Filed under: MPG, Transportation Alternatives, AutoblogGreen Exclusive
Is this the perfect green vehicle? A street legal, 50 MPH, 72 MPG, $5,495 ... TRUCK?!
Why doesn't a company just make a small, useful vehicle that moves at highway speeds? They could get around the cost of complying with safety restrictions by making it three wheeled. Maybe someone has! The WF250-C sold by Wild Fire Motors has three wheels, gets 72 miles per gallon and costs just $5,495.00. It's "street legal" according to the Wild Fire web page; the EPA certification says it's a "highway motorcycle."I don't think it's a low speed vehicle restricted to neighborhoods but I don't see seat belts and 17 horses probably won't get you on the highway safely. Anyway, in concept, is this the perfect green vehicle? Okay, maybe a little more power for slightly higher speeds, electric motors and an air bag or two would be nice. But isn't this the direction that companies like Zap, Miles, Tata and Aptera are going?
[Source: Wild Fire Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Matt Peckham 9:04AM (1/24/2008)
with a slightly bigger engine, it wouldn't be too bad.
I would think reversing the wheels would make it more stable too. 2 in front, 1 in back.
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Mort 9:08AM (1/24/2008)
The stupid U.S. laws make them do this.
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andy 9:12AM (1/24/2008)
I think that's plain stupid. It's like the yellow car in the MR Bean series that always rolls over. I think it's a waste of time and money...NEXT
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Dave 9:17AM (1/24/2008)
This is absolutly rediculous. Agree with the previous comment re gov laws are guiding some new manufacturers to the three wheel version for faster approval and to avoid crash testing. If this concept goes main stream the laws will be changed as soon as a couple of these flip over on the freeway and kill people, not to mention big time law suites. The three wheel gig will not last long due to these potential problems.
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GoodCheer 9:34AM (1/24/2008)
I think there is a place for slower vehicles that should not have to meet the same crash regs that regular vehicles do. I mean something between NEVs and cars. A class of vehicle that's limited by engine displacement (like Japanese micro-cars), weight (like the UK's quadricycles, horsepower, or regulated top speed (like our NEVs) makes a lot of sense to me. After all, at 40mph you only have 25% of the kinetic energy you have at 80mph.
Encouraging this kind of thing would help to open up our streets (by removing some of the huge hulking vehicles) and reduce fuel use. While I think the 25mph limit of NEVs is a little slow, getting that up to even 35 would vastly increase the utility of little city runabouts.
So while the vehicle in this article is clearly exploiting a legal loophole, I would be in favor of changing the loophole into a new class of vehicle.
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GoodCheer 9:36AM (1/24/2008)
*** Oops, quadricycles are weight AND power limited. ***
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Michael Campbell 9:46AM (1/24/2008)
A 50 MPH *TRIKE*? No.... thanks.
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tio 9:52AM (1/24/2008)
90% of my driving is done at 45mph or below in city traffic. This would work as a second car for me. My only concern is will the gear box or engine self destruct in six months of use? Even with a warranty on parts im still out the labor cost and time if it fails.
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calebe 10:21AM (1/24/2008)
not bad looking from the outside. The interior is what really needs some work. For that price I would want better materials in side. The fit and finish makes me worry about how well the other parts would hold up.
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A&W 10:59AM (1/24/2008)
But can they maintain the price advantage once they have made the vehicle more attractive? This seems like the perfect farm vehicle but would need alot of work to make it fly in the city. Then again this would be a great pizza delivery vehicle.
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steven 11:12AM (1/24/2008)
This thing scare me, as I imagine it does for anyone else who has a 3 year with a tricycle. Kinda starts me humming the old Rawhide them, Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'....
The funny thing is with the 3rd wheel in back it would be a LOT more stable but lose most of the interior space that makes it attractive!
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GoodCheer 12:26PM (1/24/2008)
My biggest complaint about this vehicle (and almost all motorcycles) is that it has almost ZERO emissions controls. According to the EPA, this thing puts out 12 g/km of CO!!! (it's also interesting that the EPA uses metric) That is totally unacceptable to me, and should be to anyone who wants to associate 'green' with the description of their car.
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zaedrus 12:55PM (1/24/2008)
Right price. Right number of wheels. Right cruising altitude for my commute.
Unfortunately, all the negative comments posted (valid points) outweigh the pros.
Close, but no sale. And probably not worth modding either.
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Alex Campbell 1:38PM (1/24/2008)
You posters sound like a bunch of muscle car drivers! Read what Xebra owners have to say...
-- Aspen, Colorado -- "This is the perfect vehicle for the constant short trips my employees and I need to make in the area," said Liz Shapiro, owner of Above & Beyond Concierge service.
-- Elkhart, Indiana -- Jon Faux said he squeezed over 50 miles of range out of his Xebra and loves the money he saves on gas. "The research I've conducted on my electric rates reveals that I'm getting the cost equivalent of about 600 miles to the gallon."
-- Olympia, Washington -- "I love my ZAP! I had a chance to show if off during a couple events and Show & Tell at a couple schools. I'd love to
see more of these on the streets," says Dee Williams.
-- Long Island, New York -- "I love my Xebra Sedan and use it as my 'station car' to commute from my home to the train station for my train to the city every day. I used to drive a Ford Think and loved it until they recalled it. Ever since then I've been searching for a production electric and am so pleased I found the Xebra Sedan," said Barry R.
-- Salem, Oregon -- Les and his wife are teachers and bought a Xebra for their 16-year-old daughter. "She's in love with her car and we are happy knowing that she can safely drive around our city, but won't be speeding up
and down the freeway," says Les. "However, the Xebra's speed and range limitations really aren't limiting at all. She can get to the mall, movie theater, after-school activities, and music lessons easily." Daughter: "My favorite thing about my car is that I never have to ask my parents for gas money."
-- Dawson Springs, Kentucky -- Jim Seibert, owner of Tri-County Refrigeration said: "It's the cheapest thing I've ever seen. I LOVE
IT!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean c'mon? I paid a little over $10,000 (that ain't much). I have put 1000 miles on it in a little over a month. It's perfect for local service calls."
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Alex Campbell 1:40PM (1/24/2008)
I know Sam Abuelsamid was not impressed, but this Alias Video gets me enthused.
http://www.zapworld.com/zap-alias-electric-car-vehicle
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steven 1:52PM (1/24/2008)
@12: I think you may be confusing the std/limit allowable vs. the actual output of the motor.
What's really cool is the EPA has hired more mathematicians and has moved to g/kW-hr for CO limits.
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Throwback 2:58PM (1/24/2008)
I would never allow my teenager to drive a ZAP as the parents in the above post do. What happens when someone t-bones the car while she is "safely driving around the city"? Her speed is not the only factor in an accident.
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Ernie 3:22PM (1/24/2008)
Only 72 MPG?
It would have to have way higher milage than that to get me to buy one. Zap makes cars and trucks just like it that are electric. And they're just as safe (or just as dangerous, as the case may be).
Moreover, it probably doesn't have a catalytic converter either (one of those other regulations they're dodging), which means that it's just spewing out more and worse pollution than a Honda Civic.
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Ernie 3:24PM (1/24/2008)
Throwback: And what happens when someone T-bones your SUV in an intersection? Same thing. Serious personal injury and/or death.
Sorry, but you just can't win in that kind of a collision.
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Matt Peckham 5:05PM (1/24/2008)
These would work well for college rentals, when kids need to get their groceries or washing done. I can see these being a great option for some sort of communal living situation. I would want it to be lower and wider though. a lot lower.
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