I probably mentioned this before so if you can not see the difference between them you will just need to make a test. The treadmill can be just a simple paper loop rolling on two cylinders.
Is like having a powered treadmill vs one that is not powered but instead pushed towards the vehicle.
OK, so let's say I'm inquisitive and I want to built the treadmill, but in stages to see where this transformation takes place. I test the car at each stage as follows.
So I start with a raised platform with a frame around the edge so that all you or the car can see is a flat, moving surface surrounded by the frame.
First, I just put a piece of a paper in there and move it towards the car.
2nd, I put a roller on the front and wrap a long piece of paper around it so that I can move the paper by just pulling the bottom part backwards.
3rd I glue my paper in a loop, but just keep pulling the bottom part away from the car continuously to keep the top surface moving towards the car at a constant speed.
4th I add a back roller and loop the paper tightly around both rollers and again keep pulling the bottom part backward to keep the top surface moving.
5th I put a crank on the back roller and keep the paper moving at a constant speed .
So
ejeffrey's video shows the first step--just the paper--and the car obviously moves from left to right, as we all expected. According to your assertion, if we arrive at step 5 here, the car will NOT move from left to right. So, if you can, tell us at what step the car will stop behaving as it did in the video and start behaving as you say it will in the end? And since all 5 steps involve a surface that is moving in the same direction at the same rate, what allows you or the car to tell the difference?