All vehicles consume resources. Some more and some less. Here we compare the weight and resources of a SUV and a small e-car with the Frikar e-bike.
The value of a resource is measured by its availability in nature and the cost of its extraction. If we consume resources faster than they can grow back, we speak of resource depletion. Some resources cannot grow back at all. The more in demand and thus depleted a resource is, the more expensive it becomes. (Read also: Material costs are rising) Therefore, the consumption of resources plays an important role for vehicles. Here is a comparison between three different vehicles: a SUV, a small electric car and the Podbike FRIKAR.
WEIGHT AND RESOURCES OF A SUV
For a single person, a SUV carries an average of 2,700 kg around. When all seats are occupied, the weight transported per person shrinks to 540 kg. That’s still a lot of weight and material compared to a person’s body weight.
WEIGHT AND RESOURCES OF A SMALL ELECTRIC CAR
In a small electric car, an average of 1,521 kg is driven around for a single person. When all seats are occupied, the weight transported per person shrinks to 304 kg. That’s significantly less stuff than a SUV, but still a lot.
WEIGHT AND RESOURCES OF A FRIKAR
A FRIKAR e-bike moves about 150 kg for a single person. That is almost ten times less than a fully loaded, small electric car. With a child on the back seat the weight relation between vehicle and person gets even better.
WHY DO WEIGHT AND RESOURCES MATTER?
If we use too many resources, future generations will lack them. In addition, resource extraction contributes significantly to global warming, because the processing and extraction of natural resources produces greenhouse gases such as CO² and methane. Both are known to increase the process of global warming. The fewer resources and weight we need to get around, the better it is for all generations after us. The lighter a vehicle is, the fewer resources it requires. In short, the lighter, the more sustainable.
CONCLUSION: RELATION OF VEHICLE AND BODY WEIGHT
To make the ratios of vehicles to a person’s body weight more comparable, we have created a list of different vehicles here. The weight of most vehicles corresponds to a multiple of the human body weight, while it often transports only a single person.
| Vehicle for commuting | Vehicle + 1 occupant (kg) | Relative to bike+cyclist |
| Bicycle | 90 | 1.0 |
| Ebike | 100 | 1.1 |
| Podbike FRIKAR | 150 | 1.7 |
| Moped | 160 | 1.8 |
| Scooter | 225 | 2.5 |
| Motorcycle | 360 | 4.0 |
| Moped car | 430 | 4.8 |
| Renault Twizy | 550 | 6.1 |
| Smart Fortwo ED | 1100 | 12.2 |
| VW E-Golf | 1600 | 17.8 |
| Audi Q7 V12 | 2700 | 30.0 |
| GMC Sierra 2500 | 3400 | 37.8 |
And now it’s your turn!
Add the weight of the persons inside to the weight of your vehicle and devide it by the number of people. How many people does the weight of your vehicle correspond to?
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These blog posts might also interest you:
Pricing of FRIKAR E-Bike for Europe
2020: A never-ending roller coaster
Reducing the Footprint of Frikar e-bike