最新一期的VergeCast节目由David Pierce主持，特邀嘉宾是The Verge交通编辑Andy Hawkins。本期节目深入探讨了一个新兴趋势：本质上是“升级版高尔夫球车”的电动汽车，它们被定位为理想的第二辆车。这些车辆旨在填补大型主用车和公共交通之间的空白，专门用于短途日常出行。 在深入探讨主话题之前，“Verge 90秒”环节还报道了几条其他科技头条新闻。以极简主义手机闻名的Lite公司发布了Lite Flip，这款翻盖手机旨在满足人们摆脱智能手机束缚的愿望。此外，人工智能公司Anthropic同意向指控其使用他们的书籍训练AI模型的作者们支付15亿美元达成和解，这为正在进行的针对AI公司的版权诉讼树立了一个重要先例。最后，The Verge的Justine Kalma发表了一篇文章，揭示了数据中心和整个AI行业在能源和水资源方面产生的巨大环境成本。 核心讨论围绕着像Chip Motors这样的公司展开，这是一家总部位于迈阿密的初创公司，由一位对“优化美国汽车尺寸”（right-sizing American cars）感兴趣的科技界资深人士创立。他观察到高尔夫球车的销量悄然但显著增长，尤其是在温暖地区，人们将它们作为第二辆车，用于购物、接送孩子上下学等当地跑腿事务，同时仍拥有一辆如SUV或卡车这样的大型汽车。Chip Motors旨在创造一个中间地带：一种小型电动汽车，最高时速25英里（约40公里），外观酷似“被缩小射线击中的Jeep牧马人”——比典型的高尔夫球车更方正、更高，通常没有车门，最多可乘坐六人。该车集成了人工智能，并承诺具备自动驾驶功能，将有趣的设计与实用性完美结合。 这一趋势并非孤立；Hawkins提到了其他例子，例如葡萄牙公司Amble生产的“疯狂的麦克斯：狂暴之路”风格的高尔夫球车，以及正在卷土重来的菲亚特Topolino，一款小巧可爱的电动汽车。这种现象背后的驱动因素是多方面的。许多消费者对第二辆车的选择感到不满，尤其是在当前负担能力危机下，新车平均价格徘徊在5万美元左右。廉价新车明显缺乏，这促使人们为非主要交通工具寻找替代方案。这些小型电动汽车也符合电动化的大趋势，以及人们对电动自行车等替代交通方式的兴趣。它们的简单性和较低的速度使其成为青少年有吸引力且更安全的选择，被比作“汽车版的傻瓜手机”。 尽管美国是一个“大型汽车经济体”，Hawkins仍认为这类车辆具有市场渗透潜力，尤其是在阳光地带社区，那里高尔夫球车已经普遍用于当地交通。监管环境是关键因素。这些车辆在联邦汽车安全标准下通常符合“低速电动汽车”（LSEVs）的定义，这意味着它们面临的监管比传统汽车少得多。它们不需要安全气囊、碰撞吸能区或先进驾驶辅助系统，只需配备大灯、尾灯、转向灯、后视镜、驻车制动器和安全带等基本配置。这种监管宽松使其制造起来更容易、成本更低，通常依赖合同制造商和现成零件，从而使公司能够将创新重点放在设计和用户体验上。 展望未来，这类产品在“新奇和创新”方面的潜力巨大。这些车辆可能会重新定义个人交通，尤其是在自动驾驶技术不断发展之际。尽管目前被视为第二辆车，Chip的首席执行官设想它们有可能成为主要车辆，尤其是在大学校园或规划社区等密集、封闭的环境中，那里专门的基础设施（如高尔夫球车道）正在兴起。自动驾驶的LSEVs可以作为机器人出租车或穿梭巴士，它们的限速使得自动驾驶成为一个更可行的提议。 Pierce表达了个人热情，指出这种车辆将完美契合他日常与孩子们的短途出行。Hawkins警告说，这一趋势在美国的广泛成功将取决于克服现有的基础设施限制（如不同的道路限速）以及美国人对速度和汽车尺寸态度的心理转变。最终，如果消费者接受“根据具体需求优化交通工具尺寸”的理念，而不是每次出行都依赖超大型车辆，那么这些低成本、专为特定用途设计的电动汽车的市场潜力将是巨大的。

The latest episode of the VergeCast, hosted by David Pierce with guest Andy Hawkins, transportation editor at The Verge, delves into an emerging trend of electric vehicles that are essentially glorified golf carts, positioned as ideal second cars. These vehicles aim to fill a gap between large primary vehicles and public transport for short, daily trips. Before diving into the main topic, "90 Seconds on The Verge" covered a few other tech headlines. Lite, known for minimalist phones, launched the Lite Flip, a flip phone addressing a desire to disconnect from smartphones. Also, AI company Anthropic agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement with authors who accused it of using their books to train AI models, setting a significant precedent for ongoing copyright lawsuits against AI firms. Finally, The Verge's Justine Kalma published a story on the substantial environmental cost, in terms of energy and water, of data centers and the AI industry at large. The core discussion centered on companies like Chip Motors, a Miami-based startup founded by a tech veteran interested in "right-sizing" American cars. He observed a quiet but significant growth in golf cart sales, particularly in warm-weather regions, where people use them as second vehicles for local errands like grocery runs or school drop-offs, while still owning larger cars like SUVs or trucks. Chip Motors aims to create a middle ground: a small, electric vehicle capped at 25 miles per hour that looks like a "Jeep Wrangler got hit by a shrink ray" – boxier and taller than a typical golf cart, often without doors, and capable of seating up to six. The vehicle integrates AI and promises self-driving capabilities, blending fun design with practical utility. This trend isn't isolated; Hawkins points to other examples like Amble, a Portuguese company producing "Mad Max Fury Road"-esque golf carts, and the Fiat Topolino, a tiny, adorable electric vehicle making a comeback. The driving forces behind this phenomenon are multi-faceted. Many consumers are dissatisfied with the options for second cars, especially given the current affordability crisis where average new car prices hover around $50,000. There's a notable lack of cheap new cars, pushing people to seek alternatives for vehicles that won't be their primary mode of transport. These small EVs also align with the broader rise of electrification and interest in alternative transportation methods like e-bikes. Their simplicity and lower speed make them an attractive, safer option for teenagers, likened to a "dumb phone version of a car." Despite the US being a "big car economy," Hawkins sees potential for market penetration, particularly in Sunbelt communities where golf carts are already common for local transport. The regulatory environment is a key factor. These vehicles often qualify as "low-speed electric vehicles" (LSEVs) under federal motor safety standards, meaning they face significantly fewer regulations than traditional cars. They don't require airbags, crumple zones, or advanced driver-assist systems, only basics like headlights, taillights, turn signals, mirrors, parking brakes, and seatbelts. This regulatory leniency makes them much easier and cheaper to manufacture, often relying on contract manufacturers and off-the-shelf parts, allowing companies to focus innovation on design and user experience. Looking ahead, the potential for "weirdness and innovation" is high. These vehicles could redefine personal transport, especially as self-driving technology evolves. While currently seen as second vehicles, the Chip CEO envisions them potentially becoming primary vehicles, particularly in dense, contained environments like college campuses or planned communities where dedicated infrastructure (like golf cart roads) is emerging. Autonomous LSEVs could serve as robo-taxis or shuttles, with their limited speed making autonomy a more feasible proposition. Pierce expresses personal enthusiasm, noting how such a vehicle would perfectly fit his daily routine of short trips with his children. Hawkins cautions that the widespread success of this trend in the US will depend on overcoming existing infrastructure limitations (like varying road speed limits) and a psychological shift in American attitudes towards speed and car size. Ultimately, the market for these low-cost, purpose-built electric vehicles could be significant if consumers embrace the idea of "right-sizing" their transportation for specific needs, rather than relying on oversized vehicles for every trip.