ElectraMeccanica Solo first drive: A tiny electric car with big dreams

​

ElectraMeccanica Solo first drive: A tiny electric car with big dreams Business Insider

It's a cliché that Americans like things big. Big burgers, big malls, big houses. Buying a car? I'll supersize that too, please.

Last year, US buyers gobbled up more Ford F-Series pickup trucks than any other model for the 40th year running. Over half of new vehicles sold were some kind of SUV. But how much car does the average person really need, and at what point does a genuine desire for utility cross a line into good old-fashioned American excess?

These are the questions electric-vehicle startup ElectraMeccanica poses with its debut model, the outrageous-looking, three-wheeled Solo, so named because that's how you'll be traveling if you purchase one of the single-seaters.

The thinking goes like this: Most people drive alone most of the time. And typically, they aren't traveling that far or carrying that much stuff. In turn, a single-seat vehicle with around 100 miles of range and a trunk that can fit a few grocery bags should satisfy most peoples' needs more cheaply and efficiently than a conventional car.

​

The Canadian upstart says the $18,500 model will revolutionize the way we get around cities. It's so sure of this that it's working on a new factory in Arizona to supplement the supply of Solos coming from a contracted manufacturer in China.

Eager to put such lofty goals to the test, I jumped at the opportunity when ElectraMeccanica offered a short test drive in downtown Manhattan earlier this month.

First impressions
Walking up to the Solo for the first time, I was shocked at just how small it is. In photos, it looks like half a car; in person, it's more like a quarter. Inside, however, I found there was plenty ...

Continue reading...