Filed under: EV/Plug-in, USA
Triac to arrive this July, reservations being accepted, and other juicy details
The wait for an all-electric highway commuter just got a whole lot shorter. If you wanted to buy a Tesla and had the cash, you would still have to wait until the 600 (and counting) folks in line in front of you received theirs before you could stop buying gas and start turning heads. That could take a while. Then there's the Aptera. They only begin building their birds this Fall and there are 2,400 (and counting) folks with paid reservations in that line-up which ends, or at least pauses for effect, at the magic number of 3,000. But now, if you act fast, you may be able to jump into the beginning of a brand new queue. AutoblogGreen has just received word that Green Vehicles is accepting reservations (with a 10 percent fully refundable reservation fee) for July delivery of their new Triac (pictured above). That's only 60 days away!
You want to try before you buy? The three wheeler will be available for test drives around the middle of July and, according to Green Vehicles president Ehab Youssef, they anticipate leasing as well as selling the vehicle. They can ship cars throughout the U.S. (though Ohio could pose a licensing problem) and Canada, not to mention most other countries as well. The missive sent out by the company also gives reassurances about the quality and safety of their product. What kind of reassurances? Join us on the other side of the break to find out.
Gallery: TRIAC
Reassurances... As I was saying, the prototypes have been in testing for a year now and they say the safety, power and functionality have all been improved. For instance, in the safety department, a structural steel safety cage designed by race car fabrication experts, Impact Engineering of San Jose, CA, has been integrated into the vehicle. The cars will be inspected and tested in the U.S. before they are sent home with their new owners and will come with a one year bumper-to-bumper warranty. Not only will the Triac come with a detailed manual that could help guide your local technician to resolve any problems that might arise but they also plan to carry and ship replacement parts. If the book isn't providing the necessary insight, technical support will be made available to you over the telephone with qualified (non-outsourced) people. The lithium ion batteries that supply the power are said to be good for 2000 cycles (about 5 years) and, as they are "monitored by the world's most advanced battery management system," you will be notified if there is a problem with any particular battery or if there is a charging or discharging issue.
Their website is being upgraded as we speak with even more details appearing over the next few days. You should soon be able to check out all the specs as well as see if there will be a dealership appearing sometime in your neck of the woods. So, come on: Triac, you'll like it.
[Source: Green Vehicles]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sumeet 8:31PM (5/13/2008)
This is the same guy that was featured in the Wired Magazine's article, who got scammed by ZAP cars.
http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-04/ff_zapped
Wondering if he is hawking this yet non existent electric car and trying get people to deposit money to recoup his losses. He may be zapping the people cos he got zapped by the ZAP. I hope not and good luck to him, if he is honest.
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Garythepowers 9:36PM (5/13/2008)
I like the creativity of this vehicle. The lighter the weight, the better the performance.
This would help me and my $70 fillups, ugh.
http://www.caroftheday.org
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Dave B 9:43PM (5/13/2008)
This Ohio issue is driving me nuts. Not to toot my own horn, but I need a client to fix the 3-wheeled EV issue and frankly my offer of help has not been accepted by any 3-wheeled manufacturers probably because they think the problem will fix itself. Therefore:
I’d be willing to fight the BMV’s position that three-wheeled vehicles cannot be classified as motorcycles through an administrative appeal in the common pleas court. I’d do it free of charge so long as my court costs are covered, which would cost about $800—I think.
I understand that the subject of the newspaper article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Alan Fuller (of Wilmington) was given my contact information. But I haven't heard from him. I am not permitted to solicit clients directly. I do believe the BMV’s position can easily be attacked through the courts, while simultaneously launching a PR campaign against the governor. Clearly the Cleveland Plain Dealer agrees.
I do not have any vested interest in this endeavor other than seeing the success of EVs prevail over the use of fossil fuels. I would be willing to offer you the same work, assuming I can get a client in a reasonable distance from Dayton. Please let me know if you are aware of anyone who has a registration that has been revoked by the BMV because allegedly your vehicle cannot be classified as a motorcycle. I await a response.
Dave Brannon
www.branlaw.com
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Rei 11:21PM (5/13/2008)
Dave,
I've seen you around here before, and kudos to you for your pro-bono offers. I'm not an Ohio resident, nor do I have a vehicle whose reservation has been revoked, but I just wanted to tell you that I think it's really cool what you're doing.
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Phil L. 6:31AM (5/14/2008)
As a (former) Ohio resident and (hopeful) future EV owner, I also thank you for your efforts and hope this issue is resolved soon.
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Chris 6:44AM (5/14/2008)
So why do these things have to be three wheelers? They will suck in snow. I guess if your a three wheeler you can be a motorcycle and not have to meet stringent car occupant protection rules.
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zaedrus 8:35AM (5/14/2008)
I'll throw mine in with the hopeful skeptics: if it's a real offer and option, then I'm all for it. (After a test drive.)
As the vehicle goes, I'd LOVE to redesign it's fugly self. I love quirkiness, but it doesn't have to be so unsexy. Still... I'd drive one.
Chris, 3 wheels present a more efficient and viable alternate for many. Just like a motorcycle, if it doesn't meet your needs (snow/safety) don't get one, but drive defensively around those that do.
On a related note, perception of inherent safety is one of the problems bogging down the current line-up of vehicle options, and emboldening the "entitled" driving styles of many. IMHO. Maybe not so H.
Glad to see a potential option that doesn't cater to the status quo.
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Chris 8:36AM (5/14/2008)
Chris:
You are correct, it appears that the 3-wheel design is mainly a way to avoid the massive amounts of safety regulations and testing required for introducing a 4-wheel vehicle. I'm sure there are other aerodynamic and weight advantages to the single rear wheel but that doesn't seem to be the main catalyst.
I would also like to note that if this is registered as a motorcycle, drivers will most likely be required to have a motorcycle license and quite possibly wear a helmet while driving it in most states.
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virgil 9:36AM (5/14/2008)
For someone who expects to go to market in July, you'd think that maybe putting a PRICE on the website, and having dealership links that aren't dead-ends might help their cause. For now, I'll consign this to the zap/vaporware bin.
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Charlie 10:46AM (5/14/2008)
Chris - quite a number of states have exemptions for enclosed motorcycles lifting helmet requirements and a couple have a special drivers license endorsement for these type of vehicles but most still require a motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license ... and then there is Ohio which is another fish all together.
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tchamp 11:05AM (5/14/2008)
Just FYI, Here's a pdf with more info on the triac. They have this posted, but the link is broken. I took at the caps in the link, and it works.
http://ftp.greenvehicles.com/pdfs/triac.pdf
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Jason Dunham 11:47AM (5/14/2008)
I have received some more information about the battery cost for the Triac. According to Green Vehicle president Ehab Youssef the Triac battery will required to be replaced every 5 years. A replacement pack will cost $7500 to replace which is in lieu of maintenance cost for a conventional gas vehicle (tune ups, oil changes, spark plugs, SMOG inspection fees,
belts, hoses, filters, etc.).
This cost is also in lieu of $4.00 per gallon gasoline prices (Triac cost about 2 cents a mile to run on electricity).
Again, I received all this via an e-mail reply from Green Vehicle president Ehab Youssef.
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roz 11:56AM (5/14/2008)
we need a better regulatory environment for these smaller ev start-ups. let them make the designs they want for now.
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Chris 12:27PM (5/14/2008)
Looks like California, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming have helmet exclusions for "enclosed cabins." There are other states that specifically mention enclosed side cars. I'm sure this is something that will be addressed in due time but I still see it as an issue that early adopters will have to deal with, along with the motorcycle drivers license issue.
I have both a helmet and a motorcycle license so I'm good to go in all 50 states. :)
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pauln 12:45PM (5/14/2008)
Dave, the folks having problems are here: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Xebra_EV/
You may have to scroll back a few pages in the forum to find them.
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az_r2d1 4:17PM (5/14/2008)
A corolla that gets 30mpg (12 cent a mile) will need nothing after 75000 miles. Granted it needs oil changes and maybe a bit more in tires/brakes but that's about it. The Triac requires another 7500 investment. That's another 10 cents a mile. Not that competive. The Corolla will go at least another 75K on the same engine and minimal maintenance.
It will all depend on what the triac will cost new. I don't think it will be able to compete price wise. Green wise it will most likely score better (anyone ever calculated what the real cost of electricity is (generation, energy loss due to transportation, nuclear fuel waste,etc) ?
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GoodCheer 6:11PM (5/14/2008)
The other big question is whether we will be able to register it in our state. My understanding is that registration is the only reason the Aptera is only for sale in California. Does anybody know anything more about this? Should we all call our respective DMVs?
For what it's worth, here in Delaware you are not required to wear a helmet on ANY motorcycle, you just need to have one with you on the vehicle (which is totally stupid, and my motorcycle insurance rates are about 3 times what they were in Massachusetts as a result).
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Kevin Nugent 6:36PM (5/14/2008)
ehhhhh i wont be buying one that life psan of only two years of battery will take away may savings once i have to replace them
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RickM 1:17PM (5/15/2008)
Virgil, the "vehicle specs" PDFs have the base prices of all four vehicles along with the price of some optional equipment. The Triac discussed in this article is $19,995; the Buckshot truck is $17,995; the Moose NEV is $12,995; and the Microwatt NEV is $11,995.
That said, I'm also skeptical, and reluctant to gamble the 10% deposit. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
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Christian 3:04PM (5/15/2008)
The price is the key. I habe seen a small calculation. The Triac has a 23kWh (144V, 160Ah) battery. Which means the price for the battery only now is about 17.700$ and the price of the car is 19.995$? So I have some doubts, but hopefully I am wrong.
Table (battery prices, weights): http://www.modernmobilitynews.com/index.php/2008-05-13/akkumulatoren-stand-der-technik/
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