Not to mention they’re talking about lead-acid batteries, which have been replaced for pretty much every application, except (for now) starter motor batteries for combustion vehicles, by the various lithium batteries.
To be fair (as a joke), it's from Low Tech Magazine. Lithium batteries are too high-tech for them. They want you to power your mechanical blender, mixer, and other machines with a drive belt. Turn the drum of your washing machine with a wood fire heating the water.
I remember reading about low tech efficient cook stoves for poor countries and thinking the misses would rather have an induction burner, microwave, and an ice chest running off a solar panel.
This arguably had some relevance in 2011. In 2026, cheap solar and batteries make human-powered static devices that would benefit from the extra power of a stationary cyclist completely redundant.
Some things I would like to see are pedal controlled devices. Something like a pedal controlled wheelchair, not powered by the pedals just control the forward and back motion. My mother with sever arthritis can still pedal but has a very hard time walking. It would be a little exercise doing something that needs to be done (getting around). A pedal controlled remote control lawnmower would be nifty also.
Where I used to live an elderly gent rode a very low to ground bike. Looked a lot like the silly motorbikes some peeps do. I imagine they’re out there for sale.
Yes, there are electric recumbent trikes out there, such as the Tadpole. A friend of mine got one after he recovered from a stroke and could no longer balance on a conventional bike. He rode it to work. It got him outdoors, with "anything is better than nothing" level of exercise.
many ebikes work this way, pedaling and the chain more or less signal the motor rather than provide meaningful power... though afaik none of them do backwards for obvious reasons
she might enjoy an etrike, though more for recreation than normal day to day
You could attach pedals directly to motor axle and control charging power drawn precisely to ensure smooth rotation in absence of the flywheel. It could be really small.
I remember reading about low tech efficient cook stoves for poor countries and thinking the misses would rather have an induction burner, microwave, and an ice chest running off a solar panel.
Full-cycle efficiency should be higher now. And the inverter. And the generator.
she might enjoy an etrike, though more for recreation than normal day to day