[grecy]

No worries, they will add more.

Before you disagree, remember there was a time they went from exactly zero HOV lanes to one.. which is an infinite increase. This time they will go from whatever they have now (usually one) to two, which is at most only a 100% increase.

Also keep in mind the day will come that all roads will only permit electric vehicles, essentially meaning all lanes are "HOV". So from 2017 -> the future we must transition to that, which means we have to start adding HOV lanes sooner or later.

[wyager]

> Also keep in mind the day will come that all roads will only permit electric vehicles,

That would be pretty dumb. This is a very strange claim from an overlander (assuming you agree with it); surely you're aware that batteries are nowhere near the energy density of chemical fuel, and probably won't be for a long time. We're even further away from practical electric ATVs or motorcycles. Banning gas vehicles in the next ~50 years would be incredibly destructive to rural areas and outdoor recreation.

By the time it would be semi-feasible to outlaw gas vehicles, there'd probably be no point, because electrics would be cheaper for most consumers anyway.

[grecy]

I believe it will happen, it's not really relevant if I agree with it.

Think about how much battery tech has improved in the last 50 years, now extrapolate forward 50 more.

Gasoline and the fumes cars pump into our towns are carcinogenic, and it will be banned. Maybe not in my lifetime, but it will happen.

[AshleyGrant]

>We're even further away from practical electric ATVs or motorcycles

I literally googled "electric motorcycles" and the first result proved you wrong: http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/motorcycles/

Googling "electric ATV" again proves you wrong: http://www.polaris.com/en-us/ranger-utv/ranger-ev-avalanche-...

As far as banning non-zero emission vehicles? In cities, especially in Europe, it's likely to happen a lot sooner than you might think.

And sure, rural areas will depend on ICE vehicles for longer than urban areas. That's no different than how there are plenty of places where it still makes more sense to ride a horse than to drive a vehicle. Edge cases are edge cases.

[wyager]

Neither of those vehicles are suitable for 95% of the tasks that people use motorcycles or ATVs for. Googling the existence of something does not qualify you to comment on its usefulness or practicality. You haven't "proved" anything. Once you understand the different varieties of ATVs and motorcycles and their respective use cases, feel free to look for viable electric options again.

Rural areas are not an edge case; they are a large portion of the population. The demographics that constitute HN tend to forget this.

[AshleyGrant]

What in the hell are 95% of motorcycles doing that can't be handled by a motorcycle with 108 miles of combined highway/city range? I have plenty of friends who ride motorcycles to work or on the weekend, and aside from not being obnoxiously loud, the motorcycles that company sells would do everything they want save for track days/illegally going 150+ on public streets.

And what are ATVs doing that can't be handled by a vehicle with 500 lbs of load capacity in the bed and can tow 3/4 of a ton? Oh, and it has a range of 50 miles.

I have family that own ATVs, and use them for hunting and fishing, and the Ranger would handle their needs 100% of the time. How many people are taking ATVs out for 50+ mile drives? I guarantee you it isn't 95% of them.

I grew up in a rural area. Maybe not west Texas rural, but Appalachian foothills rural. This ATV would handle just about all the needs of most of the people I knew growing up who wanted an ATV. Heck, the fact that it's quiet, might be a really good thing for them when hunting.

And rural areas ARE an edge case. They're 15% of the US population. Sure, they have special use cases, but your whole "95%" statement is completely false.

And as to the "once you understand the different varieties of ATVs and motorcycles" statement. Electric motorcycles and ATVs don't have to cover 100% of all use cases before they are viable. So stop trying to say they do. There are plenty of areas in which electrics are perfectly viable, and it's probably over 50% today, and it will only continue to grow as battery tech improves.

[grecy]

And there you have it. 2040.

I very much plan to be alive then.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/06/france-ban-...