Skip to main content

Would you commute in Ampere’s low-slung, three-wheeled electric machine?

Los Angeles-based startup Ampere Motor is preparing to start production of a small, sporty electric machine named One. It takes the form of a low-slung three-wheeler that reminds us of the aptly named Morgan 3-Wheeler and the Polaris Slingshot.

“Electric cars today are either too expensive or a lackluster drive. Ampere’s goal is to share an exhilarating driving experience in electric cars that are affordable and beautiful,” the company said in a statement. That’s a tall order. The company noted that it enlisted the help of world-class designers trained in the same schools as the people who draw modern-day models for the likes of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari.

Recommended Videos

Visually, the One is an impressive machine. Its tear-drop-shaped body hides a lightweight and rigid tubular chassis built with technology gleaned from the world of race cars, according to Ampere. It uses a double wishbone suspension and a carbon-Kevlar belt that drives the lone rear wheel. The company also claims the One is “maintenance-free and almost indestructible” without explaining how.  There’s no top, though the interior is waterproof. The company charges about $1,500 for a hard top. Want heat and A/C? That’s another $1,000.

Ampere Motors USA fully electric roadster in action. Only $9,900!

Technical details are, for the most part, spectacularly vague. The One offers 100 miles of range in its most basic configuration and recharging the battery takes about three and a half hours when it’s plugged into a regular household outlet. Buyers who plan on taking it on longer trips can ask for a 150-mile upgrade. Regardless of range, the benchmark sprint from zero to 60 mph takes eight seconds flat and top speed checks in at 75 mph. Even though it has two seats, most states classify the One as a motorcycle, so buyers will need the appropriate license to drive it on public roads.

Last year, Ampere Ampere said the One is about 90 percent ready for production. Pricing starts at about $10,000 and the first examples will roll off the assembly line before the end of 2018. There’s no word yet on where production will take place. We’ve reached out to the company for clarification, and we’ll update this article as soon as we hear back.

Ampere Motor claims it will begin to schedule customer test drives in March. If you’re not one to try before you buy, and if you’re confident Ampere can keep its promises in a timely manner, you can order the young firm’s very first car right now by visiting its official website and sending it a $200 refundable deposit. We’d recommend waiting until you see the car in person, though.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
The cheapest electric cars you can buy
A Telsa Model 3 drives along a road.

To date, electric vehicles have cost considerably more than their gasoline-powered counterparts, but that’s finally changing. Every year, more and more inexpensive EVs are hitting the market and, with the help of local, state, and federal tax credits and rebates (if available), many of them now sell for well below the 2023 median car price of $48,000.

If you're a budget-conscious buyer, that number is probably little consolation. However, there are a lot of good options for closer to $30,000 and below -- if you know where to look. That's why we've put together this guide. Here's a list of the nine most affordable electric vehicles available right now, ranked from cheapest to most expensive. Note that we're only including vehicles that are available in the U.S.

Read more
Ram EV concept previews truck brand’s electric future
The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept was designed around an electric powertrain.

Electric pickup trucks are a hot trend in the auto industry, and Ram is late to the game. So the truck brand of massive automaker Stellantis needed to work hard to stand out.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept shows what Ram has in mind for its first production electric truck, which is scheduled to arrive in 2024. This concept version combines some features we’ve already seen on other electric trucks with a few clever new ideas. So while it may be revolutionary for the Ram brand, which is new to EVs, it’s more evolutionary when compared to other electric pickups.

Unmistakably electric
The Ram 1500 Revolution has the bulky appearance of a traditional truck, but with proportions that clearly mark it as an EV. With no need to accommodate an engine, the hood is much shorter. This allowed designers to make the cabin four inches longer than today’s internal-combustion Ram 1500 without shortening the bed, Ram claims. The grille is also smaller, although Ram compensated for this with a giant light-up logo and headlights with the same “tuning fork” elements as its current gasoline and diesel truck grilles.
The roofline is a bit lower and sleeker, which probably helps with aerodynamics, but like a traditional truck, the Revolution rolls on massive wheels and tires. The 35-inch tires are wrapped around 24-inch wheels with smooth covers and light-up elements. The charge port, meanwhile, is located in the driver’s side front fender. It makes a noise when the truck has started charging and blinks to show that charging is ongoing.
Like rival truck makers, Ram incorporated a frunk where the engine would normally be, plus the RamBox storage bins from its current trucks. Nearly every opening, including the tailgate, frunk, and charge port, is also power-operated.
Underpinning all of this power-operated convenience is the STLA Frame dedicated EV platform, one of four such platforms Stellantis plans to use for future EVs across its many brands, such as Chrysler and Jeep.

Read more
VW previews its next electric car in trippy camouflaged form
Front three quarter view of a camouflaged Volkswagen ID.7 prototype.

The Volkswagen ID.7 is VW's next electric car, and while it won't be fully revealed until later in the year, the automaker provided a sneak peek at CES 2023.

VW said the production ID.7, which will be revealed in the second quarter of this year, will be influenced by the ID.Aero concept first shown in China in 2022. The camouflaged prototype VW brought to CES has the same general shape as the ID.Aero. It's a streamlined sedan that VW claims will have up to 435 miles of range as measured on the somewhat lenient European WLTP testing cycle.

Read more