Not seen in the US before this year, these vehicles suddenly became a novel business opportunity for Chinese entrepreneurs and logistics companies just in the past few months, with small numbers starting to arrive at American container ports – one after another – in large wooden crates.
It all started with videos from a vlogger called Bobo in the USA, who is originally from Beijing and now lives with her family in Dearborn, Michigan – coincidentally, the hometown of Henry Ford.
She gave a tricycle to her American father-in-law for Christmas, and it quickly became a local sensation. Able to carry a load up to 700kg (1,543 pounds), the beng beng can be charged simply by plugging into a standard 110 voltage outlet; once fully charged, it can run as far as 60km (37 miles). While in reverse, a high-pitched female voice warns in Chinese: “Qing zhuyi, daoche” (“Attention, backing up”).
If licensed as a motorcycle must meet safety standards like brake lights and turn signals. Then its legal on roads and highways. If not then its an off road toy. Like an ATV? Like a golf cart? Price looks attractive.
I like the idea of inexpensive, lightweight e-bikes. The carrying capacity of this one adds a lot of usefullness to it, can easily go grocery shopping or other chores. Good range,too.
Am seeing more and more e-bikes on paved rail trails. These are non-motorized bike & pedestrian pathways. The one in my town is a great way to beat the summer tourist traffic. The e-bikes obviously have motors, and I swear some of the people riding them look like they’ve never rode a bike in their life. Power and acceleration at the flip of a wrist ( I think that’s how the throttle works on them, have never rode an e-bike ) with really poor balance is a bad combination. Have seen a fair number of near misses on these “non-motorized” rail trails. As a comparison, if somebody were to ride a gas powered 150cc motorcycle on these rail trails, there would be an uproar of complaints. But motorized e-bikes get a pass. And these rail trails are hugely popular, there are toddlers and young kids darting around erratically all over the place. ( and just to be fair, there are some pedal bike riders who ride much too fast in the high-use trail sections, also. I don’t, I wait till I get out in the country a bit before going fast, I’m not going to be the guy that t-bones a kid on a tricycle )
Going to be interesting to see how this all plays out. Hopefully it doesn’t take a bad accident to get everybody’s attention.
Maybe the person who wrote the listing is aware of how education in the US has been given a back seat to “JC” tax cuts, and, maybe, a lot of USians don’t understand that “tricycle” implies three wheels?
True enough but I think accurate communications is important. In another thread where I pointed out a problem with semantics some Fools wanted to teach me about what fat does. Why the disconnect?
There is a good reason why publications used to have copy editors. It’s very easy for authors to miss the errors they make. Now we have smelling checkers that are often part of the problem.
The Captain
who never makes miskates trying to raise a stink…
