Richard's blog

Tag: cars

  • Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce

    Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 3 minutesMy definition of Mobilité Douce and the Swiss definition are quite different. For me Mobilité Douce is walking, hiking, cycling and other sports that require a certain dedication and desire to cover long distances. In contrast Switzerland seems to see Mobilité Douce as going from home to the shops, while leaving the…

  • The Absurdity of Commuting by Car

    The Absurdity of Commuting by Car

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesYesterday I drove to an event in Geneva and I parked at the P&R étoile. I went by car for a simple reason. I wanted the trip home to be fast and efficient. It worked. What wasn’t fast and efficient was the drive into Geneva. I left with at least one and…

  • Cycling in a Strong Wind

    Cycling in a Strong Wind

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 3 minutesDuring the Windmill hike from Le Day to Ste Croix one person was looking at the temperature for next week. He said it would be seventeen degrees, and then eighteen, and then nineteen degrees. That’s part of the reason for which I decided to go for a bike ride yesterday. That decision…

  • Charging in the Rain

    Charging in the Rain

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesToday I got to experience something new, to me, and exciting. I got to charge an EV in the rain. In theory you should avoid doing this because you don’t want moisture to get into the connectors of the car, as well as the rubber plugs. You also don’t want to get…

  • An Arte Documentary Series about Cars

    An Arte Documentary Series about Cars

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesLast night I watched two episodes in a documentary series about a brief history of cars. In the first documentary we see a discussion about the history of cars from the 19th century to modern day with the use of archive footage. In the second we see how the car helped with…

  • Car Apps That Don’t Work

    Car Apps That Don’t Work

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesI am fatigued by cars and their apps. When I was using the Citroën car twice a week it was working fine but then I let it sit for a month and then it stopped synching correctly. I have done several trips now, and the journeys are either not recorded properly or…

  • On Arriving Early to Charge

    On Arriving Early to Charge

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 2 minutesI know that if I drive from one place to another I will use about 30 percent of the car’s battery. This means that if I want to offset the drive with charge time I need to go extra early. I know that the battery needs 1 hour for each five percent,…

  • Self Driving Cars and Mobility

    Self Driving Cars and Mobility

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 3 minutesToday I filled in a survey with the premise "Impact of automated vehicles on walking" and it gave me an opportunity to share my views on this topic. The short version is that I’d rather see more bike sharing opportunities, and more safe routes for pedestrians between villages and towns, than self…

  • Self-driven Cars and Failing Infrastructure

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    richard
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    Reading Time: 3 minutesIn the US people are obsessed with the lure of self-driving cars and robotaxies but I think these are looking in the wrong direction. If you’re looking in the right direction you improve bus services. You improve their frequency and you improve their coverage. You also improve the bike sharing infrastructure. If…

  • Twice the Driving Range

    Twice the Driving Range

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    richard
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    Reading Time: < 1 minuteToday I refuelled the car after 380 kilometres for about 30 CHF. A few years ago, when I refuelled another car it cost me 70 CHF to refuel a car, to travel 400 kilometres. This means that the car I drive now costs half as much, in petrol, despite the price…