My initial impression was that this is the car that would make me switch to ev. I do a 24mile round trip commute and since been knocked off my bike I am back in a car. So with a larger family car at our service this could be a great configuration for a second car. Fewer parts, simple design, great I’m right behind the Colin Chapman Alec Issigonis school of car design. But where the design fails for me is the ultimate cost of the car. I don’t think people are going to pay more for less parts, it doesn’t add up regardless if they have zero running costs. As a business model why chase unrealistic margins with a higher price tag, put the battery on a subscription service for ongoing revenue and a lower market entry price. That would also resolve customer anxiety about battery life expectancy, performance drop, and technical obsolescence. In my opinion the people who want to buy a car like this want low cost utilitarian simplicity without the gimmicks and frills. Leave gull wing doors to 100k plus exotics and forgo the aerodynamic wheel skirts for at least partially open ones. I realise there is a fine line here and you don’t want it to look like a ‘kit’ car. But you are not saving the planet if people are repainting or replacing fenders twice a year. Likewise ploughing exotic details and materials in for marginal benefits feels like the holistic environmental ethos of the car is being lost. At the moment the look of the car is okay but I would turn down the delicate aeroplane fuselage aesthetic a little for something that looks a notch more robust. Given a fresh start I think this format could work better as a three seater; McLaren F1 style. I guess it’s mostly going to be used only by a single occupant but the opportunity to get two kids in the back would be a major bonus plus no left right hand drive costs. For the car to succeed in my option it needs to be low cost, easily repairable, forget any pretentious details, and don’t overuse expensive and over designed components. Off the shelf stuff from the motorbike industry would be just fine and only add to the environmental credentials of the car in my view.
