cross pond high tech

“Mirage” is the polite world I use to characterize the idea that small individual transportation vehicles could be the solution to urban congestion or pollution. Micromobility is not an innovation…

Micromobility is socially selective, environmentally unfriendly, and it is not even supported by a sustainable model. But it is still well-hyped and it continues to draw large investments. Here is why.
“Mirage” is the polite world I use to characterize the idea that small individual transportation vehicles could be the solution to urban congestion or pollution.

Micromobility is not an innovation. It is a bad remedy to a failure of the public apparatus — at the state or the municipal level — unable to develop adequate infrastructure despite opulent fiscal bases.

Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft may be adding more cars on the road, according to a new study published by the U.C. Davis Institute of Transportation Studies this week. Though the study found that 9% of car owners said they've disposed or one or more of them because of ride-hailing, it's unclear whether it's reduced their total vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

• Ride-hailing users who also use public transit have higher personal ownership rates than those who only use public transit.
• Ride-hailing has led to a net 6% reduction in public transit use by Americans in major cities (draws people away from buses and light rail, but complements commuter rails).
• A majority (49% to 61%) of ride-hailing trips would have not been made at all, or by walking, biking, or public transit, likely adding to the total VMT.

It’s hard not to get excited when people start talking about flying cars — after all, who doesn’t want a flying Jetsons car? When 2016 Hello Tomorrow Challenge grand prize winner, Lilium Jet, got on stage to present the world’s first vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) personal aircraft, the audience was captivated. Before us was an image of a futuristic egg-shaped personal jet, majestically soaring above the glistening ocean.
Incubated under the auspices of the European Space Agency’s business incubation center in Bavaria, the young team of German engineers and doctoral students from the Technical University of Munich has a lofty ambition: to disrupt the future of everyday commute.
With Lilium Jet, people can move to rural areas while working in big cities, because long distances can be covered in a fraction of the traditional time.
Instead of queueing at an airport to go from Munich to Milan, you stroll into your garden, hop onto your Lilium, and take off; we’re talking about a garden of at least 15 x 15 meter. With electric engines, the Lilium is both quieter and more environmentally-friendly than helicopters. Classified as a light sport aircraft for two occupants, the Lilium can fly up to 300 km per hour, and requires only 20–30 hours of training as opposed to the costly, time-intensive training required to fly helicopters. Same as getting a driver’s license.