The fact that not everyone wants to drag a knee across pavement at ludicrously high speeds means that the market for three-wheeled vehicles that promise to deliver some of the fun of lightweight, high-revving vehicles like motorcycles is strong, if niche. The Energya is what Higgins-Aubé, Inc., the vehicle's designers, call a 'motomobile' - half motorcycle, half automobile. While it's still in the design stages - the images shown are just detailed renderings - the vehicle is already well into planning as well.
It is designed to get its power from a motorcycle engine routed through a six-speed sequential motorcycle gearbox, using only minimal controls and comfort feature to keep weight as low as possible. Performance targets are 0-62mph (100km/h) in less that 4.0 seconds with lateral acceleration in excess of 1.0g on street tires. To achieve these figures, the Energy will require an engine output of about 200hp (149kW) and a total weight of about 770lb (350kg) - not unreasonably far off from a big superbike.
Suspension is high-tech, with superposed unequal A-arms, dampers that protrude slightly through the upper cowling, and high-tech materials to keep total weight, as well as unsprung weight, to a minimum.
With enough money and backing, Higgins-Aubé thinks it could have the Energya on the roads within 18 months. Sometime after its debut as a combustion-engine vehicle, the company also plans to offer an all-electric version, but as yet no details of the EV are known.
Via: NextAutos
