Ultra-small vehicles are beginning to hit the market, raising the question: How much car space do you need anyway? Do you really require a seven-seat SUV? Space, safety and price, are things that vary from person to person. However, if you want an adorable, attention-getting cargo-hauling electric car, then Electra Meccanica Solo EV is an ideal choice for you. Take it to work, gym, coffee, or even the grocery store. All on one charge.
Canadian EV manufacturer Electra Meccanica launched a new cargo version of its three-wheeled all-electric Solo, replacing the usual lift-gate with a cargo trunk.
A large rear box would ordinarily have looked bizarre in a car as compact as the Solo; nevertheless, Electra Meccanica managed to design it very effectively. As a result, the new trunk is like a Kamm tail element from the front or a hyper-boosting jet thruster.
Solo EV is an enclosed cockpit with pretty small storage space (5 cubic feet worth) that makes up what could be called a trunk. It is indeed the tiniest car that runs on batteries. Speaking of batteries, the Solo has a 17.4KWh lithium battery which is good for up to 100 miles depending on your enthusiasm with the pedal. According to Electra Meccanica, a Level II charger can juice the vehicle to 90% in about three hours, while a regular household 120V outlet will charge it overnight to about 60%.
“There is a wealth of light fleet, business, and commercial applications where single occupants dominate,” says Paul Rivera, Electra Meccanica president and CEO. “From fast food franchise delivery and pizza delivery to grocery delivery, small parcel and post, to tech repair and security firms, the Solo Cargo EV is the ideal solution to help companies minimize operational costs and maximize efficiency.”
The freight box lengths 123 cm; however, it doesn’t affect the 100-mile (161-km) or 80-mph (129-km) high speed of the EV. The Cargo shares Solo’s 56-hp electric motor with 17.4 kW of lithium battery power.
At this week’s Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, California, Electra Meccanica released a prototype version of the Solo Cargo. The specifications and the design are subject to modification, and prices have not been published.
Enthusiasts of Solo EV should not get too excited because Electra Meccanica is operating pretty slow. After declaring the first US customer delivery and production model, just 40 Solo vehicles were actually manufactured at the assembly plant in 2018. However, it declared plans to speed things up significantly in 2019 with the support of the Chinese Zongshen Industrial Group to supply its initial clients with 5,000 cars.
However, just 50 pre-production cars had been delivered from Zongshen by the end of 2019. In August 2020, production began; however, only a small number of cars were designated for advertising, retail and test driving objectives. A new manufacturing and engineering site in Mesa, Arizona, was launched in May, planned to open in Spring 2022, at a total of 235.000 sqft (21.832 sqm). Mesa’s plans require up to 20,000 vehicles to be produced every year.
Solo Pre-orders are available at 18,500 US dollars.
Source: Electra Meccanica via Electrek
