Electric trike
An electric trike is a three-wheeled vehicle powered by an electric motor. It may have a feet forward configuration.
Overview
While the normal legal definition of motorcycle is a two-wheeled vehicle, in the USA a motorcycle may also be three-wheeled.[1] This classification does not depend on whether the operator is fully enclosed by a "cage" or exposed to the elements. Several automotive startup companies made their initial designs three-wheeled vehicles, because the motorcycle classification does not require the same costly battery of crash safety testing as a four-wheeled vehicle. They may find a sales advantage because insurance and licensing requirements are simplified or non-existent if the local laws classify these types of vehicles as a bicycles.
For design purposes, three-wheeled vehicles are divided into two categories:
- 1 wheel in front and 2 in back, known as a delta design or the traditional trike (tricycle) design such as the Hase Kettweisel.
- 2 wheels in front and 1 in back, known as a tadpole design, such as the Outrider 422 Alpha.
Some three-wheeled motorcycles enclose the rider in a "cabin" or cockpit. These include the Twike, Myers Motors NmG, The Auto Moto Corporation The Auto Moto, etc.[2]
Some three-wheeled motorcycles have independent suspension allowing the vehicle to tilt or lean, such as the Carver one.
Electronic tricycles in the Philippines The electric tricycle is a specially designed, highly efficient tricycle that runs on a motor powered by a battery charged by electricity. E-trikes produce no noise, no tailpipe emissions, and represent an opportunity to make public transportation in the Philippines more environmentally conscious while improving the livelihood of tricycle drivers across the country.
There are approximately 3.5 million conventional combustion engine tricycles operating in the Philippines, contributing millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions to the environment every year. These tricycles have a dramatic impact on air quality, affecting many aspects of life in the Philippines, from national health to increased exposure to climate change risks.
The Asian Development Bank, with the Philippine government and the Department of Energy, hopes to transform the public transportation sector by widely adopting electric tricycles throughout the Philippines. Using innovative technology and competitive financing, this project will achieve widespread adoption of electric tricycles and the development of a sustainable local e-trike manufacturing industry.[3]
See also
- Electric motorcycles and scooters
- Three-wheeled cars
- Three-wheeler
- Tricycle
- Asian Development Bank
References
- ↑ Daniel Sperling. Future drive: electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. Island Press, 1995. p. 75. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ↑ Enclosed tricycles
- ↑ http://www.adb.org/projects/43207-012/background E-trikes: Driving Change