessary, but if anything paints hydrogen cell technology in a bad light that it doesn't deserve. I do not follow the logic of advocating cleaner combustion over hydrogen cell tech, for example, if both can be implemented now. Also, clearly hydrogen-cell bikes utilise the same technology, so...

By: DU

DU — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:47:58 -0800

Also, this is a pretty standard tactic. How To Deny Reality Phase 1: Don't listen to the fringe. Phase 2: There are still serious doubts. Phase 3: All proposed plans are bad. Phase 4: It is too late to do anything.

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:07:10 -0800

Hydrogen-cell cars are fine, as long as there is some energy source to create it. Hydrogen should be thought of more like a battery than fuel.

By: schoolgirl report

schoolgirl report — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:08:30 -0800

That ENV is about as vaporous as its emissions. I swear I read about it every year, and every year it's due to be released "next year".

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:22:36 -0800

Hydrogen is a red herring. I don't agree with the author of the book that hybrids are the solution, either.

By: tachikaze

tachikaze — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:14:42 -0800

as long as there is some energy source to create it yeah, PV would be good for this application, but of course ever since the Sun went out in back in the 30s it's just a clever technology looking for a viable power source.

By: veedubya

veedubya — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:19:16 -0800

I saw this bike, or something very similar to it, being tested on some news programme quite a while ago. A big problem with it is that it makes almost no noise. This, combined with being difficult to see, makes it a hazard on the road.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:48:05 -0800

A big problem with it is that it makes almost no noise. I wish this was the biggest problem in transportation today.

By: garlic

garlic — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:58:44 -0800

Who'd imagine you could have soundless 2 wheel vehicles on the roads...

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:59:30 -0800

I so much want an electric motorcycle, with motors driving *both* wheels. It'd freakin' rip.

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:21:25 -0800

veedubya writes "I saw this bike, or something very similar to it, being tested on some news programme quite a while ago. A big problem with it is that it makes almost no noise." That's why you get one of these. "This, combined with being difficult to see, makes it a hazard on the road." That's why you also need one of these.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:32:32 -0800

"A big problem with it is that it makes almost no noise. This, combined with being difficult to see, makes it a hazard on the road." Oh, really? They're the hazard, not the inattentive motorist who hits them? My bike makes almost no noise, does that make me a hazard? Would you prefer I get a big loud thing that sets off car alarms? How about when I'm on foot? I'm a pretty quiet pedestrian. Is it too much trouble for you to check your mirrors or look before you cross the street? You know, for hazards? Motorcyclists are already used to riding like they're invisible. Motorcyclists die every day because people "didn't see them". Given the proliferation of audio devices, cellular phones both handheld and handsfree, and climate controls that mean you never have to open the windows on your little cell, do you really think a few dB of noise is going to make a difference? Given that people already aren't paying attention? If fewer vehicles made noise, this would be less of a problem.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:32:54 -0800

And for the love of Christ, people: your brake lights are NOT a turn signal.

By: wildcrdj

wildcrdj — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:34:15 -0800

Actually Eideteker, the noise problem is usually cited as being a hazard for pedestrians. At least, that's how I've always seen it presented wrt to electric cars. In particular I've seen complaints that blind people don't have a way of knowing the car is there. And no matter how attentive a motorist is, if a person runs out in front of your car there's only so much you can do about it. Now, I think the number of times this would actually make a difference is quite small, and I don't think it should be a serious barrier. But they're not making the same argument you seem to think they are... the argument is that the quiet vehicles are a danger to others, not vice-versa.

By: Fiasco da Gama

Fiasco da Gama — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:41:06 -0800

That's not a hazard on the road. This is a hazard on the road.

By: majick

majick — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:51:11 -0800

I'm all in favor of advances in motorcycle technology, but do they all have to be squid bikes? Bleh.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:09:07 -0800

And for the love of Christ, people: your brake lights are NOT a turn signal. You should stay away from Seattle. On a good day, people even use their arms as a turn signal in this town, like they're on a bicycle. It's extremely fucked up, to say the least.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:44:50 -0800

What's a squid bike? Squids can ride any kind of bike, and non-squids often ride very fast machines. In fact, more often, and for longer, by the very nature of the squid.