Sondors 3-seater electric trike for $10,000

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

A taper angle of 22 degrees in a boat tail is recommended. From "Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles" 5th Ed. pg 312

Was the 5th edition written when the National Speed Limit was 55 MPH? Another 20 MPH should mean a more gradual taper.

[mattrod]

One of the best looking 3-seater trikes I've seen though a bit pricey.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by mattrod

One of the best looking 3-seater trikes I've seen though a bit pricey.

Thousands cheaper than any other new enclosed vehicle and it is electric?

I do not see how he could possibly make it happen for that price. As JSH wrote, you cannot sell low production volumes that cheaply for that many features for a profit.

[rmay635703]

China can sell at that price, I’m still surprised how few Chinese motorbike contraptions end up over here

[samwichse]

"...a starting range of 75-100 miles per charge using a 33-kWh battery,"
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...ing-for-10000/

How is this car weighs a theoretical 1800lbs, has a smaller frontal area and a tapered body plan and lower rolling resistance, yet gets less rated range than a Nissan Leaf with a smaller battery is beyond me. The roof profile almost matches a first-gen Honda Insight.

30 kwh 2017 Nissan Leaf: 107 Mi EPA range
69.7" W x 61.0" H
cd 0.28
3386 lbs

[JSH]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

China can sell at that price, I’m still surprised how few Chinese motorbike contraptions end up over here

In China- yes. In the USA meeting NHTSA and DOT regulations - no

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by JSH

In China- yes. In the USA meeting NHTSA and DOT regulations - no

Motorcycles just need dot lighting, meeting that isn’t very hard

[JSH]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Motorcycles just need dot lighting, meeting that isn’t very hard

This is more than a motorcycle:

Airbags will need to meet US standards
HVAC will need to be filled with US legal refrigerant and meet US standards
The power windows will need automatic reverse
The glass will need to meet US standards.
Seatbelts will need to meet US standards.


Then you have shipping. This is closer in size to a car than a motorcycle and they would be lucky to get 10 in a container. Then you have truck shipping within the USA

You have to be licensed, bonded, and insured in the USA. You need a US sales force. You need to register VIN numbers. You need to offer financing and be able to buy down APRs to match the competition. You have to have a dealership network (that takes a percentage of the sale price) or some other way to handle distribution, vehicle prep, recalls and warranty claims.

All of this adds up to more than $10K. I was a product manager responsible for a UTV manufactured in India and sold the USA. The little stuff adds up.

[Xist]

Then if you managed to sell the Chinese-made trike here, someone would rear-end a German-brand bicycle, and go viral.

[Angel And The Wolf]

Originally Posted by samwichse

"...a starting range of 75-100 miles per charge using a 33-kWh battery,"
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...ing-for-10000/

How is this car weighs a theoretical 1800lbs, has a smaller frontal area and a tapered body plan and lower rolling resistance, yet gets less rated range than a Nissan Leaf with a smaller battery is beyond me. The roof profile almost matches a first-gen Honda Insight.

30 kwh 2017 Nissan Leaf: 107 Mi EPA range
69.7" W x 61.0" H
cd 0.28
3386 lbs

Could be the taper is too abrupt. If the surface boundary of air detaches from the surface, it produces turbulence, and drag. Stretch the car, and the MPG should increase.