The Attaché vehicle spotted on the D.C. streets. (Photo by Rachel Kurzius)

If you’ve ever thought that a smart car is a bit too big for your liking, then this vehicle whizzing around D.C. might be right up your alley.

Officially called the ZEV T3-1 MICRO, the electricity-powered three-wheeler is more motorcycle than car.

Tim Touchette, the president of property management firm Attaché, bought what he claims is D.C.’s first T3 for his business in January and starting driving it around town this spring wrapped in his company’s branding.

“It’s just completely eye-catching,” Touchette says. When it’s parked outside of Attaché’s office near Dupont Circle, “it’s fun to see people stop, look, and take pictures.”

All control of the West Virginia-built vehicle, including acceleration and braking, is done solely with the driver’s hands. According to the manufacturer, Z Electric Vehicle, the T3 “enclosed trike” has space for 3 people and can carry nearly 500 pounds. It retails for $6,300. Touchette says the company uses its T3 both for branding and to get to property showings. “Being small, they’re easy to park,” he says.

But there are some drawbacks. “It’s not as zippy as you’d like,” he says. “Basically, when you’re stuck at a stoplight you have to be paying attention to the other light turning yellow” to start accelerating. In his experience, it goes about 40 miles per hour on flat roads and tops out at around 20 miles per hour on hills.

D.C. rehauled its laws for scooters and motorcycles in 2013. The ZEV T3-1 appears to fall under the classification of “motorcycle” by D.C. DMV standards, as it can go more than 30 miles per hour. That means it’s not permitted on sidewalks or in bike lanes. We’ve reached out to the D.C. DMV for further clarification, and will update accordingly.

This likely isn’t the last petite vehicle to hit the streets. The District has seen the addition of electric scooters and dockless bikes in recent months. At least one of the companies providing those transportation options, Lime, is looking to get into the “ultra-compact electric car” game, according to Axios.

This comes as Car2Go, a service that allows members to rent cars by the minute, moves away from smart cars towards Mercedes-Benz sedans.

For Touchette, one of the biggest questions is what to call his ride. “We’re trying to roll out a naming contest for this three-wheeled electric vehicle cycle-thing,” he says. Apparently, “this three-wheeled electric vehicle cycle-thing” doesn’t roll off the tongue.