Not far from Gilbert, Arizona (USA), there is a junkyard where tons of an unusual type of cars. People wonder: why are they being destroyed? However, the real reason turned out to be trivial: it was the result of a failed start-up of car production, as a result of which cars began to break down en masse, it became impossible for the company to repair them, and in the end they ended up being thrown into the landfill.
The depot contains the remains of dozens of ElectraMeccanica Solo EV electric vehicles - a three-wheeled city car that was produced between 2018 and 2023. Initially positioning the Solo as a low-cost and revolutionary solution to the world of electric vehicles, it comes with a single cab priced at $18,000.
Everything starts well, but very soon a defect appears in these cars. Multiple cloudbursts prompt the company's engineering team to begin diagnosing the problem. The experts found “a defect in the motor controller or inverter could cause it to shut down in motion“ but they never found a way to fix the problem.
As a result, ElectraMeccanica management initiated a recall of nearly all vehicles sold in the United States during the period - a total of 528 Solo vehicles.
Although the recall documents indicate that the company is looking into a solution to the problem, one has never been found. In April, ElectraMeccanica informed its customers of its intention to buy back all vehicles sold.
The company was subsequently acquired by electric truck maker Xos, which showed no interest in refurbishing the Solo for resale. Instead, it was decided to start recycling the damaged cars, as an employee of the depot told one of the visitors.