I have been doing some reading, and motorgliders are popular in Europe, but not so much in the USA. They seem to excel at high-efficiency cross-country flying, with some burning less than 3gph at 120+ knots. That seems like it would be great flying around the US, and some (like the Pipistrel Sinus) short field takeoff and landing in under 500 feet.

I'm not planning a homebuilt project in the near future, but I am thinking my first homebuilt may be a motorglider based on what I have been reading. The trouble is, other than the Xenos, there don't seem to be many options.

I'm curious: Why are motorgliders not as popular in the US? What homebuilt options exist in the US? What are everyone's thoughts on the class?