Well...3 wheels just got a lot more interesting...

    Man, the prototype looks way too rough for a photo shoot debut but I do like the lines and the concept. Maybe the weight of the "hub" motor and batteries, depending upon where they are placed, will help with the inherent traction issues.
    This sounds like another Elio pipe dream to me but thanks for sharing.

    Another dream, chalk this up with the Elio, Terrafugia. Lit motors C-1, etc. Not sure where they would put an adequate enough battery pack in vehicle design like that. If they could do it, the pack alone would cost as much as a base model SS. I've been playing with electrics for years, I would love for something like that to be viable. Would probably have to change the name to something politically correct also.


    Now here's an electric 3 wheeler that was produced in 1896.


    Would never consider an electric powered toy like the SS. Battery powered golf carts are a great example of going out for a fun spin only to run out of power just before you make it home. Limited range takes any and all fun out of something you use for recreation. I don't want to plan my trips around having to find electricity or wonder if there is enough for a round trip.....


    A performance oriented version of a battery powered vehicle is even worse. Step up the fun factor. Drain your critical power supply even faster.

    Quote from JDSKY

    Would never consider an electric powered toy like the SS. Battery powered golf carts are a great example of going out for a fun spin only to run out of power just before you make it home. Limited range takes any and all fun out of something you use for recreation. I don't want to plan my trips around having to find electricity or wonder if there is enough for a round trip.....


    A performance oriented version of a battery powered vehicle is even worse. Step up the fun factor. Drain your critical power supply even faster.

    A few years back I would have totally agreed with you but the technology improvements are making electrics more viable. Tesla and upcoming Bolt have 200 plus miles of range, phenomenal torque and instant acceleration. For the average SS owner who does not take long trips and/or tows to events plugging in would not be a big deal. I own a 2nd gen Volt. In one model year the pack performance shot up 40% on fewer cells and less weight. They also bumped the engine up 20 hp with 10% better Fuel economy on less octane. Overall car 200 lbs lighter. You wouldn't believe the smoothness and acceleration. Most months at home I do about 1000 miles on zero gas. In July I took a long road trip with it (4000 miles) running on engine only and got 44 mpg while being able to use HOV lanes.

    Completely agree that electrics, specifically hybrids are quickly becoming a real option for many in a traditional commuter type automobile but my comments were targeting a toy like the SS or this proposed all electric three wheeler. When I take a trip in my truck or car I almost always have a very good idea just how many miles I am going to travel. When I take a trip on a toy, like the SS, my trips are often completely unplanned and head out for a day with no specific destination in mind. I also might cruise for the day or take off down a back road and push it hard which just makes an all electric that much less practical and less fun. Hybrids solve this issue but then add another layer of complexity that increases costs while really adding very little to fun factor - unless budget is not a concern and now we are talking high dollar exotics. Even the high performance Tesla with "ludicrous speed" option is a great gimmick but ask someone that has the car how often you really ever use it due to the fact that the batteries begin to overheat very quickly. You can make a couple of head snapping runs and then the nannies shut you down. Fun is over until the batteries cool off.


    No matter how good pure electric technology is today its not good enough for me yet for use in any toy I would purchase and that's not even considering how much less fun an SS would be if weighed a few hundred pounds more. Just too big a trade off for me.

    JDSKY you bring up the Tesla great vehicle got a freinds mom who has one. She let the grand kids borrow it for prom no problem right. Yea wrong had it here in northwest Indiana for prom brought it up toy wife's work she owns a salon got there hair did took my wife for a ride showed them the ludicrous button. But would shut it off were warned don't use it to much it will screw up the batteries. Anyway fast forward to that evening they would turn it on I guess and it would overheat and shut off. And they would wait till it cooled off and turn it back on. Well they must have been showing off being kids and mush have done it alot. Well on there way back from Chicago to Indiana. The car just shut down. It had enough. They screwed up the batteries pretty bad. Enough to where some or all of them had to be replaced. The best is they were like it just died. Well when at the dealer or whatever they just plug it into there computer. It showed exactly what they were doing. Very expensive lesson learned.

    Quote from chad warren

    JDSKY you bring up the Tesla great vehicle got a freinds mom who has one. She let the grand kids borrow it for prom no problem right. Yea wrong had it here in northwest Indiana for prom brought it up toy wife's work she owns a salon got there hair did took my wife for a ride showed them the ludicrous button. But would shut it off were warned don't use it to much it will screw up the batteries. Anyway fast forward to that evening they would turn it on I guess and it would overheat and shut off. And they would wait till it cooled off and turn it back on. Well they must have been showing off being kids and mush have done it alot. Well on there way back from Chicago to Indiana. The car just shut down. It had enough. They screwed up the batteries pretty bad. Enough to where some or all of them had to be replaced. The best is they were like it just died. Well when at the dealer or whatever they just plug it into there computer. It showed exactly what they were doing. Very expensive lesson learned.

    Tesla should program it to limit the high output button based on temps and usage. Electric motors are very torquey and can snap you back in the seat in normal mode. Volt has 4 modes, normal, sport, hold (engine only), mountain (both engine and electric). No limit on usage. Had an early Gem car 12 years back that I used on road extensively. Swapped out ring and pinion from 10.6 to 1 to 6 to 1. Went to 9, 8 volts from 6, 12 volts. Reprogrammed the controller adapting software from a fork lift, added several bilge blowers for cooling, went to #2 battery cables, added heat synchs, and doubled the motor hp. Went from 25 mph to 60 and could still tow a 4000 lb boat. I initially Cooked cables, batteries, switches, controller, motor, etc but eventually worked those problems out. Even old school,electrics are viable but took a lot more owner responsibility than most do now.