The three-wheel car introduced 1970s, by Jeremy in a drive from Sheffield to Rotterdam a journey of 14 miles. In the course of the journey, he rolled seven times and helped to back up by good Samaritans. The three-wheel car is an engineering design disaster. However, it gained popularity in the area as many people used it as a taxi. We examine why the three- wheel is such a design disaster (Turpen 2013).
The three-wheel combines the advantage of a motorcycle and a car; it therefore possesses the weaknesses of both. They are small sized like a motorcycle with a car body. The small size does not provide enough carriage space like other cars. The three-wheel cannot be used to carry a large family. However, they are good for taking rounds around town (Turpen 2013).
They have a small engine compared to other cars. Reliant Robison was known to have a large engine of 850cc. this gave it a very high speed, however; its speed is incomparable to other cars. The Robinson could manage 6o miles per hour. The three-wheel has not impressed the world with speed. The small engine size means that it can carry limited luggage. Unlike other four-wheel cars, its carrying capacity is relatively small. The high speed caused catastrophic disasters ("Episode 1: Jeremy drives a Reliant Robin")
The three-wheel design makes it easy to tip over. Compared to four-wheel, three-wheels are more prone to tipping over more times even than a motorcycle. Reliant Robinson tipped over seven times in a 14 miles distance. This is by far a very high rate. This is caused by the lack of on front wheel to offer support and balance. The degree of rolling escalates in a corner. As evidence in the video clip, Jeremy rolled over every time he tried to negotiate a corner.
Another problem is the inability to pass through a bumpy road. As seen in the video clip, the Robinson’s front part would rise up and be supported by the two rear wheels. This makes it difficult for the driver to follow the road. In such a scenario, if the road has many cars, it would cause severe road accident and claim many lives ("Episode 1: Jeremy drives a Reliant Robin")
The major disadvantage in the three-wheel configuration is its lateral instability. This instability is not only caused by it modeling design but also by its weight. The three-wheel is so light that one person- as seen in the video clip can lift it. Even just its own door is enough to put it back on its wheels. This is seen in the clip too. Being too light makes the three-wheel prone to tipping over and being suspended in the air once it negotiates a corner or comes across a bump. It is even joked that one should put a sack of cement in the front to give it balance ("Episode 1: Jeremy drives a Reliant Robin")
Though mechanical engineering teaches that only three points are needed to hold an object against, a plane, this seems not to work for the three-wheel car when we look at its overturn rate. The rate increases when on is breaking or turning. This is mainly with the three-wheelers with one front wheel. This has become a safety concern and the government had to intervene (Turpen 2013).
The component layout for the three-wheeler has a great influence on their stability and safety. A car with front engine, rear driving wheels and front steering wheels has more room for front engine, which will ensure more stability on the road. The rear propulsion would insure strong starting acceleration that is permitted by bigger engine such as it is with BMWs (George, 2013). This front engine design makes the motor accelerate fast and offer good straight-line stability on the roads.
This layout, front engine, front driving and steering wheels offer propulsion system that is less roomy and powerful but compact and concentrated up front. The front concentration offers more space for people and luggage at the rear (George, 2013). The weight concentration upfront ensures the car is stable and can drive at high speed on the road. The weight also ensures that the car cannot be suspended in the air like when the engine is at the back.
The three-wheelers are at a more risk of rolling and tipping if they have fixed wheels instead of tilting wheels. Fixed wheels are modeled like in the four-wheelers whereby they cannot tilt. On the other hand, tilting option provides the wheels to tilt like those in a motorcycle (George, 2013). This improves their stability, as they will lean while cornering like a motorist would do. The tilt may be operated manually or by the use of computer.
The three-wheel cannot pass through a round about the drivers from north London explained that they only drive through straight lines. Even in the roundabout, they have to move in a way that they will avoid cornering to avoid rolling due to the high rate of instability. The many road accident claimed many lives and made others disabled. One of the people in the clip said he lost his front teeth from a three-wheel accident ("Episode 1: Jeremy drives a Reliant Robin")
The three-wheel car is unattractive compared to the four-wheel cars. It has been called tadpole or strike. Many people view it as a center of rude or ridicule attraction due to its shape and design. However, the three-wheel has various advantages than the four-wheels (George, 2013). First, they are economical in fuel consumption than the four-wheels. Secondly, it is inherently more efficient since it has less rubber on the road. This ensures lower rolling resistance and finally, it triangular shape is more apt to be an aerodynamic.
Work cited
"Rolling a Reliant Robin - Top Gear - BBC." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
George, Patrick E. "How Three-wheel Cars Work." how stuff work (n.d.): 4. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://auto.howstuffworks.com/three-wheel-car4.htm>.
Turpen, Aaron. "3-Wheeled cars will always be cool." Torque News (2013): n. pag. Web. <http://www.torquenews.com/1080/3-wheeled-cars-will-always-be-cool>.
