Tom Sine talks about his amazing three-wheeled electric car and its not what you think it is
Open Access Article Originally Published: August 28, 2006
I knew something was different about Tom Sine's electric three-wheeler when I saw the huge rear tires. This is not, I said to myself, your run-of-the-mill-and-dangerously-unstable electric tricycle. But how it was different eluded me.
The eVette, which is a play on his wife Yvette's name as much as on electric Vette, isn't Tom Sine's first EV. He's built others, gradually evolving towards the current design, which boasts capabilities not normally found in your average, garden variety EV, if there is such a thing.
And the Ferrari fiberglass kit body? Purely for show. The secret of the car, which sports "drive-by-wire" controls, is buried deep underneath. In eVette's case, its attraction really is more than skin deep.
"It really isn't like any other tricycle you've ever seen," Sine told me. He started by explaining that the front wheel is essentially just a caster. It doesn't steer the vehicle nor does it provide traction. It's simply there to provide balance. In fact, so little of the weight of the vehicle is on the front wheel that Sine reassured me that if it ran over your foot, it wouldn't do any damage. All traction, braking and steering is through the two large rear wheels that are differentially-controlled, 9-inch, brushed DC electric motors, one per wheel.
Why take this approach? Safety and stability are important factors for Sine, who said that he understands the dangers inherent in the conventional three-wheeled vehicle design, which can flip over in a turn. Instead, his drive-by-wire, joystick steering of the two large rear wheels provides, what one reporter wrote as "gut-wrenching" turns.
"We can turn so fast and so quick that you would not believe it…. I can do maneuvers that no four wheel car can possibly do," including 360 degree spins in one second and the ability -- if he's feeling really "frisky" to make it spin like a top.
While the eVette does have a pair of left and right brake pedals on the floor, Sine explained that braking can also be done through the central joystick control.
Because of its unusual design and drive system, the car can be easily upgraded to more power, including installing as many as 30 12-volt batteries and the possibility of swapping the 9-inch motors for 11 or even a new 13-inch motor slated to be released soon.
Sine has funded development of the vehicle out of his own modest resources and explained that to take the project any further, say into limited production, he needs outside investors.
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Reader Comments
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17 comments so far...
25-May-2007
56359
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Spinning like a top is just for fun.
You may say that now, but it sure would mess up a police chase.
Posted by: William Dryden
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27-Jun-2009
67163
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Unfortunately, FLA is none too careful about the safety of homemade cars...you should see some of the stuff they let on the roads (and licensed, too!)
Lambo kits were popular **20 years ago** -- the same 80's guys who pinned up Contach posters would always try to one-up my '72 Camaro, and THAT would make one horrid conversion! Aerodynamics on a lot of sports cars are aimed at downforces, not saving energy.
Hope you guys don't let testosterone dictate your EV projects or you'll be sacrificing range, safety, or both.
Posted by: Karla Hamilton
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06-Sep-2006
32192
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We've had this vehicle test driven up to 60mph with no handling problems and you stay in control of both wheels. With outside funding we could build a racing model test vehicle for more definite performance statistics.
Posted by: Tom Sines
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01-Sep-2006
31807
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Let him who driveth not an SUV cast the first stone.
TODAY the world added on 256,000 additional people, so 16 years from now each one will want his or her own car with each tire made from oil taking four gallons to make. And this will happen 7 days a week.
In 16 years will there be ANY gasoline? Probably not.
I would like to live within half a day's wheelbarrow push from a good organic farm where the tractor runs on iron wheels and gets its energy from gasified wood chips.
Meanwhile, congratulations to ALL innovator.
Posted by: Charlie Mac Arthur
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01-Sep-2006
31830
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I agree with Ross Gordon about the technology of the 21st century being able to produce solar electric vehicles which would be better than the ones that were already available in 1992 in Europe. The eVette sounds fun and is good for sports car enthusiasts. The rest of us need an economy car that provides long distances with a price that fits our minimum wage...see if your creativity can manufacture that! Then we will be making headway on this beautiful planet.
Posted by: Chris Kramer
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01-Sep-2006
31842
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Ross, your idea sounds appealing however current
solar cells just will not do the job. The average
solar constant is 1000W/sq.m.. Assuming a car
covered with 1 square meter of solar cells
and with an efficiency of 12%, this would yield
about 120 watts of power. A car, of this type, would require a
minimm of 2000 watts an probably more. Solar powered cars do exist but they are too small
and cramped to be of any practical value.
Posted by: John Boyd
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28-Aug-2006
31546
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Minor correction. It's not a Ferrari bodykit. It's a Lamborghini Countach lookalike.
He made the EV version of a ZTR lawn mower. I don't see how this is revolutionary.
Posted by: Sledge _
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28-Aug-2006
31549
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Miles per charge with different battery banks? Top speed? Is the $25,000 production estimate not including batteries? Without more info this appears to be a gussied up golf cart.
Posted by: Eric Andersen
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28-Aug-2006
31550
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You're right, it is a Lamborghini kit and I tried to get him to give me performance information, but he wouldn't. Hopefully, he'll see these comments and respond with more information. Spinning like a top is cool, but hardly partical.
Posted by: Bill Moore
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28-Aug-2006
31554
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Reminds me of a battlebot drive system.
Posted by: Greg Collins
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29-Aug-2006
31629
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I've got to be skeptical about this thing. . . Is the world really crying out for a three-wheeled electric weirdmobile that can spin like a top? If the man would tell us about some more practical aspects of it, then I might get interested. (But then, I also thought the Nissan Pivo was hilarious, and I'm sure they spent millions developing it.)
Posted by: Tony Belding
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29-Aug-2006
31630
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Aesthetics aside, Mr. Tom Sine has acomplished a real feat in terms of applied EV technology. While performance specs in terms of range and top speed, seem to be the current mantra in the renewed interest about EV viability. It is creative uses of concepts like the "drive-by-wire" controls what pushes the general EV envelope further down the road. Kudos.
Posted by: Victor Juarez G.
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06-Sep-2006
32153
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Good-looking car. What about highway speed, say over 50mph? With the steering with the 2 back wheels what about safety? Should one motor/wheel slow due to a mechanical/electrical problem couldn't the vehicle go out of control?
Posted by: Dale Kroppmanns
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30-Aug-2006
31669
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I don't understand why EVs are so hard to make. We have calculaters that can run off of the light from a desk lamp. Are we to believe that a car can't get power from regular daylight and use a simple step-up transformer to get the power it needs. You can't convince me that we don't have the technology to build a solar powered car that's compact enough to be practical and strong enough to go distances. I think this EV is a cool product and I would be interested in learning more and might possibly even buy a 2nd or 3rd generation, but who's holding back the technology...the oil companies? The private sector is building a commuter shuttle for outerspace...please, give me a break with the hype on electric cars being so difficult to engineer. Who ya teasin? We waist more money on so many other things, I say just do it already.
Posted by: Ross Gordon
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30-Aug-2006
31674
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Hi everyone, we welcome your comments. I assure you, this is neither a golf cart or a ZTR mower. Peak performance statistics of this concept vehicle, (using top of the line batteries, controllers, and motors) depends on further research & development and takes funding, which is what we're looking for to prove our claims, however, this car, even at this time, performs very well. The practical aspects include high maneuverability with no loss of control, especially good for in town driving, and the vehicle's capacity to carry a large payload of batteries to achieve longer range at faster speeds. Spinning like a top is just for fun.
Posted by: Tom Sines
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30-Aug-2006
31677
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Ok, I would buy that. I think it is very workable transportation and the price is workable, too. Hope Tom succeeds. Narrow the front a little or not. Love to see the function of the front wheel, so far a 'kept' secret from the pictures seen so far.
NEV's are nice, but trying driving them in PA, plus I drive on roads that are faster the 40 kmph, in the city. Slow down people already.
Posted by: Mr. Bruce Arkwright, Jr.
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28-Apr-2008
61382
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EXcellant... Check out IEGroup.US.
thank you
Posted by: Chuck Miller
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