• Escape to a gated community;
• Charge congestion fees;
• Create new kinds of vehicles and vehicle controls.
Escaping to a gated community could be ideal, provid-
ing there were sufficient facilities available so travel
needs remained inside the community. We see the
market for such communities expanding, along with
considerable expansion within already established
communities.
Congestion fees are about to be put in place in New
York City. Urban congestion there has provided
fertile ground for a whole variety of point-to-point
travel within the city from bicycles (some with
electric motors, ore-bikes), to scooters, to horse
drawn carriages, to human-powered rickshaw-type
tricycles—and, of course, not to mention taxi cabs.
Now congestion fees are in play. Given the inelastic
demand just cited, these fees will have to be quite
high to have any effect.
What about new kinds of vehicles? In the short-run
such vehicles would apply mainly to intra-city travel.
In this context, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs)
might well play a role. An NEV is your everyday golf
car-type vehicle, or PTV, equipped to meet LSV stan-
dards (turn signals, rear-facing, back up camera,
automotive glass, etc.). Such vehicles could operate
as privately-owned, but more likely as a public trans-
portation service. Self-driving attributes, automatic
satellite direction, and other features could drasti-
cally reduce the number of vehicles on urban streets
while not hindering transportation needs.
New breed of crossover vehicle
“Crossover” is a popular connotation for vehicles
that, typically, have a combination of stylistic ap-
pearances. Currently, the crossover between a full-
sized SUV and a conventional sedan is a common
sight on our roadways. I have in mind, however,
as a crossover, a vehicle that is used within a gated
community and the same vehicle suited for use out-
side the community. This new breed of crossover
will add significant diversity of use (from golf course
to public roadway) and is likely to be electric. The
feasibility of electric power in a small, crossover ve-
hicle, by the way, took a leap forward with E-Z-GO’s
Elite models introduced last year at the PGA Show,
and now Club Car’s Tempo fleet model and soon-to-
be-announced lithium-powered Onward.
Legislative mandates will be required
Finally, circling back to my opening paragraphs and
reference to Brian Rott. What sets Brian apart from
many other dealers in the business, is that he has
never stayed with the bounds of the traditional golf
market. Ten or so years ago, when I first talked
with Brian, and we were in the midst of the great
recession, he was expanding. He had diversified
his business by refurbishing vehicles, exploiting the
rental market, and aggressively going after commer-
cial accounts.
Brian revealed to me in our conversation at the PGA
Show, his idea for legislative action that authorizes
all municipalities in the County of San Diego (State
of California) to study and enact a transportation
plan involving NEVs. The specific language of the bill
and its purpose are as follows:
It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this
article, to authorize the County of San Diego or any
city in the county to establish a neighborhood elec-
tric vehicle (NEV) transportation plan. The purpose
of this NEV transportation plan is to further the
San Diego region’s vision of facilitating the efficient
movement of people and goods to support a sus-
tainable and healthy region, a vibrant economy, and
an outstanding quality of life for all.
(b) It is further the intent of the Legislature that if
the County of San Diego or any city in the county
adopts an NEV plan that this NEV transportation
plan be designed and developed to provide flexible
and economical travel options for residents, employ-
ees, and visitors, to best serve the functional travel
needs of the plan area, to have the physical safety of
the NEV driver or the passenger’s person and prop-
erty as a major planning component, and to have
the capacity to accommodate NEV drivers of every
legal age and ability.
Note the language under paragraph (b): “It is fur-
ther the intent of the Legislature…that this NEV
transportation plan be designed…to provide flexible
and economical travel options…”
Brian has been very active in lobbying for this legis-
lation, and it could well set a pattern for NEV trans-
portation plans not only for the rest of California,
but for the nation as well. Stay tuned for updates.
Contact Steve at [email protected].
Or check out our website at www.smallvehicleresource.
com, where you will find an extensive database of vehi-
cle models and can make side-by-side comparisons of
vehicles based on a full set of specifications.
MARCH 2019
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