3-wheelers in line for green light

Monday, June 16, 2008 3:17 AM
By Amanda Dolasinski

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Three-wheel electric cars will soon be legal on Ohio roads, as Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to sign a bill recognizing them as motorcycles.

The cars currently don't fit any of the state's definitions of motor vehicles, said Julie Ehrhart, spokeswoman for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. "They're not qualified as a motorcycle because they don't have a saddle, but they're not qualified as motor vehicles either because they don't meet federal safety guidelines.

"The lawmakers need to change the motorcycle outline from having a saddle to having a saddle or a seat."

That's what an amendment to the state construction budget bill did. The legislature passed the bill this week, and it will take effect 90 days after Strickland signs it, which he is expected to do next week.

"The governor has supported it and plans to sign it," said spokesman Keith Dailey.

One version of the three-wheel vehicles is the NmG-1 (for "no more gas"), which carries one person and is sold by Myers Motors in Tallmadge, just east of Akron.

It comes in vibrant colors, including aqua and lilac. The vehicle goes up to 76 mph and gets 35 to 45 miles per charge; a completely depleted battery can be charged in six to eight hours, according to the company's Web site.

Myers says its car costs 1 to 2 cents per mile to operate compared with 8 cents per mile for a gas hybrid that gets 50 miles to the gallon at $3.99 a gallon. It's priced at about $35,000, says Myers' Web site.

So far, one person, in Clinton County, has attempted to obtain title and registration for a three-wheel vehicle, and manufacturers who want to sell them have sent letters asking the bureau how they could be made street legal, Ehrhart said.

Under the proposed law, people driving the three-wheel vehicles would be expected to follow motorcycle laws, including wearing a helmet for the first year, even though they would be enclosed in the vehicle.

Drivers would have to take the motorcycle skills test instead of the motor vehicle maneuverability test and get a motorcycle endorsement on their license, Ehrhart said.

The motorcycle designation might be temporary, she said. "We've sat down and gathered everyone who is involved to patch it quickly by categorizing it as a motorcycle, and then maybe later (legislation) can draft it into a different categorization."

It's unclear whether the vehicles will be insured as a motorcycle or a car.

"It's up to the insurance companies on what kind of policy they want to write," said Jarrett Dunbar, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Insurance.

Mike Jucha, finance manager at Ohio Motorcycle in Hilliard, said the company is unfamiliar with the three-wheel vehicles but has been looking for alternatives for its customers.

"We have discussed selling some versions of electric scooters," he said. "We have considered other options because of the economy."

adolasinski@dispatch.com