Vanderhall Motor Works Teases Off-Road EV

Apparently they weren't around when the 3-wheel ATVs came out. If nothing else, a jobs program for tort attorneys.

Yeah, three wheels is asking for trouble. Good suspension would help. Then again, just get rid of two of the wheels: You need to review this: youtube.com/watch?v=2vDQWU591P8

@mcs Wow. Ultra nerd with underarm phone holster dies on way to dinner.

Sorry, Corey. This form of 3-wheeler is much more stable than the old tricycle layout. The Morgan three-wheeler has been around for roughly 80 years and is still being manufactured, to the best of my knowledge. Moreover, there are numerous cycle companies making similar 3-wheelers for on-road use. The old issue was in keeping the weight between the wheels; with two in front and one to the rear, this thing is notably more stable.

@Vulpine Sorry V, on-road flat surface is very different to off road where there are many tipping opportunities, loose surfaces, etc. Four wheels always superior in such an environment.

Did anyone actually watch the 30-second video? It's a 4-wheeler, and the video is funny.

@SCE to AUX Fair enough.

@Corey Lewis On loose surfaces the single drive wheel of a reverse trike will always be loaded. With 4 wheels, two of the driving and an open diff one of the wheels can be unloaded and traction is lost. A limited slip can minimize that, but you need a locking diff (or fancy electronics) if you want to put all of the power to the wheel that has traction. However as SCE notes this has 4 wheels since it is an off-road vehicle they don't need to classify it as a motorcycle to avoid regulations that apply to cars.

@Corey Lewis Doesn't that depend just a bit on how it's handled? Note that it is NOT all-wheel drive, ergo not a likely rock-crawling machine. That would be a desert or plains runner, which isn't as likely to get into such situations as the old three-wheeler AWD cycles experienced. Of course, you are right about one thing: There are fools who would try, anyway.

Just more vaporware. Anyone can claim that they will produce an EV, but actually delivery is a far cry from rhetoric.

@hdc: Considering that Polaris already has an electric off-roader/utility vehicle and this company (according to the article) makes the Polaris vehicles, your skepticism seems misplaced. I don't think they're claiming--yet--to be building this for the highway; it's interesting that it looks far more like a roadable vehicle than a purpose-built off-roader. They aren't the ones claiming-yet-to be entering the on-road market; it was pure speculation on my part based on the appearance of the 4-wheeled vehicle.

Vulpine, I don't think my skepticism is misplaced. I bought in to the Rivian vaporware, and while it may eventually materialize, it will be long after I lost interest. My youngest brother in Biloxi, MS, now holds my reservation. And he is free to do with that reservation as he pleases. I suspect he may give it to his buddy in Huntsville who bought his Leaf years ago, if my brother chooses not to buy the Rivian himself.

@ hdc: I find it hard to believe you are so impatient. I know you are aware of my interest in trucks and you will hopefully recall that I waited over 5 years before buying the best available mid-sized truck despite the fact it is notably larger than I wanted. That said, this Rivian was announced only a little over three years ago and is expected on the market next year... so well under five years as compared to my "impatience." Vaporware is vaporware until it isn't and the information coming out now pretty much says the Rivian is no longer vaporware. Certainly the Rivian is far less vaporware than the Nikola, despite GM's having 'partnered' to build their pickup truck which may still never arrive, considering the recent news.

@highdesertcat Vulpine, at my age impatient is all I got left, and staying one step ahead of the Grim Reaper. I admit, I was suckered into making my donation. I allowed that to happen. But fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, well.... you know the drill. Once my wife and I settle down in one place for good, I’ll buy an ICE pickup truck for me, and whatever ICE vehicle she wants for her. And we’ll live happily ever after.

@hdc: "Fool me once, shame on me..." Hmmm.... I'm beginning to wonder who fooled whom. I've never seen Rivian as vaporware--not in the same sense as Nikola, anyway. The differences between the two companies were obvious... at least to me. Even after the GM "partnership" I still suspected something more along the lines of a 'patent troll' against Tesla far more than a legitimate attempt to build something--especially considering how they were marketing. And this was before I knew about this so-called 'analyst' wrote his report against them. Until recently, I suspected Lucid to be operating similarly since their financial backers kept bailing mere months after signing on. Lucid is beginning to look legit but I still have reservations. Rivian, on the other hand, comes across as actually trying to make the product more than suck in cash. Articles showing Ford pickup bodies on wrong-sized chassis as their 'test mules' suggested Rivian was much farther along in their efforts than skeptics wanted to believe, especially since Rivian wasn't doing as much PR as Nikola or Lucid. They seemed at the time more interested in proving the concepts before pushing for public investment. Impatience? Hey, I'm retired myself and to tell you the truth I'm much more patient now than I used to be...though I was never one to rush into something until I understood what I was looking at. Not to say I was slow... I tended to be faster at what I did because I took my time and did it right the first time so I didn't have to repeat the job. Even when I was in the USAF as an avionics tech, I could remove and replace an F-15 throttle quadrant four times in the book-allotted task period. That was training a new tech how to do it, too. That's right, even following the book procedures to the letter, we unmounted, disconnected, connected the new unit and closed it up four times and still had shift time left over. My superiors couldn't believe it despite the trainee later demonstrating it for them afterwards and the unit working perfectly within spec when completed. No rush... just doing it right. This was 40 years ago for me. Maybe it's because I was raised in the Old South... where rushing around in that heat and humidity was simply a waste of energy.

@highdesertcat Vulpine, for many people who worked all their lives and denied themselves much in the hopes of a richer retirement, getting what they want when they want it is very important. But, as Mick Jagger has so eloquently phrased it, “You Cain’t Always Git Whatchoo Want.” So what was important just a few years ago, now is no longer important and I have moved onto other things. My love of all things automotive is still with me, but now I focus on what’s do-able and achievable.