On Efficiency and Safety - Part 1

This is the first in a multi-part series on efficiency and safety. Aside from mass transit, efficient vehicles are small, light vehicles. One of the complaints about higher CAFE standards was that small cars are unsafe. Ironically these complaints came from many of the same people who derided airbags and helmet laws as the "nanny state". Americans just associate size with safety. It's partly legitimate and partly psychological. So on to Part 1.

Wired magazine has a cover story this month on the Automotive X-Prize, a contest that awards a $10M prize to the team that builds the best car that gets over 100 MPG. One of the featured vehicles is this, the Aptera Typ-1.



One interesting thing about it is that it drives like a car, but it has three wheels, two in front, one in the back. The Corbin Sparrow had a similar configuration except for being taller, narrower, and (dare I say) uglier. You get some weight savings this way, but mainly this cuts out a lot of federal red tape because three-wheelers are licensed as motorcycles and only need to pass the minimal safety standards of a motorcycle. I'm oversimplifying a bit, but it means it needs to have lights, mirrors, and to not fall apart/blow up while driving down the road. It's safe to say most car commuters aren't willing to assume the same risks as a motorcyclist, so the Aptera will have crumple zones and airbags, and they'll be crash testing it, but remember it's completely voluntary. No discussion of safety would be complete without considering Assumption of Risk. I'll have more on that next time, but for now, you can read the Wikipedia link if you want to skip ahead.