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Electra Meccanica (three Wheel Electric) Email-11/2/15

Rickb

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How much carbon goes into building those dams? How much carbon goes into manufacturing those turbines? Like I said, it's not a carbon free system unless you ignore the dirty parts.
The dams and turbines provide renewable sources of power along with solar, and wind. One use of that renewable energy source is to fuel future alternative energy vehicles, thereby saving more fossil fuel for you. A win win. I don't understand the argument against the option of providing the choice (not a mandate), developing new ATVM technology, and/or the problem people have with emission free vehicles and the shift to a sustainable transportation system. You must see some benefit to the environment while maximizing USA sourced fossil fuels.............obviously not. Go three wheels.....ICE OR sustainable everyday ELECTRIC!
 

AriLea

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You know I have to say something bad about the Canadian car adventures. In Canada they seem to have an easier time getting into start-up mode from a government and regulatory view, and if the investor is one that has coordinated with that it's a bit more viable, at least in the beginning.

But there also is the expectation of flim-flaming the American dollar by appearing to be a 'done deal', that is also prevalent. Zap motors being a good example of both cases. You can include the Vapor-Tec -version two in that. The thing is, even when appearing to have progressed, it may as well be based only on 'wishfull thinking' and promises even at a very late date.

Best I can guess, the US has less progression to a mid-level attempt having weeded out 'promissory' promotions, having gotten almost zero leverage from local or national agency. In Canada they will partner private and government to both sanction a market and protect it from competition. And having gotten interested they will give it lots of time if not money.

Over the years I've seen perhaps 4-8 vehicles in this category of operation that vaporized to smoke. It seems they put the effort in at the kit car level, but state the effort as if it were volume production. I don't include attempts like Vapor Tech at that level never having got that big.

I suppose the one thing I like about it is at least they tried, and in the US very few of these 'niche ideas' even get off the drawing board. In the US if it makes it to that level usually the business model has been investigated deep and wide, and shaken to it's core. But then often rejected because there is no comparable success yet. That inherently kills off anything new or perceived as innovative, at least in the automotive area for the US. It makes us bi-polar around competition. We hate it, but won't try unless some already exists. So slow-to-adopt big companies swallow up the few successful innovators enthusiastially.

In Canada they nurture their small startups, sometime beyond reasonable expectation, and then try and entice angel support for it. But then both gov and private will promise some level of domination over the region of activity, which can be pulled at the worst moment imaginable.

Companies that have a foot print in both economies can get the best of both by trade off and technology transfer, at least at times. GE, GM and Boeing for a few that have in the past.
 

Rickb

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That's not bad. There is plenty of flim flamming, wishful forward thinking, and promises made by Americans for the American dollar for assumed done deal statements which is why I wouldn't give a Canadian or American vehicle startup company a non-refundable dollar until after a test drive and vehicles are rolling out the manufacturing plant door ready to ship. I don't even want to be an Alpha Series tester, but I will if the vehicle meets my needs and expectations because I'm getting to old to wait.

I'm seeing visible/tangible signs of Solo progress from Electra Meccanica. Although, technically a small EV startup, they are not new to the auto industry and the Auto Racing Scene since the Inter Meccanica Partner has been a successful high quality custom Coach Builder for years.

If any concept three wheeler is pulled at the worst moment I have no risk. I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.
 
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Marshall

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The dams and turbines provide renewable sources of power along with solar, and wind. One use of that renewable energy source is to fuel future alternative energy vehicles, thereby saving more fossil fuel for you. A win win. I don't understand the argument against the option of providing the choice (not a mandate), developing new ATVM technology, and/or the problem people have with emission free vehicles and the shift to a sustainable transportation system. You must see some benefit to the environment while maximizing USA sourced fossil fuels.............obviously not. Go three wheels.....ICE OR sustainable everyday ELECTRIC!
Compare TOTAL impact. That is all I'm saying. An efficient ICE vehicle may not have that much different an impact than an electric after the dirty dam building and high carbon metal refining are considered. Don't fall in love with a portion of impact and ignore the rest.
 

Elio Amazed

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Compare TOTAL impact. That is all I'm saying. An efficient ICE vehicle may not have that much different an impact than an electric after the dirty dam building and high carbon metal refining are considered. Don't fall in love with a portion of impact and ignore the rest.
Good points all, but this particular discussion / controversy has already been all but completely exhausted in past threads on these forums.
 

Hog

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I am not interested in it because its electric. I would prefer a gas engine myself, but the price and range is there, and right now thats all I am concerned about. Now if I can come up with a solar charger for it that would be ideal.
There are other drawbacks too, the rear wheel drive is poor for traction in bad weather, it only seats one, etc. etc. This is where the Elio does have an advantage.
 

bunchathrees

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I am not interested in it because its electric. I would prefer a gas engine myself, but the price and range is there, and right now thats all I am concerned about. Now if I can come up with a solar charger for it that would be ideal.
There are other drawbacks too, the rear wheel drive is poor for traction in bad weather, it only seats one, etc. etc. This is where the Elio does have an advantage.

The range still doesn't seem good enough for me yet. I find myself considering the Bolt as a backup plan to the Elio. The Solo has a higher cool factor than the Bolt, but for me range trumps all. Maybe they could find more places into which they could squeeze more battery.
 

Sethodine

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Compare TOTAL impact. That is all I'm saying. An efficient ICE vehicle may not have that much different an impact than an electric after the dirty dam building and high carbon metal refining are considered. Don't fall in love with a portion of impact and ignore the rest.

But you must also consider the mitigating factor of HOW that electricity is used. Electric cars are not responsible for 100% of the carbon-costs associated with building a hydro dam, because that same hydro dam is powering a million other homes and devices. When the carbon-cost for that electricity has been divided amonst all of those other areas (based on kw/h of usage) the electric car still comes out cleaner than the ICE car.
The range still doesn't seem good enough for me yet. I find myself considering the Bolt as a backup plan to the Elio. The Solo has a higher cool factor than the Bolt, but for me range trumps all. Maybe they could find more places into which they could squeeze more battery.

I'm of the "never buy a new car" crowd, but my wife and I have been talking and we've already decided to buy a Bolt in three years-or-so, when they start coming off of leases. But we still haven't decided if we'll be trading in our 2012 Leaf or simply growing our electric fleet. But aside from the Elio, we've decided never to go back to ICE cars if we can help it.
 
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