Each of the videos is posted on YouTube. Be sure to click “watch in high quality” under the video image to get good resolution. Please come back HERE to our Blog to post your comments. We hope you enjoy watching these!

Video Clip #1 - Dagne’s First Test Drive: This is our first powered test drive out of Eric’s garage where we built the prototype. At this point, the steering and braking were still a bit twitchy, and we were controlling FWD/REV with a foot switch (ironically). The lean was mechanically locked upright, so turning caused Dagne to lean to the outside in a turn (not so comfortable). The top speed here was about 2.3 mph

Watch clip #1 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfYLFdvAZNk

Video Clip #2 - Dagne’s Second Test Drive: Note: the traction battery didn’t actually die - we later realized that a disable feature in the motor controller had been inadvertently triggered.

Watch clip #2 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoDjvkrt3Dw&feature=related

Video Clip #3 - Dagne’s First Lean: This was the first time Dagne’s lean was actively controlled. At the low speeds we were limited to in Eric’s street however, the lean was pretty subtle. By this time the braking and steering were quite smooth due to some mechanical and software improvements we had made since the first test drives.

Watch clip #3 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NefhHLcGg4&feature=related

Video Clip #4 - Dagne Intro and Carving: This is our first “Hello World” video, with a little tour of the prototype by it’s creators and a short test drive with modest carving. We will need to build the next prototype (the alpha prototype) before we drive much faster than what you see here, due to some re-engineering we need to do to the lean/steer mechanism to make it more stable, as well as using a proper battery pack that can support higher speeeds.

Watch clip #4 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2VJDUnrMcM&feature=related

1 - Mechanical Braking: As correctly pointed out, vehicle regulations require a mechanical means to stop the vehicle (”electric motor” brakes are not good enough). Since Dagne has calipers/disk brakes on each wheel, she satisfies this regulation. Regulations do not require, however, that a mechanical connection exist between the driver input and the vehicle actuation (drive-by-wire and “drive-by-fluid” are already becoming the norm in the automotive industry). Dagne has redundant control connections between the joystick and vehicle actuators, similar to commercial aircraft. If any connection/component fails, the driver will retain full control of the vehicle, and will be alerted to the location of the failure for ease of repair.

2 - Joystick Origins: Dagne began as an engineer’s quest to design the ideal vehicle from the standpoint of efficiency, performance, and driving experience, without the restriction of current vehicle convention. The joystick was the natural choice for optimal comfort, ease-of-use, and safety.

3 - Joystick Training: Every Dagne customer will receive a brief training course on how to use the joystick. The course won’t take very long (at least compared to learning to drive a standard transmission) because the operation of the joystick is very intuitive.

4 - The Prototype: Due to budgetary constraints in the current phase of development, the current prototype has a simple lead-acid battery pack and a single rear DC motor, which serve the purpose of proving the concept and providing a test driving experience (primarily to raise funds for the company so we can take the next step in development). The specifications for the production vehicle are based on performance numbers of existing batteries, motors, and power electronics currently available to us, and a detailed computer simulation of vehicle performance which we have verified against existing production vehicles.

1 - Tire Wear: Dagne’s tires are motorcycle stock, which tend to wear faster than car tires. We will address this issue by offering tires with a range of handling vs. endurance. The net cost-of-ownership for Dagne, including tire replacement and batteries is substantially less than a typical car, particularly because Dagne will last much longer than a typical car without significant servicing due to the low-wear characteristic of the electric drive system, and due to the low recharging/refueling cost.

2 - Joystick Features: Finger control on the joystick will incorporate turn signals, head lights, wipers/washer, and cruise control ON/OFF. The joystick nominal position can be easily adjusted while driving (allowing use of either hand).

3 - Joystick legal issues: There is currently no FMVSS regulation that prevents the use of a joystick in vehicles, neither is there regulation that specifically allows it (except for disabled drivers). Although there is no roadblock for the joystick presently, we in the early stages of lobbying for legislation that specifically allows joysticks in vehicles, based on the safety improvements it provides.

Thank you again for all the contributions, comments, and questions. We look forward to hearing more from you.