A 'microcar' is an enclosed automobile built on a very small
and light scale. It is often constructed using motorcycle and motorscooter components. You might think
this concept is new, so look at the website microcarmuseum.com
How I poured over that website, being inspired by studying everything which
has gone before. After WW2 in Europe, when money, materials,
and fuel were scarce, cyclecars appeared everywhere. Messerschmitt, which was banned from making airplanes, produced
one, as did Isetta, and many British, French, and Italian companies.
A microcar is not fully a car. It's a sort of half-car, which fits into
your life as an addition to a larger car, or to public transportation, either of which will meet your
long-range and high speed travel needs. This limitation of a microcar gives it a bad rap. We immediately
compare it to a multi-purpose full-size car in terms of highway performance, passenger capacity and comfort, etc.,
and finding the microcar a poor cousin, we don't take it seriously.
In this respect, a microcar is similar to an electric car: It does
a limited job more economically.
As the concept evolved in my mind, I knew I wanted a car which was peppy
up to 40 MPH, so I had to go beyond a 50cc moped engine. I've driven antique cars for years, and believe
me it's a drag to hold up traffic. I also knew I needed heat --lots of it--or the car would sit idle in the winter,
which is long here in Maine.
And, I love motorcycles, but have "aged-out" of driving them after my third
accident 2 years ago. Here was a way to continue working with these beloved machines, and continue to drive
them safely year-round.
Well, driving Moonbeam with its belt drive and unexciting sounding engine, doesn't
quite hit the motorcycling nail on the head, but...
Let's get back to the concept: If you were a Martian, newly
landed on Earth, you might exclaim: " Hey, these Earthlings have a great source of energy! It's concentrated,
easy to use, and available everywhere! They call it gasoline."
The problem with gas is that it's always been so cheap, we've learned to use it extravagantly.
To transport our 150 pound bodies, we hurtle 3000 pound boxes through space at needless speeds and accelerations.
But cut that box to one tenth the weight, cut that engine to one tenth the horsepower, and the result is increased
efficiency by a factor or four or five.
And the irony is that you don't have eat tons of humble pie. Driving
Moonbeam is not that inconvenient, and you get lots of attention and encouragement.
Let me take you through driving it. You walk up to Moonbeam, which
comes up to your chest. You grab the handle on the roof and slide it back. Its counterbalanced, so that's
easy. You grab the central roll bar and step in, bring both feet inside before you sit down. The first time you
do it, it's strange, but by the second time it's easy.
If it's pouring rain, you do this quickly because the interior is
getting soaked, unlike a car with a side entrance. Then you slide the canopy closed and snap it locked. Otherwise,
it will shift going over bumps. You buckle up and try to figure what to do with your long legs. Anyone over 5'10"
usually crosses them. An improvement might be to add a few inches more legroom. I was determined to keep the
design as small as possible to save weight.
You turn the ignition switch on, hearing the heater motor hum. The
heater cools the engine, so it has to run. You touch the starter switch on the right handlebar with the thumb.
The engine starts with a tinny sound. I've quieted the engine considerably, after the car was finished. You
squeeze the left brake caliper which releases with a click. This is the rear brake, which locks on as an
emergency brake. You check the rear view mirrors, click the left turn signal, twist the right hand grip and
move out into the road, cancelling the turn signal manually.
It's similar to riding a bicycle, since you brake with both hand levers. The
right lever controls both front brakes, so a right-handed person favors front brakes which do most of the stopping.
So I guess you can sense my fascination with the microcar. I
plan to drive this one in all seasons for years . The fuel cost is about 2.5 to 3 cents a mile. It's hard to be
inspired to convert to bio-diesel, electricity, or natural gas with an operating cost that low.
