What's in a Name? Or, We Want Our Name Back!

[flecc]

What have you heard, flecc?

Only that the Royal Mail are pushing for a clear up/clarification of the law surrounding our ebikes as part of their purchase of several thousands of them.

Since they are in a position to be listened to by Government, I think it will happen, and from that I conclude that we'll get the European law enforced and the UK law rescinded, as was supposed to happen originally.
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[Miles]

So, Pedelec type, only?

Better get my project finished before the status quo changes....

 

[coops]

I should have made clear my comments re a "branding makeover" were not aimed at your statement Frank (I knew what you meant!): it was only a response to what the words evoked in me .

I feel you've missed my point somewhat: that flecc's proposal to consider if moped can be reclaimed or think up an alternative has not been fully discussed so, to me, any talk of a vote or decision process is premature. That much is clear to me.

I wasn't initially keen on moped, but have warmed to it for several reasons: its what our bikes with motors were called before, its logical, and mostly its a known, accepted and snappy motorised vehicle name and puts our bikes in the mainstream where they should be and need to be to gain acceptance: any other name we think up will do none of those things, and will only serve to marginalise them further from "mainstream" transport while not increasing awareness of their existence.

I don't think we should try to reclaim 'moped'. As Flecc (I think) makes out earlier in the thread, the fact that it is enshrined in law to mean a different class of vehicle would make it very hard. We'd need an act of Parliament!

I don't see why we need an act of parliament for us to call them mopeds, which they are! Earlier I said:

Other than confusion, what's to stop us from trying to reclaim moped for our bikes, just by referring to them as that?

We call mopeds "scooters" and ebikes "mopeds"... is it that easy?!

Yes, I think it could be that easy to get it into wide usage, but the entries in law of moped would lead to problems. It's very difficult to get those legal terms changed in acts of parliament or regulations.

But we could just stubbornly use moped, and qualify it when challenged by saying real moped, undeniably true.

This is the matter we need to decide, before choosing an alternative if necessary. To me the biggest question, and the essence of this thread (if I've not misunderstood it, flecc) is, do we feel its worth the trouble of overcoming the existing naming confusion to get our name back, or do we find an alternative?

I don't see a legal problem/issue, as flecc says, they're real mopeds, just a hassle of re-educating people what they are! But I feel many people are passionate enough about their bikes and "real mopeds", and a sense of justice, to want to reclaim what's rightfully theirs! At least, I hope so!

Any views on this are most welcome .

Stuart.

 

[Pageant]

Hiya,

I've been following this thread and have just dug out my driving licence, the old style pink and green folded one.

On the back, under licence categories it gives "Mopeds" as category P.

I'm not too sure about wanting my ebike coming under or being associated with anything to do with DVLA and all the associated red tape.

Richard.

 

[coops]

Ok, a serious hypothetical question then (for everyone): how realistically likely is it that if we insist on calling our bikes mopeds or "real mopeds" for instance, that the DoT can or will reclassify them (despite the fact they're still in the EAPC category) and say we must have a licence/insurance/tax etc. for them?

More generally, what are the foreseeable problems, aside from the odd baffled look from those who think scooters are mopeds, of us calling our bikes mopeds or "real mopeds" etc. (hypothetically)?

 

[flecc]

No problem Stuart, people can call them whatever they like. Since when has Government listened to the people anyway!

On the choice of name, "effing thing" seems to be popular with some owners.
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[Grandad]

From flecc's first post:
So we need your thoughts. Either how do we get back our rightful name of Moped? Or, alternatively, we need a new one to popularise our bikes which someone has to dream up. All your ideas very welcome,

To my mind the term 'moped' is now too firmly attached to small petrol powered (some say noisy and smelly) two wheel machines in the public's mind for it to change.

If I did want to go a lot further and faster on two wheels, I would do my research and choose one that suited me bearing in mind that I would have to wear a helmet, pay tax and insurance and the possibility that I could lose my licence. Anyway I would probably end up with a proper motor bike (very tempting).

I much prefer the present arrangement giving me freedom of choice and the ability to use cycle tracks. So , very sorry flecc, I therefore do not wish to be associated with mopeds and think that an alternative name would be better if one could be agreed upon.

 

[flecc]

No problem Jeff, I only believed it's our rightful name from it's original usage.

I'm easy on the name, my sole interest being in having something that captures the public imagination enough for there to be as many e-bikes as I-pods in the world.

We've a little way to go.
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[Grandad]

No problem Jeff, I only believed it's our rightful name from it's original usage.

I'm easy on the name, my sole interest being in having something that captures the public imagination enough for there to be as many e-bikes as I-pods in the world.

We've a little way to go.
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Phew, I am releived that I have not upset you.

 

[flecc]

Please post on with suggestions, the gem isn't always dug up on the first spadeful of earth.
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[flecc]

PET

Personal Electric Transport

as in "I love my pet"
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[coops]

That has a lot going for it flecc: fun, friendly, concise, catchy and expressive of how many people (myself included!) feel a sort of "affection" for their bikes - I'd wondered about how the last one could be captured in the name and that's the first I think that really achieves that .

Where did that one come from then?!

Stuart.

 

[flecc]

I was thinking about acronyms for batteries and my mind turned to this "name" thread, when that dropped in out of the blue. I don't have a pet, the local wildlife and a very friendly badger fulfilling that role for me.
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[coops]

I was thinking about acronyms for batteries...

...as you do...

 

[coops]

Add "neatly ahead of its time" to that list: "peta-" (which it sounds a bit like) is the prefix for 10 to the power of 15, in other words the next prefix in the series above kilo-, mega-, giga- and tera-. We're already beginning to hear of terabyte sized computer hard disks being generally available, and if the recent trend of storage capacity increases continues, there'll be petabyte capacity disks in around 10 years or so ...

 

[flecc]

No good I'm afraid. I had a suspicion it might have been, so did a search.

See here
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[coops]

Does that mean PET is out: that vehicle is called P.E.T. - do the dots make a difference, or is it what the letters stand for i.e. personal electric transport? If PET is ok, does it matter what the letters mean, because people will know it as a PET, that's all .

(What about a mo-pet?! )

 

[Miles]

How about "Personal Electric Road Vehicle" or P.E.R.V. ...............


Ed. Already been used: http://www.pervbmx.co.uk/

 

[coops]

hahaha! pervbmx indeed, whatever next!

I suppose motorperv or moperv is out too, then

If PET is a no-go, how about pet-bike? It'd be so good for catching kids' interest from an early age too another big plus.

It also leaves the door open for possible future non-bike members of the "pet" family e.g. pet-car etc.?

As I said, in the near future, maybe 10 years or less, its likely the "peta-" prefix will come into common usage anyway, so that familiarity will help in popularising these bikes, but we used the term first .

 

[flecc]

That's a great one Miles, you definitely have the prize for the best humorous names!

As you say Stuart, we could still use PET. Looking back, your previous Pedamo suggestion (as in Pedalo) is a good substitute for Moped. Doesn't quite flow the same though.
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