Congress has decided three-wheelers like the Aptera 2e are cars, at least when considering who gets money from the Department of Energy.
A bill that would make super-efficient three-wheelers eligible for DOE loans passed the Senate late last week. It is now headed to President Obama, who according to Automotive News is expected to sign it. The legislation closes a loophole that barred companies building three-wheeled vehicles from competing for the loans Tesla Motors, Fisker Automotive and other automakers have received.
Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-California) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) drafted legislation to change the rules and expand the loan program to include all “fully enclosed vehicles that are capable of carrying two adults and get at least 75 mpg.” They tacked the amendment onto an energy appropriations bill that the House of Representatives passed late last month.
"This is a huge win for scientific innovation and the environment," Bilbray said in a statement. "I've always said that we need more innovation and less regulation when it comes to promoting new ways to save energy while saving money at the pump."
The 2e sports three wheels and a teardrop shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The company considered a conventional four-wheeler but found the added weight and rolling resistance cut efficiency by 34 percent. Making up for it would have required making the 13 kilowatt-hour battery 50 percent bigger, the company says.
The Southern California startup was among 75 companies that applied for loans under the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentives program. The loans help automakers offset the cost of retooling to build cars at least 25 percent more fuel-efficient than 2005 models. Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive are among the firms that have qualified for loans.
We took the Aptera 2e for a drive last spring; read about it here.
Photo: Jim Merithew / Wired.com
