The Miniature Microcars of Amsterdam
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
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When I first arrived in the Netherlands, I was amazed at the minature "microcars" that were everywhere. These are cars that make the Smart fourtwo look like a giant. It's really interesting to me where microcars might fit in the 21st century city, and what problems they solve for people with mobility issues.
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Image and video credits:
De Biro moet van de stoep af en dat is balen voor de ‘middelvingerrijder’ [Trouw]
www.trouw.nl/b...
Golf carts parked at McIntosh High in Peachtree, Georgia
www.flickr.com...
Golf carts parked at Wal-Mart, Peachtree, Georgia
commons.wikime...
A golf cart coasts along the multi-use paths that wind throughout the city.
en.wikipedia.o...
Tom Scott - The City of Golf Carts (RUclips)
• The city of golf carts
Tesla Roadster photos by Flickr user FaceMePLS
www.flickr.com...
Better car design could prevent pedestrian deaths, says NTSB report (Curbed)
www.curbed.com...
US Car vs SUV sales, Cox Automotive
d2n8sg27e5659d...
Airbag clip from How Do Airbags Work? [PBS Reactions RUclips]
• How Do Airbags Work?
#microcars #canta #Estrima #biro #roadsafety
I can’t believe Peachtree City was mentioned! I grew up there. It’s suburban hell in many ways, but the golf cart paths are truly great. We could ride bikes nearly everywhere in town; they were also used as recreation paths; and we could use little electric golf carts for like 90% of in-town trips. The culture of the city was special as golf carts became an accepted form of transportation, took part in parades, special infrastructure was built for them (bridges, parking spots, crosswalks, parks), teens could drive them and thus had more freedom, cottage industries arose to support them, they were accepted as “cool”, and people gave them right of way. We could choose a pleasant, silent, “greener” mode of travel and most people did.
Wow, thanks for sharing! It's interesting to hear what it's like to grow up there. In particular, the independence for children and teenagers is really important. I think every suburban hell could be a little bit less hellish with a "slow traffic" network. It really should be more common.
I own a Ford F-250 but given the CHOICE if I could get around my city in a small electric cart without the government taxing the hell out of me I would do it. But oftentimes they want DMV fees license plates you can't drive a golf cart on public roads. The Auto industry is intrenched in America. Unfortunately.
@@rxonmymind8362 definitely, but I feel it would help a lot if people like you started raising awareness about these kinds of changes. Especially since you're driving a big pickup truck. People tend to look around them, see everyone driving cars and assume that this is just the way things are. Nobody would dare to approach you with such an idea, fearing a heated argument with a passionate truck owner. That's why you're in an especially good position to talk about it. Nobody expects the F250 owner to want to downscale dramatically if he had the opportunity. It gives people hope that change is possible.
@@NotJustBikes You remember when you said Denmark isn't good at cycling infastucture your pretty wrong. yes Ik most of it is painted but the thing is that they still do function well so do the segregated paths. But atleast you can say our roads actully safe enough to cycle on! lol
I live close by and go there to ride my bike. People complain about it but the schools are nice and so are the paths.
If you're ever in Japan, you'd be bewildered at the wild varieties of micro vehicles on the roads there, mixed in with bicycles of course. Shizuoka in particular was amazing to me. One common delivery vehicle was a 3-wheeled articulated scooter with a roof, which would be perfect for a place like Amsterdam. Maybe worth a show.
Articulated scooter? 🤔I'm having trouble even picturing it. 😀
I live near Peachtree City, Georgia currently! It's amazing how many people and families forego a car for a golf cart to get around. Having family that lives there, the image. of the school and grocery store parking lot is absolutely the truth! There are fewer car accidents that cause severe injuries/death and it is much easier and safer for new drivers to learn to drive in a smaller motorized vehicle than to learn in a large metal vehicle.
Wow, that's great! I'll have to visit Peachtree City some time!
@@NotJustBikes Kind of reminds me of Discovery Bay, Hong Kong. It would be interesting to see it covered since it has a rather unique mix of transit and density
@@NotJustBikes I would have interest in a Video of there and a look at NON BIG car alternatives that are CLOSER to compatible with US suburban neighbourhoods
tried to use google street view to see if there are as many golf carts as people say and unless I'm looking at the wrong walmart they only had one golfcart and the rest were cars. are all the golfcarts in a more centralized area and not throughout the actual city?
I am dying to know how long you waited for a new model Mini-cooper pass by that old little Fiat. You really ought to have quite a lot of patience. Respect!
That wasn't a cooper
@@موسى_7 or the countyman
@@crabrangoon2493 Yes it was, and actually it's badged as a Cooper Countryman, so it's technically also a Cooper.
It is indeed a Countryman, but either way, the size difference is ridiculous
He got a Range Rover following a truck at an appropriate moment too. Neat touches :)
The idea of having an enclosed, super accessible mode of transport for people using wheelchairs is amazing!! I have so many friends that can't get around by themselves because they use wheelchairs
In my city I often see people in wheelchairs on sidewalks. But on the poorer side of town the sidewalks aren't always maintained, and sometimes don't exist, so it's also normal to see wheelchairs sharing the road with cars. Insanity.
Who else wants to see a review of the micro car!
Me too! I´d love to see a full in-depth review of such a micro car. As someone who lives in a smaller city in the Netherlands I haven't seen a lot of those cars in my life. I guess this is another one of those Amsterdam-only things XD
Honda s660
Very!
Yes give it to The Stig.
Only if it is a micro review!
This video is over a year and a half old, but I still haven't been able to rent a Birò. There are no companies that rent them anymore. There was a carshare service (Lev) in Rotterdam that used Biròs, but they shut down. Several people have offered to let me borrow theirs for a few days, but when it actually came time to do it they all backed out. And Birò Nederland has no interest in helping me (I've asked), which is really short-sighted of them, but oh well.
So unless this channel becomes big enough that I could justify buying one for the sake of a video, it looks like that review will never come. :(
Do you know anyone who still has one? Maybe someone would be willing to let you use it for a short while and review it.
You should pin this comment!
As an Australian I found this fascinating! Cycling is fairly unsafe on our roads and I've never seen a car like these in my life. What a fantastic job the Netherlands is doing with transport and road infrastructure. :)
I live in Europe and I wish we had it half as good as you do in Australia. Owning a car here is expensive and frustrating, that's why we have cars like these. It's not like Australia where you own SUV and utility vehicles, have low gas prices, and large wide roads. We have this because we can't have anything better.
@@bengillen1287 the numbers on accidents and quality of life between car-centric cities and walkable/cyclable ones like Amsterdan certainly disagree with you. Large wide roads are good for long travels and big trucks, but they certainly aren't inherently better than roads that make a city safer for pedestrians, cyclists and people with low mobility.
As someone who lives in Australia, in a suburb 40kms from the center of Melbourne, I can't agree. And to be honest I think you've misdiagnosed the nature of your problem.
Much of Australia isn't as bad as the standard US fiasco, but it's still pretty bad, and every single SUV makes it worse.
Every single SVU or larger vehicle blocks the sight lines of every other car on the road, they're intrinsically dangerous because they effectively blind people.
Every single SVU takes twice as long as a more sensibly size car to park.
They take up *more* parking and road infrastructure.
If I look down my street I'll see 10+ cars parked on the side of the road, turning what would be an otherwise overly wide road into an obstacle course of parked cars.
They're god damn louder too because they're heavier.
SVUs and larger vehicles literally encourage what I can only call an arms race - Similar to picking up your baggage at an airport.
Being close to the baggage carrousel means you can pick up your luggage immediately, but you block everyone else from being able to see theirs, so they also have to step forward, now everyone is around the carrousel and there's too many people, it's too crowded, and half of all the people are stuck at the back unable to get their luggage and leave.
If instead everyone took a step back, it'd be fine.
SVUs are the same - people buy them and think "Oh this is great, I can see over all the other cars in my giant monster of a vehicle".
Then the next person who would've driven a sensible car instead goes "This sucks, I'm penned in by jerks in SVUs, I can't see anything"
And on, and on, until everyone has a stupidly large car that they don't need for any other reason than we couldn't take a step back.
It really resonates that if little metal boxes aren't safe on the road, my open air self is not safe on the roads.
Having family in Peachtree city, I have found from personal experience that the golf cart network also acts as a amazing bicycle network (at least for the US). For example, one time we went with family from their house to the center of town for snowcones or something (a few miles away) and me and my cousin decided to bike, and it was amazing! We only encountered a few golf carts, and didn't have to deal with cars
what is the speed on golf carts 20 MPH ? not far different from a BIKE
m.ruclips.net/video/Z93QpgGJRDA/видео.html
The irony is that Dutch people are one of the tallest people in the world
yet the best biggest traders there are, its there art
someone once said it is because there is never any sun (apart from current heatwave). So we need to grow taller to get more sunlight lmao. I thought that was funny as hell. Also, we are the tallest, not one of the tallest ;) (thats on average)
@@anglerfish61 Oh, LOL, just like plants!
@@silviasanchez648 yes haha
And also the lowest average elevation
"The fewer large vehicles we have in our streets, the better". I couldn't agree more.
Less fuel cost means more disposable income.
True as long I have a car on street and y’all don’t.
If this cars are parked on pedestrian walks - they not better than conventional cars.
*Cries in Canada*
@@Bork_In_Volcanic well yeah - if you replace all big cars with small cars and let them all park on the sidewalk you'd have a problem. But in a scenario where this'd be the case, the parking spots would be used - and they can be smaller too, leaving more space for the sidewalk.
A sensible government would not let the general population park their microcars on the sidewalk and reserve that right for the disabled - exactly like Amsterdam has already done.
I never thought about how dutch this must be
Live and learn. My first long cycle trip, from Eindhoven to Wetzlar and back, was at the end of the sixties. And yes, dad took me. I was scared eh, shirtless crossing right through the centre of Köln. In all 1000 in 9 days at 12 years old. Think we've come a long way, where we go next I don't know. But I'd rather live here, with room to breathe fresh air, than that monstrosity Köln...
Im Dutch lel
@@FantaTrackpad who the fuck asked
It’s not Dutch, it’s from Amsterdam. Being from Groningen I had never seen these until I visited Amsterdam.
@@roy_hks Heb je dan nog nooit iemand met een 45 km/u wagentje gezien? Ik woon vrij ver van Holland (niet Friesland fyi) en zie ze regelmatig.
"Do you really want people in 2 tons metal boxes in city centers?"
Hmm, that makes you really think. As someone from Prague, it is crazy how much space and important places is dedicated to cars, even in the center of the city itself.
Also, the micro cars are popular here especially because you can drive them since 15 years old, while you can drive regular car since 18 years old.
I thought you said PragerU 😂
I’m disabled and live in the United States (and in a part of it with long snowy winters) and I really wish these were even an option. I own a car which I can barely afford (you know because of almost non-existent social safety net) and it’s way more than I need not only in terms of expense but also in terms of how I use it
Your work on these vids has regained my interest in cycling. being Dutch the bicycle infrastructure was always a given to me. but now i see it from your point of view and realize how special it is. so i recently took out my bike and drive every other day a different round, just to admire the infra that was always there. thanks!
Don't know how common this is in the Netherlands overall, but where I live we used to call those micro cars "Fietspad Ferrari's"
monocatz hhaahaha ik ga stuk
Zo ga ik ze ook noemen
Of gewoon 45km autootjes zoals ik het zeg
LOL die is goed
I like that. There used to be one in De Pijp with a Ferrari-style body.
As someone disabled and can't ride bikes (but still able to walk), that microcar seems like an absolute dream for me. Legit having the ability to get more than a couple bags of groceries and not exhaust myself whenever going to the store independently would be lifechanging. Instead I have to rely on friends/family to get to the doctor/store/wherever else and walking is only an option if I just need a few things in an emergency.
You should also look into a place called "The Villages" in central Florida U.S.A. It is a retirement community of over 140,000 residents with shopping centers and schools, for the kids of the workers. I've been there several times and they have found a way to blend car travel with "multi-modal" transportation (golf cart, bike and walking path all in one). Thanks for the video.
I was thinking the same thing! As soon as he started talking at that section I thought it was going to be about the villages
6:43 Electric cargo bikes are common in Portland, Oregon too, I'm happy to say -- but we need many more safe, dedicated bike paths for connecting key areas of the city!
As a Dutch resident but not yet a citizen I must say thanks so much for these videos make myself feel proud of the community I live in
I feel the same way
The tiny cars like the Renault Tweezy is perfect for fleet mobility vehicles on the budget.
The Tweezy is an awesome car, hook a small trailer up to it and it would be a cool little run about.
tweezy is essentially just a biro that's a tiny bit larger.
look at Cina they have many small electric cars which run with regular batteries and go about 50Km/h, they are much cheaper than the modern lithium battery things+ batteries can easily be recycled. They are a bit like golf carts, these things should be common in citys.
*twizy and also, they are EXPENSIVO. 8k euros
@@hx.925 Still half the price of a biro or canta
Do they have microcars where you live?
I've seen the Canta in other towns and cities in the Netherlands, but from what I've been told by people in other cities, the Birò is rarely seen outside of wealthy areas of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Apparently 80% of all Birò are sold in the Netherlands, with the (distant) second-most popular country being Italy.
I don't think I would ever own one myself, but I can see the appeal for a certain segment of the population.
They don't really have them in the UK but some people have what I guess you could say are microcars a 'g-wiz'. Although you'd struggle to see one almost anywhere in the country let alone in london
Don't rent a Biró - I believe I can arrange for you to have one on loan for free.
Edited: confirmed with the owner.
@@arikb well done. Hope this comment is seen. A review would be great.
Canta's are very popular in Amsterdam Noord (North). So Noord is named Canta city.
Lot of Cantas here in Amsterdam West, too. But I can't remember seeing too many in Maastricht
As a cyclist I enjoy your videos. I lived in Amsterdam for a short time in the mid 1970s and rode a bike to work every day. I remember well the "whitecar" microcar and was amazed at how innovative it was. It's great to see just how much better and bike friendly Amsterdam has become over the years. At 71 I still ride a bike and live in Slovakia where the only bike infrastructure on regular roads in my city is a few bike gutters painted green where cars often park. I plan to visit Amsterdam again soon just to experience again a bike friendly city.
Once, when I had just moved to Amsterdam, I came across a woman parking and getting out of her Canta. I had never seen that before, so I asked her to take a picture of me with it. She did, and she told me that her grandfather invented them. I thought 'oh that's so cool and obscure, how nice that his granddaughter is using his invention!' Only later on did I realize how popular they were😂 Felt bad that I didn't understand how big a flex that was😂😂
Lol, that's awesome
I dislike those microcars. Particularly the gasoline powered ones. Most bike lanes are too narrow to overtake them, especially if the driver is driving in the middle of the lane. If I'm going fast I have to do some high speed maneuver around them over the sidewalk or something, which I prefer not to do. If they go faster than you, they usually can't overtake you, so they're stuck behind you which is again loud, and it gets on my nerves.
as a previous user of a Canta like vehicle, i can tell you driving there isnt the best thing in the world. But i am unable to cycle on a normal bike, and i needed a method of getting to treatment and family. So i understand you, but i'd like to be understood as well. if not for me, but for others using them in their legitimate way.
I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to have these cars on the road instead of the bike lane. At least in residential areas.
Man, I wish this was the biggest problem I had with cars when riding my bike......
Perhaps the time has come for an over-all reflection on the nature, design, and management of single-person and family transportation? By default, I drive a hatchback. Here in Denmark, there aren't that many alternatives to fossil fuel to me, because I regularly drive long distances out of necessity. Electrical cars do exist, but they are still quite expensive, and so far no one has come up with how to charge them when you live in an apartment.
Private lease is on the rise, so the price tag issue will eventually be a thing of the past, but the charging issue remains, as most Danish "apartment areas" are too densely built up to conveniently and feasibly leave room for the chargers. There's also the challenge of vandalism to take into account. If I could wield a magic wand, electricity could be bottled and tanked, just like petrol/gasoline and diesel fuels. Until then, I have to stick with twenty years old VW Golf.
@@thomasraahauge5231 You say that most ''apartment areas'' in Denmark are too dense for space to charge electric microcars to be an option, so presumably those areas are car free? Or do they have normal cars including oversized SUVs parked on the street and in underground garages? If so there is space for electric cars, micro and normal sized.
I worked for a law firm that had a few of those Biros for lawyers to quickly go to court, without getting wet, or stuck in traffic. I also have a cousin (not in amsterdam, but in a more rural area), who has a disability and was not able to get his license. But because public transport is not the best there, he got a Canta to get around in his area.
The danger of introducing micro cars is that they might cannibalise more bike and foot traffic or public transit than regular cars.
honestly I dont see that happening anytime soon. A car for short trips is usually seen as an inconvinience. At least in my city (Rotterdam) so a micro car will have the same feel
@@foobar9220 At the same time though, most cars are single occupancy most of the time. Wouldn't cities be much better with microcars replacing regular cars and only larger vehicles and cargo vehicles when actually necessary? The larger vehicles could be shared (or perhaps rented) among a larger amount of people.
That is why you discourage regular car use and encourage microcar use. Then they will replace cars.
It all is about proper policy.
@@MrAronymous Not only that but the vast majority of car trips are still fairly short to medium distance and often on urban roads. Sure not all are but for most people that currently own and maintain a car I bet that a one or two seat vehicle capable of 50 km/h that can handle a few bags of groceries would suffice for 95+% of their car trips. If the economies of scale kick in to make microcars far cheaper to buy and maintain than regular cars I suspect many current drivers would be financially better off choosing to own one and simply rent a conventional car when necessary. After all it is not like the ability to rent these vehicles will go away in fact if this caused the demand for rentals to go up as people kept a smaller vehicle for day-to-day use the existing operators would expand to facilitate this change. Asset leasing is and always has been a big business precisely because it is often more economical to operate cheaper alternatives that work most of the time and simply buy in flexibility as and when you need it to handle the but sometimes situations.
I agree, but I can see it being used as cars for kids who only need transportation to school or work, it would be easy to learn and schools are usually within 5-10 miles from the neighborhood it serves
I would love to live with only a bike, but for some trips, and in bad weather, a micro car (instead of a larger car) would be great 🤔
Whoa, was not expecting to see Peachtree City on this video! (from Fairburn, just next door) If I remember correctly, back in the 1950s the city planner specifically wanted to make the city more friendly to non-car drivers and created the original golf-cart network.
I went to Amsterdam yesterday, and I counted a total of 28 of these little cars. I was only there for 5 hours.
How fast they go and the Dutch is frugal and thrifty
@@carlosreid51 Canta is limited to 45km/h, the same as yellow plate mopeds.
I remember when an aquintance got a canta about 20 years ago. She was so happy. She has mobility issues and now was able to get places independently again. She looks young and healthy until you see her trying to walk. I think Cantas are great. You can even sit in them with two people. It's a tight squeeze but it's possible and allowed.
The push for SUVs in the US is real! I've been driving an used 2015 smart ED for about 2 years, we also have a gas powered mitsubishi mirage I try to not to use much. You'd be suprised at how many people think I'm silly driving around my little electric vehicle in Washington State. About 90% of my drives around town are within town or to work (just outside of town.) I don't get the point of having a large gas vehicle, particularly a 4+ seater when most of the time there's only one person driving the car. Another issue to note is the smart car brand isn't sold in the US anymore and most new upcoming EVs are suvs in the US.
Yes, the US has gone insane with SUVs, and have effectively turned road safety into an arms race.
The book "High and Mighty" (ISBN 1-58648-123-1) is well worth a read, and it explains the reason why SUVs became a thing in the US.
Man the North American fetish with SUVs pisses me off to no end.
I have actually driven Smart cars before (RIP Car2Go in Canada), and I always had a soft spot for those little things. While I have never done it, I figure I could probably fit stuffs from a Costco trip in the trunk, which means it could do pretty much everything 80% of SUV drivers would actually do with their SUVs anyway (I doubt most of them would ever drive on gravel roads, nevermind actual offroading). And sure, they are very expensive, but then again, so are other new cars nowadays. And I have gotten stuck in fairly deep snow with it before, but then again, that's really not unique with Smart cars.
I have driven it quite a bit in order to build up my highway mileage for my driver's licence test, including a fairly impromptu trip in winter. And I always figured that's the car I'm gonna buy if I ever buy a car. Well, Daimler stopped selling them here, so that's out of the window, and I'm left with 108 different flavours of SUVs.
Ugh.
@@NotJustBikes Good timing with Spring quarter ending going to finally have some time to read some personal reads. Hopefully the library reopens soon! I'll add the books to my request list.
@@BicyclesMayUseFullLane yea Seattle had cars 2 go for a while but the city council didn't see much success. It's a strange case here in Washington, we keep trying different projects like Lime Bikes, Lime Scooters, and Lime cars (for a moment.) They all seem to be abused and abandoned. Would be an interesting subject to study the Uber ride share, vehicle share craze.
@@BicyclesMayUseFullLane Also all the cool new smaller EVs are not coming to North America the ID3 nope, Honda E nope, hell I'd love a Renault ZOE nope.
In Australia microcars are a (tiny) niche for collectors of vintage cars. A bakery round the corner from me has two, a Messerschmitt KR200 and what I think is a Fiat. The 80% of the population who live in capital cities could easily get round using something other than an Urban Assault Vehicle, but they don't because the roads are full of UAV's. It's the 1% who live in remote Australia who need a basic, easy to repair vehicle like an EH Holden or a Toyota Hilux because 500km of gravel road on a bicycle is no fun. But "everyone" knows that one day they might need to, so they buy a Toorak Tractor just in case.
Urban Assault Vehicle, I like that word. Yet in the Netherlands cars are also very popular in the countryside, due to public transport and distances too great for cycling. But E-bikes, speedpedelecs and velomobiles are changing that.
It is as well in NL. I remember going to the Car museum near Wassenaar a year ago. They had about 25 of the for a few months (half from collectors), one of which was a p50 (maybe the one Jeremy Clarkson rode in Top Gear).
And it's ok, nobody should force people to drive small cars. I personally don't like suv that much, sport coupes are much funnier. But in case when people are getting assaulted by a mob it's better to have an SUV.
@@-ahvilable-6654
... why would you be assaulted by a mob? How often does it happen in your town?
Great term man ! Very true lived in perth and couldn't believe the amount of prado's
I guess my biggest mind-blown moment is realizing that AMS bans Electric Scooters that are lightweight and can´t travel faster than 20km/h, but allows a micro car, and electric mopeds that can pass 30km/h in the bike lanes. 😬🙄
I'm disabled in SoCal and this really makes me happy to see, there's literally no solution here.
@@martinc.720 Ew
One of the pushback arguments that get thrown back at me when I start suggesting bike infrastructure is that people who aren't able bodied need cars. (Which is fantastically untrue since the disability friendly apartment building near me means I regularly pass people on mobility scooters on the Greenway. And yet, I get this talking point from disability advocates all the time.) The existence of these little cars is an excellent counterpoint to all those criticisms.
There is one piece of disability advocacy I would like to engage in, though. Not all disabilities are visible and obvious. People with lung issues are just one of many groups that may need a mobility aid to get around. Thanks to a genetic condition, my late father couldn't walk more than a hundred feet or so without collapsing from lack of breath and used a mobility scooter when he needed to cover a lot of ground. People would give him all kinds of dirty looks when he exited the scooter to walk short distances.
In the US his was the sort of mobility issue that people have a hard time getting insurance coverage for. And without that coverage, people will sometimes try non traditional ways of coping. I've seeen kids who are "too big for a stroller" in a stroller because it is less expensive than the wheelchair that they cannot get. I'm sure that a lot of the luxury tiny car people are jerks, but not all of them.
As someone's whose disabled and basically needs a car to go anywhere, I'd much prefer a micro car than a regular one, even better if it's an EV :)
Too bad I don't live in the Netherlands.
Um, anyone who looks at me would at a glance all med able bodied, but due to other issues I can't operate a full size car and have been looking at would be a moped where a live. Hell this completely rules out the legally blind who should not drive.
I feel like bike infrastruce can go well together with car infrastructure its not one or the other.. especially with how wide roads are in north america
I think the uk handles disability and cars well. You apply for a disability badge, which you can put behind your windscreen. If you don’t have one, you’re assumed to not be disabled.
@@evaahh9584 The US does the same, but it is quite common for people to take it upon themselves to assume that the person in the vehicle has acquired their badge illegitimately. Because much those who are bent out of shape about the mini-cars, people are lousy at minding their own business.
There is a car category quite smiliar to the micro cars: „Kei cars“ in Japan. These are narrow small cars designed for the smaller urban side streets of big Japanese cities.
At the end its a normal car. I own a Daihatsu Cuore that is "Kei Car" in Japan. Its easy to drive and find parking lots, the consumption is very low (5l/100 at normal drive, 3l driving after a truck) It can go 160km/h on german Autobahn (only tested this once on a wind still day and perfect road, it feels not very comfortable) .
But its still a double the size of a micro car.
@@wasserdrucker6227 This is true - a "kei" car is defined partly by a limit on its engine size, which was raised several times over the years, but is somewhere around 600-700cc and is typically a conventional three-cylinder four-stroke design. Probably a classic Austin Mini could qualify as a "kei" car with relatively minor modifications.
For comparison, a petrol-engined moped is supposed to be under 50cc, which generally necessitates a single-cylinder two-stroke design. Such a small engine can power a microcar, if geared down a bit lower than for a two-wheeled scooter, which would also reduce the top speed.
the KEI car also comes with BIG ownership perks over a "normal" car one being NOT having to OWN / prove you have a dedicated parking spot as they can go for more then a whole house in parts of Tokyo plus LOWER fees and have an engine power and "footprint" size limit
@@Kromaatikse the SMART is the ONLY non Japanese KEI car that I know of and a MINI is to big I believe
@@jasonriddell That's why I specified the original Austin Mini, not the new BMW-made "tribute". The main modification it would need is a compliant engine, as the standard unit (four-cylinder) is too big; modern engine technology means it shouldn't be a sacrifice in terms of performance.
I really like the idea of microcars for city use. Any microcar would be much safer than a bicycle or motorcycle and I assume that they could move fast enough to keep up with traffic. Parking spots are often scarce, and it would be good to make better use of existing parking areas. I would like to hear more about the microcars that are available in Amsterdam, including their specs and pricing. Thank you for the video.
I'm not a disabled person but the first time I see a microcar in Japan I'm in love with it.
If you need to go a little far away without public transport it's definitely better to be in a car and If you're single/live alone you definitely don't need a SUV for that and motorcycle wouldn't be great against rain.
I think it's perfect for driving on a street or rural area.
Ps. Those microcar for disabled person looks cool AF it looks like you're combining into a giant robot or something.
That was quite interesting, thank you! As a Canadian, I wish our infrastructure could accommodate those kind of vehicles, maybe on secondary, slower lanes? Maybe in the near future, as more and more bike lanes are built in large cities. I'm not sure those vehicles could use them but if it's done in the Netherlands, then maybe...
I am glad to say in all the places I´ve lived the people driving these micro-cars have always had genuine disabilities (the video of the guy driving his wheelchair into the micro-car just warms my heart). However, I am still of the opinion they are a necesary evil. They are needed by a vulnerable minority and sadly too often abused by an egotistic set of people that just see a cheap and protected class of vehicle to abuse. I am really keen to see the rules and regulations for this class of vehicle in the future to make sure they keep to their intend perpose.
P.S. I love your videos, as a Dutch person myself it's really interesting to see an "outside" persective on things I've always known were unique to our country, but never realised were this strange to the rest of the world. I just think it's really interesting how you're able to compare "vision zero" to all the places you've previously called home. Keep up the good work and I honestly hope more people watch your videos and that perhaps one day you could get an interview with an actual Dutch street designer and just spitball and fantasize about all the interresting ways of improving roads!
Someone I know has medical complications that make it so that she shouldnt do physical work around the house. They dont like it when people go out of their way to try and baby them, ex do every thing for them despite it hurting to move around.
So I understand what you mean. But I guarantee, that when we try and do these things for others, we do it with good intent. Which is why communication is important, so we can understand eachothers feelings.
@@martinc.720 My understanding of the first comment was not that it warmed his heart to see a disabled person do something, but instead to see the tools that enable the disabled person in the video to use the car. That's at least how I saw it, I'm fascinated by the engineering that enables people to do things they otherwise could not. (Water level warning for pooring up hot water, text to speech software, VR to experience traveling). (I personally used text to speech a lot when studying).
Edit: Spelling
"Necessary evil"
"Warms my heart"
Yeah coddling disabled people is not the way here.
Canta is jokingly named ''Stoepferrari'' because its mostly red and rides on the stoep
You have two kind of people in The Netherlands:
- Those who love "microcars"
- Those who are completely and utterly annoyed by them all the time
They are quite often found on the main road as well (heck, even on the 80km/h roads) but they generally go slow af (they are limited to 45km/h)...
I live in Amsterdam, and I'm rather "meh" on the subject of microcars. I can't imagine being the only one. But there definitely are lots of people who fall into the two categories you mention. :)
I'd hate it to have 'em around, but luckily in Berlin we don't have these.
this 'you have two kinds of people' thing is so dumb..
The renault tweezy can go 80km/h im pretty sure
In Portugal, they’re quite popular among elderly people who can’t afford a regular car, or who didn’t bother or couldn’t get a driving license. They’re known as “papa reformas”, something like retirement guzzlers.
You can drive those with an easy to get permit from as early as 14 years old. This also means that some kids from wealthier families also drive them before they’re allowed to drive a regular from 18 years old onwards. Some models look very sporty, and it’s not unusual to see a surf board sticking out from these.
You’re not allowed to drive them on the bike paths, but there aren’t that many and most are too narrow. You’re also not allowed to park them on the sidewalks, but a lot of people park their big cars on them anyway...
1:10 so this designed for LIMITED mobility, where someone still has enough strength/use of their lower body to push pedals? I wonder if you could design it to replace the pedals with hand-operated “joysticks” or something, for those truly paralyzed in the legs. Or if these could be modified as self-driving cars for disabled people/the elderly?
For people who have more severe mobility limitations, i'm sure they can get some modifications done on the vehicle. I hope it would be covered by some public disabilities fund.
I love to see these things explained by an outside perspective, it makes me appreciate the planning and effort behind things I hardly even notice anymore.
Here's a tip for an interesting story: the all lights green for cyclists on crossroads with stoplights in Groningen. I believe they tried it in Rotterdam but somehow got scared after a couple of hours.
Hi! Thanks for the message. Yes, I planned to do a video about the tegelijk groen. I even tried to film it when I was in Groningen, but there wasn't very much traffic when I was there, so the video isn't very good (five bikes going through isn't very impressive). You're right that the situation in Rotterdam was very interesting, because it failed very badly there.
I might still to do a video about these some day, but at the very least, I'll want to go back to Groningen, so it may be a while. But also, A View From the Cyclepath has already done videos about these a few times, so maybe not. ruclips.net/video/fR8TlowA0ag/видео.html
Your channel might not be the most popular but you make some of the most cut to the chase videos that are both educational and entertain me more than most other content on here. Keep up the good work :)
Thanks! I created it because I hated how so many RUclips videos were long and rambling or dry and boring.
As for popularity, the channel has only been around for six months and already has 20k subscribers, so I'm not complaining! 😁
2:51 just to say, that’s a Mini Countryman, but I love watching these videos of all the amazing things and features in your city! +1 subscriber
Yes, apparently I don't know my minis! 😁
@@NotJustBikes the FIAT 500 would be the "successor" and the smallest sold-in-the-USA "normal" car
This is just reminding me of how the regular sized cars in Mexico appeared to be much smaller than the cars back at my home in the US. I loved that they were so much smaller there.
I've always wondered why golf carts couldn't be more common in warm climates. It was so cool when I got to visit my grandparents retirement community, designed for golf carts, and could drive at 8 years old.
I love microcars. Can't wait to see more of them in North America. Looking forward to Arcimoto, Velometro, and Electra Meccanica all delivering vehicles someday.
velometro especially.
Won't be surprised if NIMBY types try to get them banned.
I'd be happy just being able to ride a bike without getting hit by an SUV.
3:32 that transition tho
Interesting how this channel grew so quickly. Very detailed and (probably based on primarily facts). I live in the Netherlands myself and I take our infrastructure for granted. But it's cool to see a channel like this. Keep up the great content!
I need one of these. I work relatively close to home, about 15 minutes by car if I stop at all the red lights. I thought about getting a scooter, but would feel safer in a micro car
With increased amounts of e-bikes in use in Belgium (local govt tells me that around 20% of cycles here are now e-bikes), the cycle paths can be chaotic. The 45km/hr e-bikes (& indeed regular e-bikes) can be travelling vastly different speeds to other bicycle traffic. The mopeds may be easier to deal with because we may more easily hear them approaching. Cargo bikes, velomobiles and trailers may add pressure on cycle paths that may also be shared with pedestrians by designation.
Yes, it's going to be a problem, because new vehicles are going to keep being created. The ultimate solution is to take space away from regular cars, and widen the cycle paths. Maybe even start to separate bicycles from other slow traffic as well.
@@NotJustBikes High efficiency transport (that is where the cargo/occupants weighs more than the vehicle) seems the big opportunity in compact European cities. In the last 5 years here there has been much change to the road system here, so 2 way roads become 1-way with larger spaces around the road for whatever purpose (which may involve car parks). Many roads become traversable via foot & by bike, but not by cars. That many cargo-bikes are designer items rather than utilitarian seems a barrier/opportunity.
In the U.S.A., one problem we have is that there are two kinds of cyclists: 1) Bicyclists going 10-15 MPH and "2) "Cyclists" who want to go 20-25 MPH. Yes, many "Cyclists" are pedaling their expensive lightweight bikes faster than 40 KPH, speeds that rival a typical "e-bike."
A 15 MPH (25 KPH) difference in speed is a major issue, and it is not uncommon for a casual cyclist to be injured -- AND BLAMED -- by a "Cyclist" who is apparently an aspiring kamikaze pilot. Most U.S. off-street cycle paths are designed for recreational cyclists, with sharp curves and blind corners, and few on-street cycle "lanes" are wide enough for one cyclist to pass another at high speed.
I don't think bicycling over 20 MPH is safe, because the vehicle can't be stopped quickly without risking loss of control, the cyclist flying over the handlebars, etc. However, "Cyclists" reject any speed limit for cycles.
I didn't realize this was a thing in Amsterdam. I've seen those cars for handicapped people but this is new to me, I'd love to see another video on it :).
I have a love/hate relationship with the Biro, yes it's a good car. But, some people forget its a car and treat it like a bike. i had some encounters and a accident when a biro driver doesn't yield for when I come from the right, or when i have the right of way on a crossing. And it doesn't help the fact they can do 50 and some people actually do 50 on a cycle lane
I always thought we should keep our cars out of town like you come in on a car, park it permanently on the edge of the city and have your whole city perfectly walkable.
2:50 That was a Countryman, larger than the Cooper that's still a hatchback. The Countryman is their crossover softroader, perhaps more commonly known as an SUV.
and being "in front" of the Fiat makes it LOOK bigger due to perspective
People in the shop: ''Why is that man filming a Canta?''
The twizy is a bit above micro, but almost the same compared to a car.
Also for cargo.
Electric assisted cargo bikes are also a very nice sidestep.
i've been driving a twizy for 1yr now and it has blown my mind. i did not expect the amounts of joy, ease of use and freedom it gives me. it was supposed to be a cheap temporary solution but i can't imagine a life without it anymore.
@6:15 another typical Dutch phenomenon; the leased bikes with the blue front wheel, popular amongst students
Talking about comments : This has nothing to do with Microcars but I wanted to say that the most I see your videos, the most I want to live in the Netherlands...
I just love the way cities are built there to be convenient for everyone and not just car drivers...
I have a Biro myself, i live near The Hague. Right here i am allowed to park my biro on some big sidewalks or bike parking places.
That may change soon. In Amsterdam it will be illegal to park a Birò on the sidewalk after July 1st.
2:28 Nothing says "fragile masculinity" like a whole continent's obsession with ever more gigantic, gas guzzling, macho trucks lol
You talked about Peachtree and I went "wait didn't Tom Scott do a video on that" and then "wait that's the back of Tom Scott's head"
5:10 Tom Scott video!
I have been living in Istanbul for some time, which includes the Princes' Islands. These islands are interesting because it's prohibited to use full-size cars there with the exception of special utility vehicles, which is why the entire population there travels on foot, by bike or by golf carts. Like this place a lot!
One quick note, if they use gasoline they will more than likely not have a catalytic converter on them, that makes them pollute more than an suv, the same goes for scooters/mopeds and lawnmowers. Its just something no one ever talks about but its a much bigger problem than cars, and much easier to fix.
€15,000 for such a flimsy vehicle, insane. The Citroen Ami costs less than half as much and it is far more usable.
People in America talk a lot of shit about Europe. But Europeans have some very efficient ways to live.
Why the citizens of Peach Tree prefer golf carts over bicycles is beyond me. They have such good infratructure for bicycling :P
I agree with them though. The shelter from the rain, and especially shelter from liquid dirt getting onto your pants, the ability to drive that thing when tired or right after eating without puking, the ability to look like you're the rich kind of gay and not the poor urban kind of gay, the ability to haul stuff without buying a rare expensive cargo bike imported all the way from the Netherlands... And most important of all - the ability to properly sit down and lean back. Not with the neck in most golf carts, but still - a park bench level of comfort is far better than a bicycle seat.
Oh, and the fact that you can go further without being physically prepared for it over decades of Dutch life. And the fact that it's harder to steal a golf cart, you can even put electric anti-theft devices into it - something you can't do with a bicycle, too little space, especially on an ebike with all that space taken up already.
These issues are sadly symptomatic of the human condition: For most when people aren't being thoughtless they are being selfish.
I'm from the UK but am fortunate to live on a Greek island a lot of the time...
-My primary 'transport' in Greece is an 'off road' eScooter because it's ideal for the task and a lot of fun.
-I am sincerely glad that for most of the UK the darn things are illegal to use on roads because they are a scourge everywhere else!
Regulations exist for a reason
"I would love it if everyone could walk, cycle or take public transit". I can only echo your comment. There is sooooo much work to be done to transform north American cities to facilitate this. Thanks for YOUR videos showcasing the issues!
Interesting to say the least. Also on a little side note, Denmark actually did experiment with an Electric microcar in the late 80's and early 90's called the Ellert, but it never really became that popular and is now more of a collectors item if anything.
Also yeah E scooters are hell. Here in Copenhagen they have to live up to the same regulations as bikes and so you have to do the same amount of signalling and what not to drive it, but they're all designed so that if you want to do any signal you'll either fall or have to let go of the speeder and grind to a halt. Plus with the way you're standing in order to keep balance on them, it means that E scooter riders take up a ton of space across, sometimes nearly twice as much as a bicyclist, making them impossible to overtake. And that's not even considering how they're littered around everywhere by 5 different companies trying to get a bite of this sour pie. I'm just glad their popularity seems to be fading now.
Another down-side to larger vehicles [if it was mentioned, I must have missed it] is that they cause more wear-and-tear on the roads.
I miss Amsterdam, I truly and thoroughly enjoyed my 7 days there .
My too, I think, I don't remember anything.
The 2-stroke engine versions have been around for 30+ years.
I had a scare back then, when approaching one at night outside city limits, doing 100 kmh. It was on N274, a border road where jurisdiction prevented police presence, so 100-120 kmh was considered 'slow'.
Because of it's size it looked farther away and it was going full power at 45 kmh.
After Schengen, that road became roundabout central.
Wow that's crazy haha, good thing it didnt end badly
I can’t understand why 90% of cars aren’t this size.
That microcar with wheelchair access is pretty dope. That's a real mobility mindset for the disabled.
4:34 casual unassuming shot of one of the most important places in music history in Canada
I want Not Just Bikes to design every neighborhood in the world from this date onward. 😊
5:00 I thought it was designed with bike ways but they got taken over by golf carts.
There's nothing like that widely available in the states or canada so I'd love to see a review!
A breath of almost literally fresh air. Thank you.
Great video. I ran across a parked 'Canta LX' while wandering around Haarlem a few years back. I didn't know the backstory of the vehicle type as told; I thought it was just a cool small car! Thank you for the background info on what I saw.
I don't live in Amsterdam, I live in a city nearby. But I still see those microcars fairly regularly. Never gave them a second thought to be honest. I always chuckle though, when I see one that's all "tuned up". Don't know if it's just appearance or that it's actually sporty.
Looks ridiculous, a microcar with a big spoiler, oversized exhaust and big aluminium wheels 😆
It must have taken a long time to get the footage for this.
Very well done.
Actually I got about 70% of the footage from just cycling around in Amsterdam Zuid for a few hours. There are SO MANY microcars there! 😁
2:57 Comedy gold
Microcars make sense in urban settings where speeds are overall much slower. Traversing large areas would be impractical in these.
microcars
a lot of people in cities and suburbs rarely haul big loads or go offroad and could probably make do with such, except for large families.
Fun topic, great stuff.
Btw did those people on bicycles 4:38 lose a bet or something? That's insane.
Nope, that's just regular cycling in Toronto! And it's common to hear people there say they shouldn't build bicycle lanes because almost nobody cycles there. 🤔
@@NotJustBikes that's a typical chicken and the egg problem. Build the bicycle lanes and the users will come (if the lanes are build sensible)
@@OADINC the former chief planner of Vancouver has often said, "it's hard to justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river." 😁
@@NotJustBikes wow that is such a great quote!
@@OADINC it's by Brent Toderian, and he's got other great quotes too. If you use Twitter, it's definitely worth following him: @BrentToderian
Can't wait to cycle from Zurich (home city) to the Netherlands. It looks like heaven.
I saw in other videos you lived in Taipei, can you make a video about what you liked and disliked about it? I'm going on an exchange semester there and not sure if I should bring my bike or not.
Gahahahha good one
You’re talking about Amsterdam as if this is magical place. That’s so modern, Great city planning and overall better to live there.
And you’re so right, I’ve been to Amsterdam before. I wish America could be like this
I can walk perfectly fine, but goddamn it, These things are just so fucking adorable and i really want one
God this approach and mindset is so civilized compared to what is going on in my country.
@@RoScFan ^
@@RoScFan Poland... 🙄
I love the idea of microcars. Small cars means a lower speed with less road space needed, and would (hopefully) discourage American-style suburbs.
They don't discourage suburbs per se, but they do encourage a very different kind of suburb with noticeably better space efficiency shops are more localized. Their best feature imho is that roads designed for them that don't allow regular cars, end up still being pedestrian safe and very friendly to bikes and small personal EVs like skateboards or EUCs.
I live in Gothenburg and many of the islands on the archipelago act as suburbs with ferry transit into the city, and some of those islands don't allow cars but do allow golf carts. So those are also a good case study for them, and visiting tourists tend to love them. (biggest one is called Styrsö)
In particular, if nothing ever goes faster than 30 km/h or weighs more than a ton and the heaviest vehicles arround have like a 1m stopping distance at most, you don't actually end up needing sidewalks with curbs. Areas with busy traffic might warrant lane markings but that's it.
Whats wrong with suburbs tbh ?
Don't count on it
I love this. Aside from being great for people with mobility challenges, it would be great in places with extreme weather. I live in a part of Australia where it’s only comfortable to ride a bicycle outside in winter, and dangerous in summer due to heatstroke. But, we also have a lot of car theft and I wonder how easy these would be to steal considering it looks like you could just about pick one up and carry it away 😅
Micro cars are a common mode of transport throughout Italy.
Muito legais esses carrinhos, se pudesse e não fossem tão caros compraria um desses.