Xebra Splish Splash

A little bit of video research: An inside view of the motor compartment of a Xebra sedan. Using a helmet camera mounted on the inside deck, I drove through a small puddle to see what happens. The motor noise seems excessive, but it's an artifact of the camera's microphone, I believe. The noise level is greatly reduced when heard from inside the vehicle. Another feature of the video is seeing the suspension at work. The body of the vehicle rests on rubber absorbers, which allows the body to move independently of the frame. The charger is seen moving with the frame, separate from the suspension, but also separate from the body.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• xebra
• electric
• car
• puddles

[freddotu]

If a bump is large enough (or a big enough pothole) the suspension with contact the rubber limit bumpers. Now that my wife has her MC endorsement, she drives it to work everyday, so I'm not sure if I can get another in-car video for a while. I've recently installed splash guards, so the next time it rains, I will be able to test it in the same manner.

[freddotu]

hempev, I would not take the corner shown in the video, at 30 mph. It's safe at about 20 mph, but not much higher, regardless of the vehicle. The batteries in the Xebra are mounted very low in the frame and it's easy to forget that there is only one wheel at the front. The suspension has limited travel and the short wheelbase means a bit of a choppy ride.

[GhostsonAcid]

I can't tell if you're against the car or you like it. What was your point of this video?

[sal1819]

"Motor-cam" was a good idea. Lots of people are looking closely at these cars to see if they'll fit in. If anyone knows of someone "hot-rodding" these, e.g. bigger motors to get 45-50mph, quicker, etc., please post a link.

[joh2]

Its 25 miles range and 40mph top speed isn't it?

[hempev]

Thanks! Can you take the Xebra into 30mph bend and not only take a powerbay video, but also give your driving impressions? I'm concerned about the suspension physics of a 3-wheeler with this kind of design.