Lada work to do

If anything would be called the laughingstock of European automakers, it would be some part of the Russian auto industry.  You might claim they never really got their stuff together since the fall of the Soviet Union.  And yet, here come the Russian electrics:

AvtoVAZ El Lada electric vehicle introduced in Moscow

First Production Russian Electric Car On The Way

“Production” is a bit generous.  Like the GM EV1 or BMW’s efforts, most of the vehicles will only go to drivers in a test group.  The initial, limited run is pretty much booked for taxi service.  That’s right folks, taxi work.  Hardly gentle, yet something electric drive is suited for.  Just ask the old Priuses… or the new ones… or the Fords…

In this particular case, the automaker went with Swiss drivetrain components and Chinese cells for this first production run.  I guess they would rather be a little late to the party, in a borrowed outfit.  But make no mistake, the event is on.

Tale 2: Tough-Talker Tumbledown

…and then, on my commute this evening…

First, some backstory.  We have a staff loudmouth- thinks he’s right, think’s he’s a genius in all matters, at all times, and doesn’t mind sharing with you, whether you asked or not.  This might be at least tolerable, except the matters that he prefers are basically bashing.  He’s a bitter, middle-aged man, and doesn’t get ‘these things’ and ‘those guys,’ but will go ahead and pass judgement anyway.

In particular, I remember about ten years ago, during winter, his dismissal of hybrids.  The Prius and Insight were fairly new to the North American market, and it took a year or two to build up sales and really get into the public consciousness.  When it got to his, he had no shortage of opinions.  The last one before he finally grew tired was ‘and then at a light, you don’t start.’

Pure intellectual overreach- if my eyes could roll any harder, I’d have needed a tail rotor.

The Prius has an insulated “thermos”- engine coolant fills it during piston operation.  In cold weather, the engine will then draw from it again, to stay warm and keep restarting from becoming difficult.  The Insight did not have a thermos of coolant, but then again the Insight of that generation does not shut down the engine anywhere near as often.  It rarely engages start-stop long enough to cool much, and has no “stealth mode.”

Both hybrids, however, have an engine computer, and apparently it’s smarter than my coworker.  One of many operating parameters is engine temperature, and nowadays, usually ambient temperature as well.  If it’s really that cold, the engine computer can simply not perform start-stop.  Really, it’s a few more lines of code once the sensors are already there.  A thousand engineers, managers, and marketers at Toyota and Honda are not so stupid as to forget about cold weather.

Needless to say, my coworker did not own a Prius or Insight.  At the time, he drove a Ford Expedition, pal.

Anyway, my commute this evening.  As I warm up the electric bike (not really), I see him pull out… in his hybrid.  Ford Escape Hybrid.  The company doesn’t even make the Expedition any more; stopped years ago.  Ford is now a major player in the hybrid space, though not so much in plugins/pure battery vehicles.

Oh, and that old Expedition of his?  Maroon.  Big maroon.

Tale 1: Trikes

On my commute this morning, I passed a tricycle going in the other direction.  A Piaggio MP3 reverse trike (two wheels steering, one driving).  As the name implies, Piaggio considers it modern and advanced.  If that was another commuter, he or she is someone in the area.

Also somewhere in the region is another leaning 3-wheeler, a Can-Am Spyder.

What to make of trikes?  I’m not completely sure, and neither is this guy:

Overall, I see trikes growing at least a little.  The prime riding age is 35-65, i.e., Baby Boomers.  Since Baby Boomers seem to be weathering well, the largest motorcycling cohort in our society’s history will continue somewhat.  Easy-handling trikes are a part of that wider range of riders and styles.  On the manufacturers’ side, more and more firms are supplying aftermarket kits (leaning and non-leaning), or even factory trikes, including factory Harley-Davidson trikes.  (BMW has shown futuristic prototypes in this field, like a lot of futuristic fields.)

Besides boomers, I see more and more scooters under younger and younger riders.  Societies around the world are urbanizing, including ours.  Bikes, scooters, and motorcycles are becoming more appealing in their “native habitat,” and the younger residents are more open-minded about alternatives to the car.  Somewhere in that mix, there’s a place for trikes, literally and figuratively.

From a purely business perspective, 3 wheels gives you the regulatory flexibility of a motorcycle.  You’re legally still a bike, but without the trickiness: most trikes fall between the cracks of helmet laws.  Hence, we’ll see more bold new ideas in the 2/3-wheel space.  This world lacks the manufacturer expense of crash-testing requirements, and to a large extent the customer demand for heating, AC, soundproofing, etc.  And to an extent, you gain the handling of a leaning vehicle, with the acceleration of a lightweight, non-box structure.  (The luggage space doesn’t hurt, either.  Show me a tank bag, and I’ll show you someone who really rides, instead of just tooling around and posing.)

Basically, I don’t even know what the 3-wheel world will become.  Because at some point, I expect to be surprised.  That’s the mark of a field with future potential.