Local business owners Tom and Mike Corbin are on to something.
The father-and-son duo recently unveiled a pre-production prototype
of the Raven, a three-wheeled, one-person car that can travel
round-trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a single tank of
gas.
Local business owners Tom and Mike Corbin are on to something. The father-and-son duo recently unveiled a pre-production prototype of the Raven, a three-wheeled, one-person car that can travel round-trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a single tank of gas.
We’re proud to see a Hollister company leading the way in the development of a single-person automobile.
With gas prices rising to $3.48 per gallon and no end in sight for the increase, it’s high time to start thinking about moving ourselves around this planet more efficiently. Leave it to a couple of motorcycle aficionados like Mike and Tom Corbin to capitalize on what we have all known for a century: The lighter the car, the less gas it takes to move.
As the Corbins recently told the Free Lance, “It’s all about the weight when it comes to burning up gas.”
The Raven tips the scales at 1,100 pounds. That’s one-sixth the weight of a 6,400-pound Hummer H2. The Raven is expected to get at least 65 miles per gallon and be able to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back on a single tank of gas. That’s impressive. Furthermore, the Corbins plan to reduce the weight of the Raven and decrease its fuel consumption even further on future models.
The car is powered by a 3-cylinder, 800cc gas engine that produces about 45 to 50 horsepower. It is expected to be able to reach speeds of 90 mph. Future generations of the Raven are expected to get 100 miles to the gallon. The car also features a patented three-wheel steering design that makes it agile. Designed with the urban market in mind, four Ravens can be parked in a single parking spot, making it commuter-friendly. The Raven is expected to be available to consumers by the second half of 2008 with a price tag between $10,000 and $12,000.
The one-person model makes sense when one looks around at passing motorists on the freeway. Most people drive alone. So, for commuters and others, this car makes perfect sense.
The Corbins have come along way since their first single-person car, the Sparrow. The Sparrow was an electric car that was ahead of its time and had some unreliable parts. The Corbins went bankrupt and lost millions of dollars of investors’ money trying build and market the car. Many would have given up after such a defeat. But the Corbins didn’t give up. They’ve produced a better version of the single-person car with the Raven and are ready to try again. This kind of entrepreneurial spirit and conviction is inspiring.
As Mike Corbin recently told us, he is just doing his part to help solve the global energy crisis. We stand solidly behind the Corbins and their efforts to make this world a better place.
