At 100 MPH you hit the brakes and instead of stopping the whole thing just rolls over to slam you with the same velocity to the ground ? x)
Is it possible you didn't look at the article and are thinking of something like a Vespa rather than the type of thing you stand upright on while holding onto a handle?
These things have plenty of advantages. They're incredibly portable and easy to charge. When the weather is nice my friend rides his the ~20 miles from his place to my place (which is mostly covered by rail trail bike paths). You can bring one into the office and charge it at your desk. Many public transit systems allow you to bring them on the subway or bus, which at rush hour might not be possible with a normal bicycle. If bike lockups aren't available at the nearest station/stop, this lets people who live within a mile or two still get the advantage of public transit.
> Re-invent the Penny Farthing perhaps. An electric version of that, with some funky way of lifting the rider up, would be amazing.
The penny farthing bike is certainly ridiculous, but I can't imagine a way you could possibly make one look cool. Is it even legal to ride one if you don't have some sort of ironic facial hair, a bowler hat, or a vest?
Re-invent the Penny Farthing perhaps. An electric version of that, with some funky way of lifting the rider up, would be amazing.
This is like the cronut of bikes, all the downsides of a scooter, and none of the upsides of a motorbike.