Hi, Munro and Associates are going into three wheel vehicles: Given the performance of Nikola Motors that was pushed by a non-engineering salesman, the Munro effort is led by a qualified, skilled engineer with manufacturing background. There are no guarantees but compared to many startups, this one has a chance. But the number of wheels remains a technical challenge: 3 - tricycle, two front or one front, requires little technical skill but loss of a wheel can be grim. Munro proposes an active suspension to deal with loss of a wheel and to improve handling. I'm open minded about the prospect but not in the market. 4 - ordinary cars require no technical skill and loss of one wheel makes it into a tricycle. It isn't impossible to have an accident with one failed wheel but it takes a lack of skill. So we have a Std Rng Plus Model 3 and BMW i3-REx which fully meets are transportation requirement. However, I could see a well designed, tricycle having lower energy cost per mile and a cross country capability. Bob Wilson
What a weird market to try and get into. There's no way the annual sales of all three-wheeled vehicles exceed 100k per year in the US. This is such a niche market.
I was planning to build a cybertryke. Like you say, demand for three wheelers isn’t high. Even at $6,000 it’s going to be a hard sell. The only way I could see it being a viable business plan in the “west” is if you build a low cost EV racing series around it. Focus on driving dynamics, skip all the fancy stuff. Sell them to people who want the rush of driving a motorbike, but want to stay dry in the wet. I might still do it. At the very least I’d like to build a functioning prototype. It shouldn’t be that expensive, say $10k. Maybe I should sell some Tesla shares to fund it, pull a Nikola, roll it down a hill, do a reverse SPAC, outsource the manufacturing to GM, pocket a billion dollars and retire.
Kei cars a big in China and Japan. Approx 40% of all vehicle sales in those regions. This may be the market Sandy is targeting. Then add in India and that’s a **** ton of potential buyers.
The world is larger than the USA: Europe, Asia, Africa, South and Central America, and the Island Nations. Still, there are USA market opportunities: First car buyers - high school, college, and first jokers. For example, there was a three year period where I used a mix of public transportation and motorcycle. Then my wife insisted I get rid of it after I slid across an intersection. Delivery services - everything from pizzas to groceries to other high value packages. Elderly - living on fixed incomes yet still needing to travel and not a motorcycle candidate. For them, a three wheeler with advanced driver assistance keeps them living independently. ATV riders - many already are three wheelers or small wheelbase, vehicles. Being enclosed with safety features that prevent roll-over injury would work. HOV lane access - this could reduce traffic congestion. The best way to measure the demand is to offer the product and see what the buyers choose. Bob Wilson
Sure, those are potential buyers, but I still can't imagine the market being that large. You can easily find a used car for cheap prices and most states require a motorcycle license to drive a three-wheeled vehicle.
I tend to like (some) three-wheelers because they're quirky and rare. But, I think trying to push them in the U.S. is a task of Sisyphean proportions. But, as Bob say, they world is bigger than the U.S. and there could be an large role for them in Asia, Africa and South America.
We have one manufacture based right here in Vancouver, details here: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/24/2082630/0/en/ElectraMeccanica-Announces-Production-Start-Date-of-August-26th-for-Flagship-SOLO-EV.html
