GoblinAero 150 MPG coming soon

[Mike T]

So true!

.....this car/bike thingy with an engine should be somewhere else, unless the engine is a "people". It offends my sense of fair play to think that someone with one of these might be competing in this sub-forum for a yearly distance record against actual bicycles.

[Snax]

For similar money, a person could put together a BugE, or for allot less build their own motorized bike. Mine cost less than $300 to put together including the motor, new tires, and a new seat.

While velomobiles are generally not found so cheaply, the cost severly limits their market acceptance and is likely the primary reason you don't see them around. In other words, find a less expensive price point for these things. I wouldn't trade either of my warm reliable inexpensive cars for them at that cost. It would take me years to earn a payback on fuel costs, particularly since I can bike or motor-bike around for the daily 4 mile commute and have gone months at a time without driving. I just don't see a practical economic argument for such a thing fitting into the vast majority of people's lives.

It's cool, but you gotta make it cheaper.

[dm1333]

I think it belongs here in people powered. A friend of mine has a recumbent trike with a small gas engine, if he happens to run out of gas no big deal, he just pedals a little harder.

As for something like this being marketed at $1000? Not likely. Cheaper foreign made 2 wheel recumbents run right around that much, higher quality made in the USA two wheelers start at about $1500. Trikes generally seem to be a bit more expensive because of the extra parts, raw material and welding involved.

[samandw]

Hmmm. Really cool idea, but kinda hard to justify when you could easily replicate basjoos's 95mpg 5-seat hatchback with extra storage for probably $2500. . . just sayin'

[Snax]

Keep in mind that Basjoos does ALLOT of highway miles. I doubt he gets much more than 40-50 mpg around town in stop and go.

[imzjustplayin]

He doesn't ACTUALLY get 95mpg, that was just the headline of various articles. They pulled that number because he calculated some theoretical mileage in some theoretical scenarios. He says he used to average high 60s low 70s before the 10% ethanol but now is in the low 60s which is still good. There are definitely things he could've done to the car to improve the engine but that wasn't his expertise and so the only real improvement to his car is the aerodynamics.

[palemelanesian]

The aerocivic HAS gotten 95 mpg - with Wayne Gerdes driving it.

[Lorena_Palin]

The original thing is cool, but kind of overpriced. You could take a used EX250 motorcycle and make it a streamliner (like what they do for world speed records) and change the gearing and get insanely good millage with it. And have a vehicle that could go on highways.

[101mpg]

Look what they've done with the "Wolf Spyder." Again, I'm certainly not shelling out the $20K on top of the price of a trike, but some people want looks.

On top of that, they DO heavily promote the low-speed vehicles for people who have lost their licenses due to DUI and similar situations.