Commuter Cars - Tango

[TEG]

So was he Tango #2 or is he still waiting?

I am not totally sure, but I think Tango #2 ~might~ be his now...

[TEG]

Yes, he got Tango #2. It makes the commute to Google.
Tango #2 has Lead-Acid batteries waiting for a future Li-Ion upgrade.
(A NiMH experiment didn't quite work out)

And his order is still in place for a low # signature 100 roadster...

[TEG]

Customer's Cars

[vfx]

There is so much wrong with this photo I don't know where to start.

As to the low CG batteries, don't forget about the TZero.

[TEG]

There is so much wrong with this photo I don't know where to start.

Try this:
Commuter Cars

[vfx]

Try this:
Commuter Cars

wrong
wrong
wrong

[TEG]

wrong
wrong
wrong

Please explain!

[Joseph]

This is one of the few cars I can think of that have made me smile. It must be so much fun to dart around in that little thing.

If they make it a little bit larger and make it into a practical two-seater (it's supposed to be one person in front and one person behnd, but as far as I can tell from the photos/videos I've seen, the "backseat" isn't quite human-sized) and of course get past all the safety regulation, I honestly think it would have a genuine chance of making itself a nice little nitch in the market. Kind of like the Smart Fortwo, but electric, and an even more unique set-up. But of course, I doubt that'll ever happen...

[TEG]

[jorgbrown]

This is one of the few cars I can think of that have made me smile. It must be so much fun to dart around in that little thing.

It sure is.

If they make it a little bit larger and make it into a practical two-seater (it's supposed to be one person in front and one person behnd, but as far as I can tell from the photos/videos I've seen, the "backseat" isn't quite human-sized) and of course get past all the safety regulation, I honestly think it would have a genuine chance of making itself a nice little nitch in the market.

Actually the back seat is quite comfortable and fits even large humans well. Really quite amazing. However, it's quite claustrophobic back there, because you can't see well in front of you.

As far as making a dent in the market, the problem is funding. Thanks to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, you need to crash around 10 cars, with all kinds of recording and measuring equipment, in order to offer a completed drivable vehicle for sale. 10 Tangos is only a million dollars, but you'll pay that again for the facilities that record and measure everything, and you'll pay even more for all the redesign work you need to do in order to meet the letter of the standard. There's 30 pages of FMVSS specification just dealing with how you're supposed to design your headlights!

And finding a proper production facility is no walk in the park, either. Lotus is one of the few companies that knows how to produce cars in low volume in a profitable way... and they're pretty busy these days.