Funky Three-Wheel Electric Vanderhall Edison2 Promises A Lot Of Fun

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The Morganesque three-wheel Electric Vanderhall Edison2 looks like EV top-down fun on the open road.

The world of electric vehicles has virtually liberated designers from the constraints of an internal combustion engine (ICE), and they can freely lower the center of gravity as well as warm up to more adventurous designs.

Step in the funky, Morgan-looking, three-wheel electric Vanderhall Edison2, which removes gasoline engines and the gas tank to replace them with proper electric motors and batteries. We reported on the three-wheeled Edison2 at the 2017 Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, California.

Regarding Morgan, the famed English carmaker started off as a three-wheel maker. Most might remember those iconic cars. Morgan finally decided to embrace modern times with a touch of older times. The EV3 came out and, true to Morgan, dripped out slowly from the assembly line. But enough about the Morgan, let’s have a look at the Vanderhall Edison2.

Vanderhall Marketing Director Daniel Boyer had this to say: “EVs have amazing performance advantages. … Offering an electric powertrain is in line with Vanderhall’s focus on innovative, effortless performance. Our Venice model is already incredibly nimble, and the Edison2 is the quickest Vanderhall we have ever produced.”

Three-Wheel EV Vanderhall to The Edison2

The reason why certain carmakers make three-wheeled vehicles is that they are easier to get through the Department of Transportation (DOT) than a four-wheeled car. A three-wheeled car is considered a motorcycle and has a much less strenuous homologation process. Not to say that is the motivation of Vanderhall, which we’ll be sure to ask in our upcoming interview, but a three-wheeled car is simpler to design and produce than its four-wheel variant, at least generally speaking.

Vanderhall, based in Provo, Utah, founded in 2010 by Stephen Hall, created a hand-built three-wheeled gas car Laguna back in 2012. Its mission is to bring back the passion of roadster motoring with exotic textiles, carbon fiber/mono aluminum chassis, and performance to match its looks. Today it has three models, the Laguna, Laguna Sport Premium, and the Laguna Bespoke Motoring Experience. The next in line is the Edison2, which is the one we are interested in since it is electric.

The Edison2 is a neat concept and a perfect weekend fun tourer. Boasting two electric motors driving the front wheels, the car rests on an aluminum with ABS composite body. The sporty nature of its other models means it sports pushrod front coilover and rear single-sided swingarm coil over. One wheel in the back!

All of this gives the hand-built Edison2 180 HP and 240 lb. ft. with is dual AC electric motors. It sprints the 0–60 in just 4.0 seconds and can be stopped in less than 100 feet. It has a 30 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and weighs 1,400 lb. (635 kg), for an estimated range of 200 miles and a top speed of 105 mph. One thing we found out that surprised is that it has an electric steering system, which, considering the relatively low weight of the car, made us wonder why. We were told we would have a test drive next year when the Edison2 becomes available.

You can read more on the specs of the Edison2 here.

Three-Wheel EV Top-Down Fun

The company is still testing the Edison2 and says it should be ready for test drives in a few months.

As to why Edison2? You might can guess it is a reference to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford’s electric car project more than 100 years ago. Tongue in cheek, the Vanderhall Edison2 will be made available in any color you like — as long as it is black.

The company says the Edison2 replaces the Vanderhall Venice series, which is gasoline powered. This is particularly good news since most startups seem to stick to whatever drivetrain they choose for decades before venturing elsewhere. However, once you look at the specs of its earlier models, the switch to electricity makes sense. The Edison2 makes as much horsepower as the Venice’s gas engine but has about 30% more torque. And that’s the beauty of those who get the inherent advantages of electric motor torque.

The 240 lb. ft. torque of the Edison2 compares well to the quaint 185 for the turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder GM engine.

By now, if you haven’t read the Long Beach Motorcycle Show piece, you’re wondering about the price … $34,950.

The company is proud to say the line of Vanderhall, including the Edison2 uses American-sourced components and the company holds several patents for the models: including the tab-and-slot double-wall chassis and the non-welded cross-hatched front grille. If the name Tracy rings a bell to diamond aficionados, that’s because Stephen’s grandfather was H. Tracy Hall, who developed the process for synthetic diamonds.