Our commutes of the future will include multiple modes of transit, including electric vehicles of both two-wheeled and four-wheeled varieties! Most importantly, I think we will come to realize that not all transportation relies on a vehicle that’s personally owned. In some places in the U.S., demand is already being proven for shared cars and shared bikes, but in many more I think the majority of people don’t realize what a significant change these platforms can make in the way that they choose to move in their cities. It’s actually very freeing to be able to pick up a vehicle (in this case, an e-bike), use it as you need, and return it to a station, leaving someone else to then worry about security, maintenance, parking spaces, and so forth. I look forward to being part of this groundswell change in how we move in our urban environments and the impacts that we have on them!
Katherine Frankhauser (Environmental Science) co-owns Spark Mobility, a Spokane-based company renting electric- and battery-powered bikes and cars in several European cities.