The California Commuter at Speed

This is the California Commuter being driven at speed. It is a very streamlined single passenger, three wheel vehicle that only weighs 230 pounds empty. Being so low to the ground it corners great!

As the name implies, it was strictly intended for super efficient travel back and forth to work. The driver is very reclined, which minimizes the frontal area and resulting aerodynamic drag resistance. Using 3 wheels instead of 4 also meant we could design a near perfect streamlined tear drop shape. The California Commuter only needs 2.5 Horsepower to speed along at a steady 55 MPH! Because it weighed less than 1,500 pounds it was classed as a motorcycle. Nowadays in California, motorcycles can legally be driven in the freeway CAR POOL lanes - perhaps the best advantage for the solo commuter!

Here is a photo that conveys the minimal frontal area of the machine relative to other vehicles. It helps to understand why the Commuter uses significantly less power to push its way through the air.

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