rjones28 

I know a couple of people that use e-bikes for their commute.

MoAlpha

An electric car would be a good excuse to expand the roof PV array and put in some storage, if we don't move when we retire.

WhyFi

My wife takes the bus to work, but would be a perfect candidate for an e-bike commute, if not for a couple of dicey areas (to a novice, at least) and the whole terrified-of-riding-in-the-city thing. Her office is only 6 miles away, but the most direct route by vehicle is always log-jammed and the fastest public transportation route is very indirect and takes almost an hour.

WhyFi

We love our Tesla battery, even if it rarely comes in to play. If we lived someplace with peak/off-peak electric pricing, it'd be even more betterer.

MoAlpha

We considered a propane generator, back when our local utility was scandalously unreliable, and then looked into storage when we installed the PVs, but decided it wasn't worth it. Our consumption is now about net zero and we never used enough juice to qualify for variable pricing.

datlas 

Commuting on my bike is always a consideration. About 6 years ago I was riding in 2 days/week. But there is more and more traffic between work and home, and I can't completely avoid some busy roads, plus with the kids at home my presence is helpful in the morning and evening.

My youngest will be graduating HS next year, so I may reconsider commuting.

WhyFi

The wife thought it was worthwhile solely for outages - we were surprised to learn that, even with the panels, we'd also lose electricity when the grid goes down; a few summers ago, we were down long enough that food spoilage was becoming a concern. Also, I was rather impressed earlier this year when I got a message from the battery, informing me that there was a severe storm inbound and that it was charging from the grid so as to be ready for an extended period off-grid, if necessary. The wife is pretty risk-averse, so she likes the peace of mind.

WhyFi

Just curious, but how much time does driving save you vs riding? Way back when I commuted, it was about a wash between cycling vs subway, but cycling was so much more pleasant that I would have happily biked even if it took longer. To me, dealing with traffic when driving is even more stressful/frustrating, so I'd be looking for an excuse to ride, instead.

datlas 

It depends, but broadly speaking door-to-door by car is 15 minutes and by bike is 40 minutes.

There is probably another 10 minutes extra time for changing etc. with the bike. So it's roughly an hour extra by bike.

WhyFi

Yeah, that's pretty significant, 'specially with the morning shuffle/chaos of family life.

indyfabz

T.G.i.F.

seedsbelize 

We have a receptacle at the inverter, to plug into when the grid is down and the sun is shining. They tell us it's there to keep the fridge going, but we run extension cords all over the house. The Mrs. needs her internet.
These days, with thunderstorms in the area almost every day, it appears as if there is a system in place to cut grid power as the storm approaches. I am being kind here. But the grid does shut down, or flicker at least, as the storm passes through. Every day.

seedsbelize 

As far as riding goes, the roads on my routes are much calmer during the week than on weekends. Just the opposite of when I lived in the US. We have virtually zero extraneous traffic which is not involved with going to work or returning home. Between 8:30 AM and 4PM I have the roads to myself.

datlas 

Yup. Another factor is that traffic really picks up by around 7AM. So when I commuted, I liked to leave the house at 6:15ish. I don't really NEED to be at work until around 7:20 or 7:30, so when I drive I leave the house around 7. That means getting up/out 45 minutes earlier. I will reconsider doing this if/when my presence in the morning is no longer required.

indyfabz

I am still off the bike, which is a shame because tomorrow is Free Streets. A multi-mile stretch of a major city street not that far from my house will be closed to cars between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. It's a chance to see parts of the city I otherwise avoid. Last year there was a great DJ on one block spinning some ol' skool jams I had not heard in ages. The Philly Phanatic was also running around.

And from the event's website:

"Electric bikes and electric, pedal-assist bikes are permitted at Free Streets with the understanding that they are ridden responsibly and safely along the route with consideration to all cyclists, pedestrians, and Free Streets participants. It is encouraged that cyclists turn off any electric assistance unless necessary when riding and limit speed to 15 mph."

BillyD

It’s gotta be the communists.

BillyD

Morning t-storms are very unusual.

datlas 

Agree. And I hope whatever energy coming this way fizzles out so I can ride tomorrow without fear.

Trsnrtr

My son has two electric cars, a Tesla and a Chevy Volt. He offsets them with a F150 Super Cab and a BMW.

datlas 

Hey @WhyFi, what's the Weekend 25K Post Party plan??

BillyD

I have zero interest in electric-anything, even though my preferred 4Runners never exceed 19 mpg. Big petrol can rely on me.

WhyFi

Oh, I didn't realize that it was coming up.

To answer the question: dunno.

indyfabz

The Philly bike share program has been rolling out e-assist bikes.

indyfabz

What's the route?

WTH? Did I miss that this morning or have things changed since then?

seedsbelize 

You must have mentioned why you are off, but i don't remember.