ELF..another way forward utilising electric assist tricycles

[Tonyf33]

Just saw this and whilst in the countries not so sunny that it may not work to the extent (green wise) that is required on a daily basis it seems like a very good idea encorporating old & new technologies..they look funky too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhey6x8CRe8
http://organictransit.com/

[mercalia]

looks like a grown up Sinclair-mobile?

[lowrider]

Its not a bicycle you would need tax and insure it in this country the motor is too big and the top speed too high. its very heavy (150lb unleaden or as much as 3.5 electric bikes or an extra adult) making the power to weight ratio poor, I would not like to pedal it with a flat battery. The battery is only a 48v 11 .25ah giving 540 wh storage a normal 36v electric bicycle battery would give 360 wh or 66% of the stored energy. The claimed range of 15 miles would therefore seem to me to be optimistic and 90 miles also claimed well do the math as the Americans say, given the storage availiable you would need to pedal a lot I think.

In this country solar charging? an expensive gimick.

I think you would be better with a conventional electric bike or a converted recumbant tricycle a lot less costly with a far better range and no tax and insurance and a lot less expensive.

Like a lot of things with green label the numbers do not stack up this the worst of both worlds it either needs to be developed into a real electric car or lightened to make it comparable to an electric bicycle and made legal. In America it might work if it had a bigger battery to give it a reasonablle range.

Score 5 0ut of 10 the sinclair C5 was more convincing

[Postboxer]

Also, not water tight, so you'd get wet if it rained, which seems to be one of the big disadvantages of cycling vs driving. Seems like they wouldn't have to add much to improve this though.

[Elizabethsdad]

It didn't do anything for me - I'd much rather have a proper velomobile.

[[XAP]Bob]

Drag same as a bike racer..

That's not very good - A "proper" velo will be more water tight, require less power, although it will also be somewhat harder to get into...