BugE Electric Three-Wheeler
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.13.07

Here at TreeHugger, we've seen our fair share of enclosed recumbent bikes (known by some as velomobiles) and electric three-wheeled scooters, but never in the same package...until now. The BugE is an all-electric, three-wheeled, single-person ride with a head-turning, rocketship-esque design. Despite the futuristic looks, it offers performance fairly common to other smallish EVs available today, with 30-40 mile range and 50 mph top speed using lead acid batteries. The range is dependent on the speed (20 miles at 40 mph, 30 miles at 30 mph, 40 miles at 20 mph) and can go 25 miles on the energy it takes to run a dishwasher for one load, which works out to about 1 penny per mile. The open sides may hinder its ability to be a four-season vehicle, but it appears to offer better protection than a conventional bike or scooter; check out a video of it in action here. The designer, Mark Murphy, is still putting it through its paces, but his goal is to sell the BugE as a kit for about $3,000 or fully assembled for about $4,000. ::BugE via ::AutoblogGreen
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I want one, but where does one put the license plates?
Very low seat, much lower looking than most recumbent bikes. Very bad for visibility in traffic!
Cool trike! Could run on our revived batteries, too. How much does this e-trike cost without batteries?
Have you heard about our hobby-group's World's First, in Electric Car REVIVED batteries, eh? Yes, in Vancouver!
If you saw, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and cried, this news will make you happy.
In Vancouver, a small victory in reviving the electric car happened today!
http://www.geocities.com/robert04mat/electric_pickup_truck.html
We've been using revived batteries successfully for electric bikes and scooters. Now, we have a 4-wheel electric vehicle that appears to be the first 4-wheeler to run only off "scrap batteries." By G. Tang and R. Matthies. First successful road run on February, 2007, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
This Electric Pickup Truck Runs on Revived Batteries
http://www.geocities.com/robert04mat/electric_pickup_truck.html
Photos of the work, from the start...
http://towing-s15.blogspot.com/
http://electric-pickup.blogspot.com/
Could be a fun toy for rich people but it's not a serious alternative replacement for a car.
You people need to get lives. this scooter looks like a retard on a pogo stick made it out of horse ass and some metal.
I'd like to see a phev version, made alittle bigger and totally enclosed.
The comment about the pogo stick and the horse ass made of metal is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Seriously.
I'd still get one of these because I, myself am cool enough to pull it off. I'd own it like a heavy girl owns a denim mini-skirt at a night club. Also, I dislike most people which pretty much makes their opinons worth nothing to me. If I'm saving money and having more fun driving to my boring IT job every day, it's worth the $4K and the stares from the rednecks. They are living off of roadkill and bologna to put gas in their F-350's.
I own one of the first 3 wheelers that Mark designed called the Gizmo. I have had it for 5 years and love it. No, it was never intended to be a replacement for the family automobile. For urban errands and 1 person commutes (under 25 miles each way) it is the best. BTW about 25 cents for 50 miles. currently has about 4000 miles on the odometer.