Interesting car, even more interesting discussions in the thread.
If I could afford to buy a car just for commuting and errands -- I can afford to do that, and have done it in point of fact -- I would buy something like this. But it would have to do a few things before I'd consider it economically feasible:
- pay for itself in energy cost savings (compared to, say, an Accord)
- get me there and back without me having to jump through hoops
- keep me safe, relatively comfortable, and moderately entertained
- be cheap to run and easy to maintain
- last a long time
If I were motivated to design such a car, and my goal was to revolutionize the way Americans drive, those would be my primary criteria. I'm thinking more along the lines of a teardrop Tata Nano than a $100K+ Tesla.