Would you buy an electric vehicle from ‘Wally Hotvedt’? | MinnPost

I watched the 1997 documentary “Trekkies” again last night and found myself Googling around for the “Where Are They Now?” on some of the people. I later became a fan of Rich Kornfelt as “Wally Hotvedt” on the super-funny bowling show “Let’s Bowl.”

Turns out Rich is now building electric cars (or at least he was in 2013). It looks like a neat idea: an electric car charged in part by bicycle pedals.

I like this sort of idea. I’ve been tempted to buy an “electric assist” motorized bike. It looks like and works like a normal bike, but when the onboard computer senses that you’re really pushing hard (like when you’re grinding up a long hill) the motor kicks in and “helps” you. Or, you can just open the throttle and take a break from pedaling altogether. I have an old bike, but almost never ride it. When I walk, I can pick up the pace or slow down as needed, but always be moving forward with my heart rate up. On the bike, there comes a point where I’m on a hill and I’m just dying and I need to dismount. It makes me feel not unlike a loser.

The trouble with these assist bikes is that they cost a couple of grand and that’s more than I can afford to lose if it gets stolen, or if someone chooses to smash it up because they weren’t allowed to use a toilet without a parent present until they were fourteen years old or something else that explains psychotic behavior. If I were regularly commuting ten miles to work, or regularly wound up going places where I know my bike would be safe…

…

Well, it’s still be two grand, which is probably more valuable than my (old but beloved) car. But I’d be tempted.

Here’s a “Let’s Bowl” compilation on YouTube.