Marketing Hype:Odd motorcycle/car mashup

I don't have enough sarcasm and snark to explain how I feel about this idea.

The Atlantic interviews people building selling an enclosed motorcycle. Reporters believe that these people - from San Diego, naturally - have created something that "could be a game changer for the auto industry." The company founder explains that cars have become too expensive to be affordable, and that the solution is to buy his $20,000 vehicle that only seats two.

http://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/goldman-sachs-progress/archive/2012/12/lit-motors-builds-a-car-that-breaks-the-rules/265768/?oref=goldman-ob

Not a bad idea but yeah this guy is hyper-optimistic and apparently not great at math.

Safety of a car huh? I want to see that video!

For $5K less, my Kia Soul seats 4-5, carries groceries, has airbags and a crash structure, is more stable and easier to work on. It's an entry-level car that is as nice as a loaded car was 20 years ago. Cars like that are game-changers.

JoeyM wrote: The company founder explains that cars have become too expensive to be affordable, and that the solution is to buy his $20,000 vehicle that only seats two.

Wait, what?

I really like it, but. gyroscopes regardless, I still wouldn't drive it in the snow and probably not in the summer as I enjoy the openess of the motorcycle

ok, all the downsides of a car (sitting in a box, no wind, not cool looking, not fun, expensive) all the downsides of a motorcycle (not good in heavy traffic due to having to hold it up yourself [even more relevant when its a car on 2 wheels], no room to carry groceries, more likely to kill you.

I'm not sure I see the point at all. If I saw that driving down the road I'd be tempted to use my front bumper to play soccer with it.

oh. gyroscopes. disregard holding it up in traffic I guess. Would be really awkward when the gyrocscope breaks. Is it belt driven or what? lol. Just chilling in traffig looking like a total bag of douche to start with, and the gyro goes pop and your little white box on wheels falls over right there in traffic.

have to admit though... it would be cool to sit in traffic.. balanced on just two wheels, with no kick stand.

I would look at one for a commuter.. but I am scared enough of traffic around here in a car.

mad_machine wrote: I would look at one for a commuter.. but I am scared enough of traffic around here in a car.

I would not, for the reasons that pinchvalve listed: you can get a lot more car than that for the money. I'd love to have an EV, but can't justify spending more on it than a normal car....especially when the EV is less useful/practical.

I know that the counter argument is that I don't need all the space/functionality of a car most of the time. That's true, but but I don't have the hassle/cost of having to rent a car if I want to move more people or stuff.

It is a fully EV for the 16K or so price that they say they can get to with 200 miles range is actually really astonishing. Now if its real is another question, they have been touting the thing since they rendered it up.

Now sub 10k and with a small efi gas engine with cat converters and I would really like this. Might be as high as 100 mpg in the real world. While still being eco friendly and more forgiving then a motorcycle.

I don't use all the space in my house all the time, but it would not be practical for me to move into a studio.

So does it fall over when the battery dies from being parked for too long?

lol surely it has a kickstand for engine off storage? or maybe just a charging cradle? lol