The other day, RQS and I went for dinner in Mamaroneck, NY. On the way there, we caught a glimpse of this three wheeled vehicle. Is it a car? Is it a motorcycle? This is the problem that many DMV's across the United States have when they register vehicles like this - there is no national standard for motorcycles, and the licensing needed to drive them.
When I first heard about American 3 wheeled cars, Elio Motors was developing a small gas powered vehicle. I had the pleasure of sitting in a prototype of this vehicle in 2016, and they were dealing with the problems of unfamiliarity with 3 wheeled cars, the problems of creating a new category of vehicle (to eliminate headaches such as wearing helmets in an enclosed vehicle), manufacturing these vehicles, and sales/service - something usually done by franchised stores. At the price of roughly $7,000, I'd have took a gamble and bought one for an in-town station car. Today, their target for an electric vehicle is $14,000. And I have no interest in dealing with the headaches of electric cars at this time.
Although I mentioned my loose familiarity with this type of vehicle to RQS, our conversation shifted to other, more interesting topics. After dinner, we again saw this vehicle, and another nearby.
Again, RQS asked: "What is it?" And I had to mention that it is another cross between a car and a motorcycle. Based on the helmet I saw in the vehicle, I have a feeling that New York still considers this to be a 3 wheeled motorcycle, and requires that all riding in wear helmets.
Have you seen vehicles like this? If so, let me know what you think.
1 comment:
Haven't seen the Vanderhall yet, but I've seen 3 or so different locals driving Polaris Slingshots down here (SW Florida). No snow to worry about, but the frequent summer rains would seem to be a drawback for most of us.
When I was a wee tomboy, there was a nifty set of plans in Popular Mechanics (I think) for building your own three-wheeled "tadpole" Tri-Magnum. Used a motorcycle engine and a small car's steering & suspension components, all attached to a welded frame with a fiberglass shell. This guy built an updated version and posted his progress on Youtube, looks pretty nice.
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