At $25,000, Would You Save This 2021 ElectraMeccanica Solo From the Scrapper?
When it comes to transporting nearly anything, the last mile always proves to be the most challenging. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Solo is a single-seat electric intended to solve that problem, but it has problems of its own. Let’s see if that extends to its price tag.
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There is a term that arose after the American Civil War — Carpetbagger — that Southerners used pejoratively to describe Northerners traveling to the South, ostensibly to make a financial gain at the expense of the local populace. In contrast, how might we describe the reverse situation in the present-day automotive market where rust-free cars from the South are brought to the salt-ravaged North to take advantage of pent-up demand? I’m sure there’s a term.
That was the case with yesterday’s 1985 Toyota MR2, which was offered in Minnesota but had spent most of its life down south in Arkansas, where rust isn’t a given. No matter its location, the seller’s $5,800 asking price was our point of concern, and that came away with a solid 76 percent Nice Price win. That means a good deal for some lucky Minnesotan.
Today we’re going to get a little weird. I don’t mean shave an eyebrow and lose sleep over why pickles aren’t more appropriately called “pickled cucumbers,” but looking at this 2021 ElectraMeccanica Solo I think you’ll get the idea. First off, however, just what the hell is an ElectraMeccanica Solo? Allow me to explain.
The Solo is a single-seat three-wheeled electric car manufactured by the Canadian company ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corporation. It was designed to scoot around urban environs with a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge. Despite its traffic-dodging city car cred, the Solo has a top speed of 80 mph.
Motivation is made by way of an 82-horsepower electric motor driving the single rear wheel. The monoposto cabin may be accessed by either the left or right-hand door and features a digital dashboard and standard steering wheel. A relatively large storage area sits just aft and is accessible through a wrap-around hatch.
This isn’t just some death trap either. The Solo is designed around a reinforced aluminum safety cell and offers disc brake stopping and a 360-degree camera system.
It’s also under a voluntary buy-back from the manufacturer due to an unsolvable electrical issue that can leave its driver stranded in the middle of traffic with no power and the trepidation of onlookers that the doors will suddenly fly open and a myriad of clowns will spill out. I know, terrifying!
ElectraMeccanica began selling the Solo in 2019, and after around 430 were shifted into owners’ hands, the power loss issue became known. A recall was issued for a fix but the company is now focusing on four-wheeled electric cars and seemingly doesn’t have the capital to investigate and solve the Solo’s issue. Now it’s simply buying back the cars for whatever was paid for them (the original MSRP was around $18,500) and will apparently just scrap and/or recycle them.
This owner is attempting to get a better deal for theirs. They are offering this red 2021 edition with just 7,300 miles and the boast that those miles were racked up with no issues whatsoever. Despite the buyback that hangs like a sword of Damocles over the little car, it still has a clean title and no one is saying that it has to be sold back. Just don’t expect the maker to answer emails when asking about service or where to get cup holder inserts.
That’s pretty much the story. The seller is positioning this as a bit of history that some quirky collector might wish to keep for posterity and the enjoyment and education of future generations. Or, it might be just some weird car to show off to friends. The world is an oyster, or whatever it is they say.
In order to make this Solo your own there’s the little matter of the $25,000 asking price. That’s a good bit more than one listed for new, but then, where in the world are we going to find another one against which to price compare?
What do you think, is this odd bit of automotive history worth that $25,000 asking despite all it’s got going against it? Or, is this a Solo that’s not worth turning into a duet?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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