Designing and Building my own High MPG Car

[GoGogebic]

I somewhat agree with Fat Charlie, but I am doing my best to overcome the inherent risk of driving a smaller car. How concerned are you guys about the risks of driving a smaller car?

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by GoGogebic

I somewhat agree with Fat Charlie, but I am doing my best to overcome the inherent risk of driving a smaller car. How concerned are you guys about the risks of driving a smaller car?

What risk? that you have less vehicle to hit or to hit other things? that small cars are less likely to roll over, that lighter cars stop faster and accelerate faster?
Trash cans and soup cans are both made out of steel that is pretty close to the same thickness, but what one is going to be easier to dent? the trash can is going to crumple while the soup can is hard to crush.

[Fat Charlie]

What's the inherent risk of driving a car that can get out of its own way? I'll take something nimble any day.

[GoGogebic]

The cockpit of my car is less then 32" wide so avoiding a direct frontal impact should definitely be easier then with my focus.

[darcane]

Think more like it being a motorcycle... there is no crash protection at all there, and people still safely drive them. The difference is what you rely on for safety. With a car, most people mindlessly stay in their lane and when rely on airbags, crumple zones, etc to keep them safe when involved in a accident. Motorcyclists must be more aware of their surroundings and actively avoid dangers to stay safe. An alert motorcyclist can avoid the accident altogether.

That's another reason to lose a wheel... trikes are generally considered motorcycles and thus are allowed special exemptions in most (all?) states, such as being allowed to drive in HOV lanes. I would think a trike could handle snow equally well as compared to a 4-wheeled car with more weight per tire.

[GoGogebic]

Darcane,

You'll see earlier in the post I live in Wisconsin. I couldn't make it to the first stop light with 3 wheels. We get up to 12" of snow a day. The side streets take 1 day to get plowed good and salt doesn't work in below zero weather. A trike is definitely out of the question, but thanks for commenting.

[cfguy2000]

Having a small car has enabled me to avoid so many accidents. My only concern with my car is how I would do in a side impact collision because of how light my doors are. Thick steel tubing in the doors would make me feel safer.

[jakobnev]

You might be able to enhance side impact protection by connecting the front and read pods with a bar: (if you pardon the poor shop)

[darcane]

Originally Posted by GoGogebic

Darcane,

You'll see earlier in the post I live in Wisconsin. I couldn't make it to the first stop light with 3 wheels. We get up to 12" of snow a day. The side streets take 1 day to get plowed good and salt doesn't work in below zero weather. A trike is definitely out of the question, but thanks for commenting.

While I live in Washington now, I grew up and learned to drive in southcentral Alaska (I've driven in one town that averages 25ft of snow a year and can get nearly 4ft in 24hrs), so I've got a pretty strong understanding of how snow affects driving dynamics. I'm still missing how you will be negatively affected driving in it by losing one wheel with all other things remaining equal. With decent tires intended for snow, you will have plenty of traction for winter driving.

And, they are a little different than an on-the-road trike, but I've ridden 3-wheelers in snow and my brother used to ice-race on a dirt bike converted to a trike. I remember both having plenty of traction up front.

If you don't want a trike, so be it. It's your vehicle. I just don't see that a trike should be eliminated as an option solely due to winter performance.

[Frank Lee]

He thinks the 3rd wheel would be "breaking trail" and that's a deal killer. Personally, I doubt it. I live in heavy snow country too and I wonder how bad that could be. I played with trike atvs in heavy snow too. I recall going through deep snow woods following my friend on his snowmobile; I did keep the front wheel in his track but still the snow was quite deep.