- solution should use little or no fossil fuel in operation
- solution needs to be low maintenance
- solution needs to be faster than walking
- solution needs to be more convenient than using a bus
- solution needs to be able to be used on existing roadways
- solution needs to shield occupant from rain and windchill
- Effective range should be around 10 miles
If money was no object, this model from Cabriovelo.com would be my preference. It's a delta design, with what appears to be under seat steering. A good thing about this design is that it's probably tall enough to be noticed in traffic. A bad thing is that having two wheels in the back makes for a dilemma. Either one-wheel is powered and the other is not (traction problem) or it has a solid axel (turning problems)
or it would need a differential (expensive). Tadpole designs, with a single driving wheel in the back avoid the drive wheel dilemma. However, in spite of dual wheel drive in the rear, this velo has some good features. One good feature is the fabric sides which I assume would keep side wind out yet would be easily stowable when not in use. Another feature I like is the flat windshield with wiper. In my area, road spray is an issue and having the option of staying inside to clear it off would be very nice. The back also has what appears to be a large cargo area. Looking at the front, I notice it also has lighting and possibly signals too. However, one quality I don't like is the price. I'm sure the cost to deliver to my home would be about as much as a small petrol powered car. 
Upon closer examination, the Cabriovelo has another interesting surprise to it. It's a convertible! The windscreen folds up and out of the bonnet (hood). The sides are fabric so they can be stowed easily. It also seems to have ample cargo room in the rear of it. Nice design! Looking at other photos (not shown) it appears to use a custom trike frame with under-seat steering. They also had a lower cost prototype they were testing with which is interesting to look at.Some of the upper end trikes are almost cars. The Go-One and Aerorider fall into these categories (not shown). Yea, they are heavy and are barely bikes. However, with electric assist, they must be pretty nice rides. Unfortunately, being low and slow probably also makes these vehicles cop magnets. Since the vehicle motor laws are a bit unclear when HPV becomes a vehicle that needs registration, I can see why these have not caught on. Plus, with all velomobiles, there is the issue of parking since they can't just lock up to a bicycle stand due to their size. Oh, and also the price tag which can easily exceed $10k.
Another design I like is the Rainshadow. The simple design, built with cloroplast (plastic cardboard). It won't win any performance awards. However, that is because it's primary mission isn't speed. Rather, it is keeping it's occupant out of the rain and snow. The target price of this vehicle appeared to be $1500 without the trike. Adding a basic under-steer trike would probably make the completed vehicle be a bit north of $3000. Still, even if it lacks the style and speed of the Cabriovelo, it's better than walking. The price difference could also buy a really good sweater and quite a few hand warmers!
The "velo-kit" looks like a good attempt at providing an economic way to get from one part of town to another. The first thing one notices is that it's very clearly fabric. Then second thing to notice is of course the price which is substantially lower than any solid body kit I'm aware of. Being fabric based, other desirable qualities start becoming apparent too. It doesn't have the noise issues of a solid shell. It also can be transported by car without resorting to needing to use a trailer! So, for a low cost but practical solution for keeing out of the rain and wind, this in my opinion represents the most sensible way of doing so.However, I do like having at least an illusion of protection with a solid shell around me. So, I kept looking for yet another solution. This one was made by
John Sturdy who drives this creation in Ireland. It looks to be made of plexiglass or similar material held in place by an aluminum frame. Although it won't win awards for being areodynamic, it does look like it would provide good visibility and also apparently provides protection against occasional pet hazards too. As for material cost, this type of do-it-yourself project would probably be somewhere betwee a fabric kit and a molded fairing approach.So clearly, some impressive sustainable transportation solutions already exist. However, in my opinion, there is still some room for improvement. So, that's what this next project is all about. It's about trying to make a low energy vehicle (ideally an HPV) a practical form of transport in a snowy, rainy environment. The BugE was one answer. It works, but it has been very expensive in time and money to build. Perhaps a velo-trike would give acceptable performance instead.
So, to summarize what has already been done, here's what appears to be available.
1) Molded faring Examples
velocityvelos.com and a Reg Rodero's Stormy Weather project.
2) Coroplast Examples
CarFreeChalenge and a group of velo enthusiasts on Facebook
3) Fabric faring examples
velo-kit.com
4) plexiglass sheet
John Sturdy's design
