Flying SOLO: Electra Meccanica's Three-Wheeler Goes on Sale

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Buy an Electra Meccanica SOLO and never argue with a passenger again.

The Vancouver-based company’s single-seat, three-wheeled electric commuter vehicle went on sale in Canada today, promising a range of about 100 miles and plenty of double takes from other motorists.

Electra Meccanica spent years working on the diminutive EV, which it says can accelerate to 62 miles per hour in about eight seconds. Charging takes three hours from a 220-volt outlet, or six hours from a 110-volt household wall socket.

The SOLO’s main purpose is to shuttle people to and from their workplace, while being easy to own and operate. With a length 19 inches shorter than a Fiat 500, parking shouldn’t be an issue. Weighing about 1,000 pounds (thanks to a composite body and aluminum drivetrain), the vehicle sports a 0.24 drag coefficient and draws power from a 16.1 kWh lithium-ion battery.

The quirky EV’s electric motor offers up 82 horsepower and 140 pounds-feet of torque to motivate the half-ton vehicle, so driving a SOLO might not be a boring experience. Hell, those figures easily top a Mitsubishi Mirage. Top speed is about 80 miles per hour.

The company describes itself as combining “founder Jerry Kroll’s extensive background in the race car industry with Intermeccanica custom coach builders’ 50 years of experience building high-quality, specialty vehicles.” SOLO deliveries begin in 2017, the company claims.

While the thought of buying from an independent car manufacturer, especially one selling three-wheelers, is enough to give any would-be customer cold feet (see Elio Motors), Electra Meccanica claims its online deposits (just $250) are fully refundable. The SOLO carries a Canadian MSRP of $19,888, lower than any EV offered in that country, but double the price of a base Nissan Micra, Chevrolet Spark or Mitsubishi Mirage.

[Image: Electra Meccanica Vehicles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Whittaker Whittaker on Sep 09, 2016

    "Where were you when the US government bailed out GM and Chrysler?" I strongly opposed those from day one. On here on other places. Just as I oppose all corporate welfare. I fight corrupt government actions coming from both parties. That's where we differ. You only oppose corruption from the right.

  • Nichjs Nichjs on Sep 13, 2016

    That picture holds my eye in the macabre way that Jake Gyllenhaal did at the end of Source Code - wait, where's the rest of him?

  • SCE to AUX I've never been teased by a bumper like that one before.
  • 3SpeedAutomatic R&T could have killed the story before it was released.Now, by pulling it after the fact, they look like idiots!! What's new??
  • Master Baiter "That said, the Inflation Reduction Act apparently does run afoul of WTO rules..."Pfft. The Biden administration doesn't care about rules. The Supreme Court said they couldn't forgive student load debt; they did it anyway. Decorum and tradition says you don't prosecute former presidents; they are doing it anyway. They made the CDC suspend evictions though they had no constitutional authority to do so.
  • 1995 SC Good. To misquote Sheryl Crow "If it makes them unhappy, it can't be that bad"
  • 1995 SC The letters on the hatch aren't big enough. hard pass
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