Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video]
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11-19-2013, 09:00 AM
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Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video]
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Legislation and Policy, USA, Videos
Just what defines a three-wheeled vehicle? You'd think it would be the number of wheels, but the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and its Three-Wheel Vehicle Working Group has been thinking about exactly this question, and has come up with a more nuanced definition that could have a big effect on the EV market. After all, we dare you to name all of the three-wheeled high-mpg or plug-in electric vehicles we've featured over the years.
In fact, it was a maker of one of those green cars - Elio Motors - that drew our attention to the AAMVA decision in the first place. Elio is working on bringing an 84-mpg trike to market, and knows that it's awful hard to sell motorcycles compared to cars. Currently, highway-speed vehicles with three wheels are classified as motorcycles by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
AAMVA wants to change this, and has come up with a difference that is partially defined by how the driver (slash rider) sits on the vehicle. If you have a motorcycle-style seat, AAMVA suggests it gets treated like a three-wheeled motorcycle. If the vehicle has a seat with a back - and especially if there are passenger seats - then AAMVA calls it an autocycle, and says it should be treated somewhat like a car, especially for driver's license purposes. Also, a motorcycle often has handlebars while an autocycle has a steering wheel. AAMVA's decisions are not law by any means, but the group does hope that state DMVs will use the document to help write their own new laws about just what defines a three-wheeled vehicle.
You can get the AAMVA decision in PDF here and check out a video on the decision below. As of November 14th, Elio said it had 5,148 reservation holders for its $6,800 three-wheeler. We wonder what it will be, technically, when it arrives.Continue reading Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video]
Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Just what defines a three-wheeled vehicle? You'd think it would be the number of wheels, but the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and its Three-Wheel Vehicle Working Group has been thinking about exactly this question, and has come up with a more nuanced definition that could have a big effect on the EV market. After all, we dare you to name all of the three-wheeled high-mpg or plug-in electric vehicles we've featured over the years.
In fact, it was a maker of one of those green cars - Elio Motors - that drew our attention to the AAMVA decision in the first place. Elio is working on bringing an 84-mpg trike to market, and knows that it's awful hard to sell motorcycles compared to cars. Currently, highway-speed vehicles with three wheels are classified as motorcycles by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
AAMVA wants to change this, and has come up with a difference that is partially defined by how the driver (slash rider) sits on the vehicle. If you have a motorcycle-style seat, AAMVA suggests it gets treated like a three-wheeled motorcycle. If the vehicle has a seat with a back - and especially if there are passenger seats - then AAMVA calls it an autocycle, and says it should be treated somewhat like a car, especially for driver's license purposes. Also, a motorcycle often has handlebars while an autocycle has a steering wheel. AAMVA's decisions are not law by any means, but the group does hope that state DMVs will use the document to help write their own new laws about just what defines a three-wheeled vehicle.
You can get the AAMVA decision in PDF here and check out a video on the decision below. As of November 14th, Elio said it had 5,148 reservation holders for its $6,800 three-wheeler. We wonder what it will be, technically, when it arrives.Continue reading Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video]
Proposed rule change could bring about new wave of 3-wheel EVs [w/video] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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