This question needs a clarification: what is the definition of “highway” in your country?
Here in Estonia, I can go on highway with a farm tractor, I’m just obligated to pull aside if a column forms behind me. Meanwhile, for example in Germany, going to an Autobahn with a farm tractor would quickly attract fines for a traffic violation.
I’ve driven on a highway with a large L2e trike (rated speed 45, actual capability 55) but did not feel comfortable there. I do feel comfortable on a highway with a Mitsubishi i-MIEV (crappy e-car, do not buy), typically driving at 80 km/h. It has a motor of 37 kW (if I remember correctly) but cruises decently enough at 9 kW of power, so a lighter car would come to highway speeds with 11 kW for sure (if well built).
I would feel comfortable on a highway with an L7e cargo quad (for which I hope to get a rated speed of 70, but that remains to be seen when it’s completed), and the one I’m building has 4 x 3 = 12 kW power.
A customer of mine sells electric road maintenance vehicles, but they are type certified in the N class.
I would advise googling for “L6e”, “L7e”, “electric car”, or maybe “electric vehicle”. In my search, various Chinese products come up, but I notice that many aren’t type certified in the EU, so be very careful. You want to avoid doing type approval on your own. Also, consider if you can get spare parts in the future. Find a product with local support.
The microlino. Quadricyle (L7e & L6e) . 12.5 kW engine, 90 kph max speed so enough for highway. Looks neat.
Isn’t that just an EV?
An EV without safety features.
Safety features can be present if the manufacturer bothers. The only safety feature that’s not allowed in that class is large amounts of mass.
Airbags and seatbelts don’t add any appreciable mass. A protective cage around the passenger doesn’t add much either. Space (to prevent hitting things with your head in an accident) does introduce a mass penalty. Many microcars lack a safe amount of head space which sure annoys me.
Automatic braking (a lidar and some actuators) would not add much. If a vehicle happens to have 4 independent motors, then traction control is a software problem with zero mass. Individual control of brakes would admittedly add mass - separate brake pumps for each wheel.
The frame of an L7e can be made pretty sturdy. Some folks have been asking me if I’m building a tank, but no, it’s an L7e - instead of armor, it’s covered in greenhouse plastic. :) It’s the beams that count, I don’t care if anyone punches through the gaps. :)
Tiny picture because I like to keep some privacy.
Yeah, manufacturers can build safety features. But the whole point of building a box around a motor/tri/quadcycle instead of just building a car is that you aren’t held to the same safety standards as a normal 4-wheeled vehicle. That makes it cheaper to manufacture and certify, and the only downside is they lose customers in the event of a serious collision.
Admittedly, I’m taking the north American perspective as that’s where I live. It’s probably sufficiently safe for intracity transportation in most European cities.
