Hedonic Sustainability via Effective Minimalism
Updated: Nov 14, 2020
A bit naïve, but funny way to reduce footprint of GDP-based economy by 14% is offered in clip sequence "to do something, do nothing" one day a week. On more serious note, the sustainability involves austerity or a compromise in quality of personal life. You have to ration your consumption to a bare necessity, except for personal mobility...
Sustainability
The leaner a vehicle, the more it is both sustainable and effective. The "lean" means a vehicle is small and lightweight. That, in turn, means less energy spent on mining raw materials, on their processing, on use per person-km, on maintenance of the vehicle and roads, and on the vehicle's eventual disposal. The less energy is consumed during a vehicle’s life-cycle the less overall damage to our Planet is.
Super-Mobility
How in the world, the micro-micro-car FELA can be more effective than a conventional car?
Weighing grossly 120kg, FELA presses on ground with only 40kg per wheel and all three wheels are MTB size. The all wheels' drive enables crawling over 6-8” obstacles whether it is a road curb or a off-road rock. Ordinary fit FELA pilot can even climb the standard stairs. Such mobility is higher than of the most SUVs. If you got into exceptionally unrideable rough patch, you can just drag or porter the 40kg FELA over it like a barrow or a canoe. Contrary, when driving an SUV, you get stranded on country off-road, without a tow-truck you are screwed. With easily deployable rigs, lightweight FELA can cross deep water or fresh snow banks – unimaginable feat for any ATV. This virtually absolute FELA mobility is superior over any surface vehicle. Of course, FELA super-mobility means effectiveness or performance, and lightweight is the key here.
Super-Swiftness
Three feet narrow, FELA with rated assist less than 500-750W can be regulated or legalized as a bike to use bike paths - the factor that immensely increases FELA's permeability in a city. Additionally, agile and cruising as a car, but filtering slow traffic and splitting lanes at intersections like a scooter, FELA can halve travel time. What is this if not the commuting performance or effectiveness and again due to FELA minimalism in size and weight?
Super-Practicality
Put upright, FELA’s floor footprint is of a bike, i.e. 1.0 x 1.2 m. Compact FELA can turn around within two lanes or by lifting FELA's 15kg tail, pilot can pivot it on a spot if not to use FELA electric reverse. No car can beat such a maneuverability, which, combined with no parking or storage problems, brings us to yet another type of performance or effectiveness.
Small weight and size mean low loads on mechanisms that can be designed simpler and reliable to degree of being service-free. It's the effective minimalizm that brings about this super-practicality.
Hedonism
Ok, FELA’s minimalism in size and weight can be both sustainable and effective, checked! What about the hedonic part, how being enclosed and pedaling your a** off in tight cabin can be possibly pleasant, not to mention exciting?
If you don’t understand thrill from beating cars in a green signal start with your muscles’ burst amplified by e-motor and being the first on the next intersection, or from looking down on bumpy climb for the downhill “crazy ride” (yet much more safe than on MTB), you are seriously unfit emotionally and physically, you haven't use your neuromuscular faculties for dangerously long time, and you have to get back to a rigorous regimen of strength and endurance workouts.
Nothing more than to anything else, the "don't use - lose" saying applies to our body and mind. Opposed to a car that causes hedonic adaptation (after awhile you want newer, a fancy one), FELA makes you stronger, connected to self and Nature and you just swap modules to ones that more suit your ever growing fitness and needs. This emotional durability of FELA is the essence of fighting the...
I would be happy to read your objections left in the comments' form.