Will the cities of the future have an electric skateboard lane?
- Ryan Evans’ Inboard wants a future where you’ll be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want, safely, efficiently, and affordably
- “A powered skateboard solves major problems for cities: parking, pollution, and over-crowded public transportation”
- What should our dream vision of transport in 5–10 years time be?
Lately, no conversation about the future of technology seems to be complete without talk of the world’s shifting transportation landscape: as the likes of Uber, Google and Tesla make huge progress in the autonomous vehicle sphere, and speculation about Apple’s seemingly forever-in-development electric car deepens, there is no doubt that how we think about getting from A to B is soon going to change in ways we are only now beginning to imagine.
One person who has let his visions of the future run wild is Ryan Evans, the CEO and co-founder of the California-based Inboard Technology.
He spoke last year at TOA 2016 and laid out his impression vision of transport’s future — a shift he thinks could be as big as the leap from horse and carriage to the the automobile.
As populations migrate back into cities and they get more densely populated, our traditional inner-city transport options will be forced to change.
So, nearly a year on from his talk in 2016, TOA.life asked Ryan to let us know how his vision has moved forward since then, and tell us how the type of “rideable” or micro-electric transport made by his company are part of the solution.
If you’d like to hear more from bleeding-edge thinkers, makers, and doers like Evans, you’ll love the Tech Open Air festival in Berlin, which less than 40 days away. Tickets are selling fast…
Will cities change their physical design to accommodate personal “rideables”?
Could there be, for instance, elevated lanes in cities for Inboards?
Ryan Evans, Inboard: There are a number of macro-trends all converging at the same time to allow for, and essentially mandate, a restructuring of our cities and urban landscapes. We saw similar adaptation with the arrival of each major transportation paradigm. When urban residents used the horse and carriage, streets could be narrower, parking lots were hitching posts, and their was a much different, more obvious, form of pollution: horse manure!
The adoption of the automobile drastically altered the landscape of cities. Roads were widened, distances were increased, and empty lots became parking lots. In this melee, we lost much public and green space and got “concrete jungles” instead.
Again, we’re seeing a paradigm shift in transportation: connected networks, autonomous vehicles, sharing in place of ownership, and electrification in place of internal combustion engines.
This presents a massive opportunity to learn from our mistakes of the last century: we can implement green spaces, reduce the number of vehicles on streets in many areas, and open our cities to more friendly pedestrian traffic.
Cities won’t change for just one new product category (think Segways), but I do see products like the Inboard M1 fitting into the changing “cities of tomorrow” perfectly.
Currently the change in transport focuses around new implementations of existing paradigms: car-sharing, car-pooling, on-demand hire.
If cheap, fun, nimble transport like Inboard become popular, how will it impact these newer paradigms? For instance, taking an Uber for a short 1- or 2-mile trip might become an opportunity to ride a small electric board or other vehicle. Are these technologies like Inboard a “last mile” solution?
RE: “On-demand” is the key concept. Right now, you either own a car or you don’t. You might own a van or a truck… or you don’t. But in the future, you’ll have access to the exact vehicle you need when you need it.
In 2030, if you need to move from an apartment, press a button and you’ll have a truck at your door. Going out with 8 friends? You can have a shuttle at your doorstep! Just need to run an errand on a beautiful day and want to enjoy the nice weather? Then a personal electric vehicle, or “rideable” would be the choice for you!
It’s all about having the right tool for the task at hand. Electric bikes are great, but if you want to join all your friends for a drink during happy hour across town and everyone is getting in a ride-share… then you’re left as the odd-man out and would need to either lock-up your electric bike (sketchy), or ride across town to join your friends.
Compact, lightweight electric vehicles allow you to take them with you. They fit under a bar, under a restaurant table, and in the back of a Prius. This gives you freedom … freedom to go where you want to, when you want to, with whomever you want.
There are also legal issues: when does a powered skateboard become a vehicle in the eyes of the law?
Are there any complications you foresee?
RE: Similar to any emerging technology (think drones), the products need to adapt to society just as society needs to adapt to these new solutions. In general, a powered skateboard solves major problems for cities: parking, pollution, and over-crowded public transportation.
As such, cities want these solutions. The most important thing is that riders and companies work with cities to implement these new tools in the best way possible. In general, personal electric vehicles (P-EVs) are treated the way as electric bikes. That means: ride them in the bike lanes, respect traffic laws, wear a helmet, and have headlights and tail lights on when riding at night.
And the new rideable future is also fun!
What do you think will be the result of a world where people enjoy their commute?
RE: We’re seeing so many shifts in workplace culture. Companies are realising that happy teams are more productive and do better work. Riding a congested bus isn’t the most inspiring way to start the day … but riding through the crisp morning air on a sunny morning releases endorphins, a healthy bit of adrenaline, and creates a euphoric sensation.
P-EVs present an opportunity to serve a dual role as both a utility for commuting, and also as a recreational device.
Finally: what is your vision of transport in 5–10 years time?
What will a typical day be like?
RE: In short, you’ll be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want, safely, efficiently, and affordably… this is for both able-bodied and disabled residents, young to elderly. Everyone will have freedom of mobility! If I was to give a glimpse into this future: imagine walking out your door in the suburbs, having a full-size, 4-seater, autonomous electric vehicle (A-EV) waiting outside your front door.
The vehicle doesn’t have a steering wheel, nor a driver, but rather is a high-speed internet work station so that you can start your morning emails. The vehicle makes you a cup of coffee while toasting your bagel. Upon arriving in the city in just enough time to finish your breakfast (a commute that used to take 40 minutes, but now only takes 20 min), you step out of the vehicle 4 blocks from the city centre where your office is located.
An A-EV isn’t permitted in the heart of the city as those surface streets are reserved for pedestrians and P-EVs. As such, a skateboard, or scooter, etc will emerge from the undercarriage of the autonomous vehicle. You step onto it, and immediately begin moving through the city in the compact P-EV lane… next to the bicycle lane.
Upon arriving at your destination, you step off and the P-EV autonomously takes off to its next rider. You enter your workplace hands-free and ready to capitalise on the day!
Come to TOA and connect with top-tier entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists — all in a beautiful, historic location. Join us this July in Berlin!
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
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Originally published at blog.toa.berlin on June 4, 2017.
