I couldn't agree more!
Regen or not; Lightness is where it's at for efficiency!
But a light and safe (and aero) velo is Carbon and Aramid fiber and that's not cheap and easy!
The Mochet seems to be lighter due to more steel construction?
4 wheels makes it a car in most jurisdictions too! Getting 'The Balance' right on 3 wheels is a challenge.
Also it has it's aero backwards!
A teardrop is most aero with the blunt end front and a sharp rear.
Then there's CDa which doubles in a side by side setup, so perhaps not as aero as you might think.
I would certainly round the Mott's nose!
Hopefully, we've learned a bit about aerodynamics in a century ( though the two wheel record setting Mochet streamliner is very much a teardrop) and at micro/city car speed, simply smoothing airflow ( even if not "optimum") is worthwhile...*as long as it's light*
Yes, rollover resistance with a trike is tougher to get than with a quad, and to qualify ( in most jurisdictions right now ) as a "bike", three wheels is your upper limit. I think that a weight limited class of quads, with a top speed of 35 mph, that didn't need to meet "car" safety standards would create a niche for city microcar makers. Ply or blown plastic bubble skins on a simple welded steel frame would let micro manufacturers get something on the market quickly and cheaply. Stressed skin ply, with minimal internal framing, is about as simple at it gets. Facets with tape, zip ties, stitch and glue...ick.
Ease of boarding/dismounting would have to be a major design consideration, most current "performance" velomobiles fail at this. The "uprights", easy to board ( like the Pebbl and Elf ) fail on areo and cornering.
The Mott is too tall and narrow, with the front wheels too far forward, for good rollover resistance. Th driver also needs to be limber, with good upper body strength, to get in and out
Most production trikes are too low to feel even relatively safe in traffic, even with a body shell. The balance between rollover resistance and other considerations is tough to get right.
Few enthusiasts can do a FRP body from scratch, most that attempt it fail, or take years to complete the project. Almost anyone can cut and glue 3mm plywood, slap a few coats of water based varnish on it, and apply a vinyl covering. Mounting the body to the frame is the toughest part, but there are off the shelf solutions to even that.
Terracycle sells a front trike fairing mount that lets you lift the nose out of the way when boarding. A ply or corroplast tailbox and side panels with one of their "winter" faings, and you'd have a pretty clean velo with good ( not perfect) weather protection.
