Much as I am enamored of the idea of a city-car, I've been studying the concept for years, and there are too many failures to suggest that this is a worthwhile road to follow, not unless you hit the ball out of the park with the very first design.

Even then, a three-wheeler will not attract buyers. They'll want either the security of a four-wheeler, or the nimbleness of a scooter. It must be a four-wheeler to be practicable, and you need to have a steady stream of standardized parts to produce it economically.

It's not impossible. The Morris Mini showed how this could be done, and, in the process, killed the kit car / city car competition. Killed it dead, in fact.

There's the idea of the Chinese car that might work here. Plastic body panelling that's easy to mass-manufacturer, and an interior comparable to mass-market compacts. Would be easy to sell as a taxi-model, and with a little tweaking to produce a 7 seater, a possible shuttle special.

Norkis is already trying this, but their model is re-engineered, and it shows. Not many people want to pay for a rebuilt secondhand with a badge... even at secondhand prices... they're too smart for that... they'd rather just buy their own secondhand straight out.

However we like it, the PHUV has to be in the Tamaraw mold... but it doesn't have to look like one.

I suggest, for design, to see what made the VW microbus so special. Using a minimum of complicated shapes, you can still make a vehicle that looks expensive, not like a "Tamaraw". Break up the familiar hood-windshield angle, for one. Use big radius curves to define the fenders and roof. Hide the window frames to give a feeling of airiness. Ehnriko's ideas are good and are along the lines we should be thinking.

I've got some ideas that I'll post up tomorrow.