If they added two more wheels instead of the gyros, they'd get passive stabilization and lower cost. They'd also get more room for a larger battery and cargo or passengers. And since roads and parking lots are already designed for 4-wheel vehicles, the extra width wouldn't be much of a disadvantage.
Two-wheeled vehicles have a party piece - they keep moving when traffic stops. In a city like London or Paris, a pedal cycle is faster than a car for most journeys. In a city like LA, a motorcycle can be twice as fast as a car during rush-hour.
This has effects beyond the two-wheeled rider; Remember, you're never stuck in traffic, you are traffic. A recent study suggested that if 10% of car drivers switched to two-wheeled vehicles, congestion would reduce by 40%[1]. Currently, riders of motorcycles are at an exceptionally high risk of death or serious injury. A fully enclosed two-wheeler could be every bit as safe as a car.
There are also substantial efficiency savings to be made, due to the C1's very small frontal area. A faired two-wheeler with a recumbent seating position is naturally very close to the aerodynamically ideal dolphin-shape. A four-wheeled vehicle could only achieve similar aerodynamic efficiency by being very long and low, with single or tandem seating, as in the Volkswagen 1L concept[2] or Shell Eco-Marathon competitors. This substantially compromises visibility and turning circle, making such a vehicle very poorly suited to its obvious use as an urban commuter.
I'm not sure how safe it would be to split lanes in the C1; it's wider than a motorcycle, and it's being marketed to non-cyclists who may not be so skilled at weaving through tight spaces even with gyros. It would be more aerodynamic, no doubt, but I think we're a long way off from comparing the relative efficiency of electric vehicles. I think range and carrying capacity are bigger consumer concerns.
I've split lanes in LA traffic. One of the important parts is watching drivers heads as you approach to pass them for an indication that they might suddenly change lanes. That level of awareness saved my life a few times. I don't think you can do that with the C1, as the driver is lower to the ground and doesnt have the same field of vision.
A fully enclosed two-wheeler could be every bit as safe as a car.
Sure... if it also weighed as much as a car. Crash safety is a function of frame toughness and vehicle mass-- the heavier the car, the less G's it pulls when decelerating suddenly (when running into a wall, or being hit by a semi)
Two-wheeled vehicles have a party piece - they keep moving when traffic stops.
That's primarily due to their width, not their wheel count. This vehicle is a two-seater, so in terms of congestion it probably has a lot more in common with city cars than with motorcycles.
As a city car I'm impressed by the Renault Twizy (it's a 4 wheel bike). Okay, so the power output and range are much lower but for shorter commutes when you can charge overnight it seems to make a lot of sense. Relatively cheap too, although you do have to factor in the cost of leasing the battery pack. http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/twizy/product.aspx
