A reader writes:
There is an answer to your question. It is called the Myers Motors NmG. I drove one for a month a few years ago. It suffers from lack of scaling so the price is probably double what it needs to be, but the concept is there and actually works. I had to build in extra time during my errand running just to answer questions by curious onlookers during the day.
Let's eliminate some of the crushing safety stuff that stifles competition with Detroit. Hey, if I can drive a motorcycle, why can't a I drive a marginally more dangerous car concept? Because Detroit and its lobbyists have built it into the system, that's why.
Another reader points to Segway's P.U.M.A. project. Wikipedia on the NmG:
The Myers Motors NmG (formerly the Corbin Sparrow) is a single-passenger, three-wheeled, battery electric vehicle designed specifically for commuting and city driving. It was initially produced by Corbin Motors and now by Myers Motors. It is a Personal Electric Vehicle (PEV) [3]. The Sparrow is powered by a 20 kW (continuous) 156-volt DC or 3-phase AC electric motor and has a range of 32 to 64 km (20 to 40 miles) and a top speed of 112 km/h (70 mph). Fuel efficiency is approximately 130 W·h/km (4.8 mi/(kW·h)), which is equivalent to 162 mpg (US) or 194 mpg (UK) (1.45 L/100 km) using the DOE conversion.[4] Two models were produced: the original "jelly bean" model and then a hatchback model, which was nicknamed "pizza butt" because it was designed for use by Domino's Pizza.
(Photo by Flickr user M Skaffari)