Monotracer Dry Motorcycle

Persistence Pays
However, before the desired road permission became legal for the Eco, a three-year fight with Swiss authorities followed, of whom Wagner sounds to this very day furious. "We cannot permit this thing, they said to me, on two wheels. It is a motorcycle. It may [sic] thus only have one headlight in front and similar characteristic(s) in the back. However, if the side wheels are out-folded, it is a car. Then it must have two headlights in front and needs similar characteristics, one in front and one in the back. How do you want to solve the problem?" Wagner was persistent. He pulled the project up for review with the Upper House of Parliament in Berne, got support right at the top and won.


Since 1987, Ecomobiles are delivered from a factory in Winterthur. Most sell in Switzerland, Austria and Germany, some in Czech, Sweden and Belgium, some in Japan and in October 2002, the USA.


In the meantime, Arnold Wagner withdrew himself from daily operations and handed the company to sons Felix (41) and Urs (38). Additionally, there was a model change, when a Czech factory burned and the fire ruined the old molding forms for the Ecomobile. The Wagners took advantage from this incident as in the 'Rise of the Phoenix' —they did not restore the old molding forms but built an entirely new model: The Monotracer replaced the Ecomobile.


"After 20 years it became time for advancement," says the young PERAVES principal, Felix Wagner, with justified pride. The progress is actually obvious: The roundish-good design from the Eighties yielded a modern dress with fine edges and elegant, smooth surfaces. The price came down at the same time: The new Monotracer costs about $69,000, including air conditioning, Navigation, and cruise control. An airbag is available in 2008. The old Eco with the same equipment (airbag not included) cost approximately $20,000 more. "We count the price discount on larger numbers of units, which makes more rational production possible," explains Arnold Wagner. The customers are pleased.

Test Drives
In Czech, Brno, approximately 100 kilometers north of Vienna (Austria), at the Gran Prix Circuit, the Wagners invite new and old customers once a year, in order to learn and go on the hunt for driving excitement around racing curves with the Ecomobile and assorted vehicles. While there, the Monotracer celebrates its driving premiere. The Monotracer was just unveiled recently at the Geneva's World Auto Salon in March 2007.