Attempts to Ban the G-Wiz Car

[tonybelding]

I found this article linked on EV World, but I thought it was worth repeating here. . .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/05/10/do1001.xml

Microcars like the G-Wiz aren't my cup of tea, so to speak, but I don't think they should be regulated out of existence. As others have pointed out, we still allow people to ride relatively unsafe vehicles like bicycles and motorcycles, so why is this little car unacceptable?

The description of British government being "into some weird S & M relationship with the EU" was good for a laugh, I thought. ;D

 

[Tesla2Go]

The article seems *a tad* over the top ;D The whole discussion is if the G-Wiz is allowed to be called a car, which I think it shouldn't be. It should be labeled as a quadricycle, makes sense to me.

Would the G-Wiz be allowed to be called a car in the US?

 

[tonybelding]

Actually, the article seems slightly confused about the whole quadricycle issue.

According to my understanding. . .   The G-Wiz is officially classified as a quadricycle and it meets the regulations for a quadricycle.  It's legal under the rules as they now stand.  The complaint from the ministers is that they feel it looks more like a car (with an enclosed cabin) and is being used more like a car (by ordinary people to get around town), and threatens to actually become popular.  This was not what they had in mind for the quadricycle designation, therefore the regulations need to be changed and put a stop to it.

The USA doesn't have anything like the "quadricycle" designation, as far as I know.  I have doubts about whether it would be legal to sell here, except perhaps by limiting the speed and calling it a NEV, or perhaps it could be sold in kit form.  I know that kit cars are not subject to a lot of the regulations that production cars must meet.  That's why you can still build a Caterham Seven from a kit.

http://www.caterham.co.uk/

It is possible to work around the rules in the USA by selling three-wheeled vehicles like the Campagna T-Rex (and its electric derivative the Silence PT2), the Carver and VentureOne, Comet EV and others.  These are classified as motorcycles.  However, they have their own regulatory problems.  They require a motorcycle license to operate.  I've been told that the T-Rex can't be delivered with a windshield (!) because of some obscure motorcycle regulation; it has to be sold separately and installed by the owner.