Vancouver-based company planning to start delivering a single-seat electric car that will redefine urban commutes.

Solo is designed for the urban dweller who does most of their driving alone in their car. The development of this model initially began in 2007 by Jerry Kroll, CEO of Electra Meccanica, the Vancouver company behind Solo. After joining forces with Henry Reisner, president of Intermeccanica, a company in New Westminster that builds classic Porsche replicas, the first prototype was completed in January 2015. “We believe the Solo will become the commuter vehicle of choice for the masses. The vehicle is non-polluting, very economical to operate and people will have a heck of a good time driving it too,” explained Reisner. For Electra Meccanica, a large portion of the Solo sales are expected to come from the United States, where 80% of people drive to work alone in their car. In Greater Montreal, over 1.5 million people drive alone to work every day.

Jerry Kroll, CEO of Electra Meccanica

The Solo has a three-wheeled chassis with an electric motor, and is capable of reaching 130 km/hour. This single passenger car also stands out by its size: 120 inches long and 47.6 inches wide, with a weight of 992 pounds. It runs on a lithium ion battery of 8.64 kWh that needs to be recharged every 160 km, taking three hours to recharge on a 220-volt charger, or six hours with a 100-volt charger.

A sort of “Volkswagen Beetle for the 21st century,” Solo is in pre-orders right now, with delivery expected in early 2017. The car costs around $20,000.