Observations and Conclusions about the Lectra

This is a summary of what I've found so far about the Lectra; things that were interesting or surprising.

Technology

• Electric motors are much more efficient than gas motors. After riding my Lectra hard, for ten miles or more, I can still put my hand right on the motor. It only feels as hot as it might if it had been sitting in the sun.
• Batteries don't have much energy density with regard to gasoline. The ratio of energy stored to mass is much lower than gasoline. This fact causes the batteries, and their characteristics, to become a significant part of the overall machine. The word “batteries” itself gives the wrong connotation to modern hearers—they are not a simple, replaceable detail, as with the Energizer bunny.
• Regen braking is something of an art. You have to balance the increase in range and the extension of normal brake life against the temperature stress on the motor.
• Although top speed can be measurably affected by things like wind and road grade, the total range seems to be almost completely determined by the rider's weight, something which I found unusual. Wind and road grade will have some effect on range, but nothing dramatic.
• The fact that the Lectra has no transmission puts a lot of stress on its chain, which tends to stretch.

Sociology

• If people see the Lectra first, they suspect, and finally realize, that it's electric; but if they hear about it first, they are surprised by its sleek appearance.
• People really seem ready for electric vehicles—they are always tickled to see that the Lectra exists and are curious about other electric vehicles. They want them to succeed.
• People always ask the very same questions: “How fast?” “How far?” “How long to recharge?” Very few people think about the lower total cost of ownership, the preposterously lower refueling costs (mile for mile), and the simplicity (and therefore lower maintenance) of the complete machine. I guess most people evaluate vehicles as though they were going to enter a cross-country race with them. This is too bad.
• For electric vehicles to really work, the refueling outlets need to be ubiquitous, and more so than gas stations. Instead of having gas stations every so often, every parking place needs an outlet, so that whenever the vehicle is stopped, it can be charging. The range during normal in-city use (e.g. running errands, going to work, meeting people, but not cross-country racing) would then be greatly increased, even with low-capacity batteries. This is not hard to ask of an employer, but is much harder to ask of every parking space in a city. It's ironic, since every city has a ubiquitous power grid—just not ubiquitous access.
• If electric vehicles ever catch on, they'll probably have to be electric/gas hybrids. It's too hard to overcome the resistance to the short range that batteries give the vehicle.