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The car of the future is an EV golf cart

The Vergecast

30m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

This episode explores the emerging market of low-speed electric vehicles, specifically street-legal golf carts and microcars that are gaining traction as secondary family vehicles. The host David Pearce and transportation editor Andy Hawkins discuss startups like Chip Motors and Amble, examining why consumers frustrated with high vehicle prices and oversized trucks are turning to simplified transportation. They break down the lax regulatory framework that allows these vehicles to bypass complex safety requirements like airbags, while debating whether these quirky carts can scale beyond niche warm-weather communities in the United States.

Listeners get a detailed look at how vehicle design is adapting to changing consumer habits, the exact regulatory hurdles facing microcars, and the real-world utility of downsizing. The discussion offers a practical evaluation of whether compact neighborhood electric vehicles can overcome American car culture and infrastructure limits.

  • Buyers looking for affordable second vehicles are turning to low-speed electric golf carts and microcars for short neighborhood trips. 4:34
  • Low-speed electric vehicles face a much lower regulatory threshold and only require a two-page list of safety features under federal standards. 13:03
  • Microcars are legally capped at 25 miles per hour and are restricted to roads with posted speed limits of 35 miles per hour or lower. 4:48

Chapters

  1. 0:02
    Episode Introduction and Host Greeting

    The hosts introduce the episode and tease a discussion about a new trend in electric golf cart‑style vehicles.

  2. 0:39
    90 Seconds on The Verge Segment

    A rapid news roundup covering phones, AI lawsuits, and data center costs.

  3. 3:41
    Chip Motors Overview and Market Context

    Andy Hawkins explains Chip Motors’ Miami origins, the company’s vision to right‑size vehicles, and the rising popularity of golf cart‑style second cars.

  4. 9:56
    Market Viability and Consumer Demand

    Exploration of why consumers seek smaller, cheaper second vehicles amid rising auto prices and how these niche EVs could fill that gap.

  5. 12:11
    Regulatory Landscape for Low‑Speed EVs

    Discussion of how low‑speed electric vehicles fit under federal safety standards, allowing simpler design and lower regulatory burden.

  6. 24:55
    Autonomy, Ride‑Sharing, and Future Use Cases

    The hosts consider how autonomous features and shared‑vehicle models could evolve for these low‑speed EVs.

  7. 29:54
    Host Reflection and Takeaway

    David reflects on personal use cases, weighs enthusiasm versus realism, and wraps up the episode with a call to action.

Highlights

  • 4:32

    Rise of Golf Cart Second Carsinsight

    The guest explains how golf carts and microcars are seeing a quiet surge in warm-weather markets like Florida as families buy them for short neighborhood trips instead of extra large SUVs.

  • 5:31

    Chip Motors Startup Designstory

    The guest details a Miami startup building a small vehicle that resembles a Jeep Wrangler hit by a shrink ray, featuring open-air seating and digital eyes on the front bumper.

  • 6:59

    Affordability Crisis in Auto Marketdata

    The guest points out that average transaction prices for cars have climbed to around $50,000, leaving consumers dissatisfied with available options when shopping for a second vehicle.

  • 12:52

    Relaxed Federal Safety Regulationsinsight

    The guest explains that low-speed electric vehicles are exempt from complex requirements like airbags, crumple zones, and backup cameras, needing only basic items like seatbelts and headlights.

  • 15:00

    Contract Manufacturing and Off-the-Shelf Partsstrategy

    The guest discusses how microcar startups plan to use contract manufacturers and off-the-shelf components to build their vehicles rather than constructing heavy automotive production lines.

  • 15:21

    Quirky Front Bumpers and Digital Eyesinsight

    The conversation touches on how companies attempt to differentiate their microcars with features like a spacious frunk for groceries and LED screens with winking digital eyes.

  • 18:37

    Redesigning Transportation for Simplicitydebate

    The host and guest debate whether the automotive industry can ever shift the American mindset away from massive pickup trucks toward intentionally simpler, slower vehicles.

  • 25:28

    Autonomous Robotaxi Future Plansstrategy

    The guest notes that the CEO of Chip Motors envisions these low-speed vehicles eventually transitioning from personal second cars into fully autonomous shared robotaxis.

Quotes

  • “There's this new kind of burgeoning trend of these cars that are essentially golf carts that are trying to become everybody's second vehicle.”
    Unnamed speaker · 0:12
  • “They don't have to have airbags, crumple zones, anti‑lock brakes, advanced driver assist systems, backup cameras, all of these things because they have these extreme limitations, right?”
    Unnamed speaker · 13:09
  • “The idea of having this both as the drive‑to‑the‑grocery‑store car and as the one the kid can take that is the dumb phone version of a car.”
    Unnamed speaker · 8:48
  • AMEX Corporate 2:28–2:35
  • Midi 3:10–3:24
  • Michelob Ultra 17:22–17:45
  • The Verge 30:22–30:34
  • Milo's Rewards 31:27–31:53

About this episode

So far, most electric vehicles have looked more or less like cars. But recently, a few companies have looked to another, smaller mode of transport for inspiration. The Verge's Andy Hawkins explains why companies like Amble and Chip are reinventing the golf cart, in the hopes of creating an entirely new kind of street-legal vehicle. As long as the speed limit stays low. Further reading: ⁠The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove | The Verge⁠ ⁠Anthropic has to pay authors. | The Verge⁠ ⁠The cost of GPUs goes far beyond AI data centers | The Verge⁠ ⁠Is America ready for this quirky Jeep-looking EV that can park itself?⁠ ⁠The ‘G-Wagen of golf carts’ could be the ideal second car⁠ ⁠America’s cheapest new EV is smaller than a ping-pong table and tops out at 19mph⁠ ⁠Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi is getting a refresh⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed. We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
30:05

6,143 words · 8 speakers

Topics

  • EVs
  • AI
  • Amble
  • low-speed electric vehicle
  • Light
  • Chip Motors
  • Topolino
  • Fiat
  • Florida
  • LLMs

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