British inventor hopes eTrike will succeed where his uncle’s failed
CHEPSTOW, Wales (Reuters) – More than 30 years after his uncle spectacularly failed to get Britain moving in battery-powered tricycles, inventor Grant Sinclair is optimistic his updated version of the C5 will be a well-ridden success.
Gone is the low seat, poor protection and white bath-like design that Clive Sinclair, who made his name as a famed innovator in the computer sector, was ridiculed for when he launched it in 1985 as the future of transportation.
In its place is a threewheeled Iris eTrike prototype, with an elevated seat, the look of a modern-day cycling crash helmet and made from expanded polypropylene foam, a hardy substance used in model-aircraft kits for its ability to absorb impacts.
“There’s nothing else like this on the market,” Grant Sinclair told Reuters. “In terms of other e-bikes, this is much lighter weight and much safer because it’s like sitting inside a large crash helmet.”
Sinclair, 44, showed off the zippy 55-kg., one-seater vehicle in a ride over Old Town Bridge from England to Wales.
The Iris has normal bicycle pedals and eight-speed racebike gearing, combined with a 250-watt electric motor with rechargeable battery pack that kicks in automatically once pedaling is detected. Recharging takes one hour.
Sinclair said his vehicle, which can reach speeds of up to 48 kph and be ridden for up to 80 km. with the motor, had grabbed the attention of three established manufacturers that were keen to mass produce it.
He is the third Sinclair to attempt to convince the world about eTrikes, with Clive’s son Crispin failing two years ago with a design called Babel, which was unable to raise the required funds.
The Iris eTrike will cost £3,999 ($5,000), with first deliveries in late 2017.