The Piaggio MP3 has been seen by only a handful of people in the U.S., however it already has quite a following. The excitement stems from the fact that the vehicle is radically different from almost everything else available. Or is it? That topic was brought up over at 2 Stroke Buzz. Despite their name, they cover anything scooter-related, whether powered by a 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine. All the older Vespa's used two strokes, hence the name.

Anyway, while at the Dealer Expo a few days ago, they noticed that the three-wheeled design is becoming quite popular. With vehicles such as the Can-Am Spyder, the T-Rex and it's electric sibling the Silence PT2, the KTM X-Bow, the Lazareth Triazuma and the VentureOne tilting vehicle based on the Carver, the MP3 will be facing stiff competition for your hard-earned dollars. One benefit that the MP3 will have over most of its competition is that it will undercut all of those vehicles in price. The next cheapest vehicle listed there will probably be the Can-Am Spyder which is expected to sell just south of $15 thousand or so. The MP3 also stands to have the best gas mileage, but along with that, probably the slowest performance.

Another tidbit that I pulled from the posting on 2SB was that Piaggio has announced that a 400cc 4-stroke version of the MP3 will be coming stateside in addition to the already announced 250cc 4-stroke version. Pricing remains to be announced, however.

Be sure to check out Piaggio's micro-site on the MP3.

Related:

• Can-Am Spyder official site is live, view our gallery
• More transportation alternatives, this time plucked from Kneeslider
• Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter
• Video of Venture Vehicles playing around with a Carver three-wheeler
• KTM using carbon fibre to make their X-BOW roadster faster
• Need a three-wheeled all-electric speed machine? It's yours for $42,000

[Source: 2 Stroke Buzz, Piaggio and previous posts here on AutoblogGreen]

If you are getting tired of three-wheels, sorry about that. But, there has been a good deal of news to cover these days on the topic. We covered the Silence PT2 just a little while ago, and that story was quite popular with our readers. So, now I bring you a video of the vehicle in action. Unfortunately, I don't speak French, so I can't quite tell what they are saying. But, that does not matter to me, because what I am really interested in hearing that this car is in fact silent. Listen close and all you hear is the gentle whine of the motor and gears. I find it rather peaceful, myself. Not that I don't appreciate a good sounding V8, of course. But, for normal urban driving, I'll take the peace and quiet, thanks. Enjoy the video and the great footage of the PT2!

If you liked that, you are sure to like the video after the jump of the E-Volution kit from G-2.

Check it out after the break

Related:

• Need a three-wheeled all-electric speed machine? It's yours for $42,000
• More transportation alternatives, this time plucked from Kneeslider
• Video of Venture Vehicles playing around with a Carver three-wheeler

[Source: YouTube via Hugg]

Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

This is the second part in an interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, where he talks about safety aspects of the VentureOne concept, and projected sales growth. In the first part of the interview, Ian shared with us his background with Venture Vehicles, and comments on the design of the VentureOne. Click here to go to part one of the interview.

If you haven't already, be sure to read our guide to the VentureOne first as background to this insightful interview.

ABG: Is the small internal combustion engine used in the hybrid variant taken straight out of a motorbike? What flex-fuel capabilities does it have?

IB: The genset is the other main component in our series-hybrid configuration, and we have a great deal of flexibility in choosing the final configuration. The principal requirement is that it run efficiently while generating a sustained 15kW using standard gasoline, E100, or any blend in between. We only require a small sensor in the fuel system that can detect the relative percentage of ethanol in the fuel and adjust the injection volumes to suit. We plan to use the airflow from the battery cooling system to keep the fuel lines and engine at a minimum temperature, and avoid any cold weather start-up problems associated with E100.

Interview continues after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

It is my pleasure to bring you a comprehensive interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles and their EVP Design & Engineering. Venture Vehicles are creating the VentureOne, a new, greener version of the Carver three-wheeler to be designed and built in California. The Carver pioneered an innovative take on personal transport, combining aspects of both motorcycles and cars to create a fun and efficient way to cruise around. The VentureOne will build upon this platform with updates for safety, performance, improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

If you haven't already, be sure to read our guide to the VentureOne first as background to this insightful interview. Ian, who originally sent us details on the VentureOne himself, was incredibly generous with his time in answering my questions with the final interview being too long to post in one go. As such, I have split the interview in half and it will be run over two days.

Today, we cover Ian's personal background and involvement with Venture Vehicles, plus the design of the VentureOne concept.

ABG: What is your role with Venture Vehicles? Tell us a bit more about your background in the auto industry.

IB: I'm the founder of Venture Vehicles, along with my partner Howard Levine, but my official title is EVP of Design & Engineering. While I'm not coming from an automotive background, I've been an avid motorcycle enthusiast and general gear-head all my life. I don't think that's a detriment -- what was needed was the ability to recognize an opportunity, and the will to carry it out. Frankly, I couldn't see Ford or GM pursuing something like this much beyond the concept stage.

Volkswagen did with the GX3, but killed the project due to liability concerns. You're probably aware that VW's "Moonraker" team created the vehicle's styling -- but the actual chassis, or "mule", was designed, engineered, and built by Swift Engineering in Southern California.

The lead engineer on that project was Chris Norris, who is now doing the chassis, suspension and propulsion engineering for the VentureOne. We're fortunate to have him as he probably has more experience with 3-wheelers than anyone else in the country. (BTW: he was the one videotaping the back of my head).

Interview continues after the jump.

Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

Venture Vehicles has announced that they will develop a two passenger, three-wheeled vehicle powered by either a pure plug-in electric or plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain. Under the working name of VentureOne, the new vehicle is to be designed and built in California based on the existing Carver three-wheeler already available in Europe.

Even with its single front wheel and its narrow form, the VentureOne arguably has more in common with a conventional car than a motorcycle due to the fully enclosed cabin, upright seating position, steering wheel, foot pedals and gear stick. The vehicle is actually the same height and length as a MINI Cooper but the driver sits as high off the road as they would in a BMW 3-Seriers.

Despite the VentureOne's height and narrow body, it will be very stable while rounding bends due to its most astounding feature, the ability to tilt the driver and passenger over as it corners. Like a motorcycle, this means that there is no 'overturning torque' on the wheels and the resultant forces always pass through the centre-line of the vehicle. The Carver three-wheeler pioneered the unique tilting design which allows the front wheel and both in-line passengers tilt up to 45 degrees while cornering even as the rear two wheels, anchored by the motor, remain firmly on the ground.

Carver describes the corner tilting sensation as "You steer it like a car, but when cornering it banks like a motorcycle while you feel like you are flying a jetfighter. The thrill of this tilting capability combined with the handling of a sports car makes for an exhilarating driving experience unlike any other."

Read on for more about the VentureOne and our upcoming interview after the jump.

[Editor's note: In-depth interview with Venture Vehicle's co-founder Ian Bruce is now available here, and we've got some video of the vehicle in action here.]

Here's a video of Ian Bruce, co-founder of Venture Vehicles, driving their new Carver three-wheeler. Venture Vehicles are going to design and build their own highly efficient three-wheeler based on Carver's technology with hybrid and all-electric powertrains.

Analysis: Looks like a whole lot of fun to me! Check out Venture Vehicles video page for more great Carver action.

Look out for our upcoming interview with Ian Bruce, co-founder of Venture Vehicles for more on the VentureOne.

Related:

• Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter
• KTM using carbon fibre to make their X-BOW roadster faster
• More transportation alternatives, this time plucked from Kneeslider

[Source: Venture Vehicles]

I've gotta admit that Devilstower's post on the three-wheeled Carver is contagious. He gushes over the possibility of this $16,000 flexible-fuel hybrid high-mpg vehicle, and it makes me think about putting in for a space on the waiting list. We've got to have patience, though. The standard (non-hybrid) Carver isn't even available yet - it's due in January - and who knows when the hybrid will make an appearance. When it does, though, it'll be a cool vehicle to drive around town. This all might be a pipe dream though, as the standard version will cost over $40K and only gets 43mpg. Still, the initial impressions and specifics (zero to sixty in 8 seconds, with car tires in back, motorcycle tire in front) are interesting and intriguing enough to warrant further inspection when the release date gets closer.

[Source: Political Cortex, suggested by Mark Sumner]