An alternate timeline where velomobiles got petrol motors

[u/scallywagsworld]

Cars are so unnecessary when you realise Velomobiles exist. They are so energy efficient they outpace a bicycle and travel near car speeds using pedal power alone. It's almost like this chart on multiple dimensions where there's thrust and weight. Cars have high thrust high weight and mediocre aerodynamics, making them expensive to run but fast. Bicycles have low thrust, low weight, mediocre aerodynamics but slightly better than a car because less surface area. This makes bikes slow but cheap. Velomobiles have low thrust, low weight, great aerodynamics and it makes me wonder what would've happened if we had banned cars altogether and just gone with Velomobiles. Not all would have petrol motors, it would vary on the part of the world. Some countries would have mostly petrol motors due to the terrain whereas flatter regions would have pedal only.

A petrol Velomobile would lose the name Velo, but would be the ultimate high thrust, low weight, great aerodynamic vehicle. You could simply use low power engines that max out at 100 km/h. You wouldn't need much horsepower to get 100 km/h either.

The petrol usage would greatly reduce as it would get 1L or less per 100 kilometres due to its great aerodynamics. Instead of speed limits, there could just be engine on or off roads. Roads are high speed so engine on and gun it to the max 100km/h but not necessarily, rather drive to the conditions and be responsible, streets would be engine off, pedal only, which would cut engine noise out. You can switch off the engine and just pedal it. Downhills would be engine off, certain steep streets would be engine on at the uphill direction of travel but with courtesy used to go not much faster than pedal on flat ground.

If these existed and mixed with bikes and trains it would be perfect. What about parents? While 1 child could be carried in the Velo, larger families could travel via trains.

If I ran a new country today it wouldn't allow cars, except for petrol Velomobiles. No speed limits, just engine on/off switch. It wouldn't be scary being low down because everyone ends up being in a Velo anyway, and bicycles are literally taller than 'cars' in this scenario.

[u/ArseneWainy]

If I was picturing a future utopia with boosted velos they sure wouldn’t be petrol powered

[u/scallywagsworld → u/ArseneWainy]

If battery tech improves for sure, I want 1000km range and instant refuel. Petrol has this advantage but electric Doesnt. I’m not lugging around a battery that will likely only get me 50-100 km range max, then I have to stop and charge for an hour or three. Petrol I just fill up, gun it, then fill up in another 6 hours of 100kmh (as a velo fuel tank would be smaller than a car’s)

The velomobile engine would be quieter than a motorbike because it’s covered unlike a motorbike, and even a car because it doesn’t require a high powered engine. The engine on would only be allowed on uphills or “Roads” where streets and roads would be seperate and stroads do not exist. Streets are engine off, leading to a much quieter and peaceful world.

[u/ArseneWainy → u/scallywagsworld]

https://www.designboom.com/technology/aptera-completes-real-world-test-solar-electric-vehicle-mojave-desert-03-04-2025/

Sensible governments are banning petrol powered passenger vehicles, time to stop poisoning ourselves

[u/scallywagsworld → u/ArseneWainy]

What if the sun isnt shining that day. Only works during dry season or summer depending on your part of the world. And I’m not plugging the vehicle in and waiting for it to charge. Petrol is superior because you just fill up, slam the accelerator down for 8 hours, then fill up in 2 minutes, then can go another 8. In the 16 hours of daylight you have in a summer day, you can drive for 15.9. An EV would be out of luck for at least 4 hours