Three Wheel

Foam-bodied Spira set to make a soft impact on deadly Asian roads

By Loz Blain

22:07 May 27, 2009 PDT

A good product must be perfectly adapted to its market - and the Spira looks like an excellent fit for the chaotic conditions of South-East Asian roads. This odd little three-wheel two-seater weighs only 300-odd pounds (130kg) - that's because it uses a super-lightweight reinforced foam for 90 percent of the bodywork. It gets well over 100mpg from its 110cc engine, it's light enough to lift by hand, and the foam shell has huge safety benefits, both for the occupants and for the legions of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists that swarm the roads of Thailand. Oh, and it floats. Read More

AutoMoto tilting three-wheeler: cheap, practical commuting fun

By Loz Blain

02:00 February 3, 2009 PST

There was lots of interest last year when we wrote about Sidam's Xnovo, which essentially looked like a 500cc micro-minivan on three wheels. But the Xnovo hasn't materialized on the market yet, and its USD$10,000 projected price robs it of any practical claim to economy. The California-built AutoMoto, however, achieves many of the Xnovo's aims for less than half the price. It's got a roof, a windshield, wipers, an MP3 stereo, CVT, two seats and a large, lockable storage trunk - and it has three wheels, with two at the rear, which attach to a platform that allows the body to tilt when cornering. Its 150cc engine gets 83mpg in daily use - 30mpg better than the Toyota Prius - and it's much easier to park. It can squeeze through traffic like any other scoot, but it doesn't require a motorcycle license or helmet in many US states. The AutoMoto should prove itself to be a practical and fun way to get around and it looks like a bargain too, at only USD$3800. Read More

ZAP Alias three wheel electric vehicle unveiled

By Noel McKeegan

23:43 January 25, 2009 PST

ZAP has shown a pre-production version of its three-wheeled, all-electric Alias roadster at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual conference and exposition in New Orleans. The company, which is best known for its small-footprint, low-emissions, low-speed electric cars and trucks for urban use is looking to get on the highway with its latest creation. The preliminary specs for the two-seater Alias give it a top speed of 105 mph, acceleration of 0 – 60 mph in 7.8 seconds and a range of over 100 miles on a single charge. Throw in a sculptured low slung design, gull-wing style doors and a price point predicted to be under the USD$35K mark and you have another promising prospect for the soon to explode EV marketplace. Read More

ENERGYA: two seater, three wheeled ultralight racecar for the road

By Loz Blain

01:32 January 7, 2009 PST

Designers from The Creative Unit have spent time working with Bombardier, so it's no coincidence that the work they've done on the Higgins-Aube ENERGYA looks a lot like a two-seater version of a Can-Am Spyder. But the purpose of this Canadian concept is quite different; since three wheelers are registered as motorcycles in many states, and motorcycles have fewer regulatory restrictions imposed on them, the ENERGYA is designed to bring racecar levels of ultra-low weight, big power and massive grip to the road that would be impossible if it was registered as a car. As such, it's got a much wider front wheelbase, enclosed seating, roll protection and double the horsepower of the Can-Am roadster. Read More

Aptera EV opts for front-wheel drive

By Noel McKeegan

22:33 December 28, 2008 PST

The already unmistakable Aptera 2e three-wheeler is continuing to evolve as it approaches its promised 2009 release with the latest development being the introduction of front-wheel drive to replace the original belt-driven rear wheel set-up. Front-wheel drive will now be used in all production vehicles with the company citing improved traction, stability and greater efficiency at high-speed as the key reasons for making the switch. Read More

The long, long way round (in a Solar Taxi)

By Paul Evans

04:33 December 8, 2008 PST

Swiss school teacher Louis Palmer last week became the first person to drive around the world on solar power. The 52,000km (32,000 mile) trip took 17-months at an average speed of 65kmh (40 mph). Mr Palmer said the car ran "like a Swiss clock," breaking down only twice during the grueling trip through 38 nations that started in Lucerne in July 2007. Read More

Peugeot's 3-wheel hybrid scooter concept puts a roof over your head

By Noel McKeegan

00:41 October 15, 2008 PDT

October 15, 2008 It's not a car and it's not quite a scooter. Peugeot's HYmotion3 compressor concept vehicle is an original mix of previously seen design elements - a semi-enclosed shell akin to BMW's C1 or the Benelli Adiva and the carving 3-wheel layout of Piaggio's MP3 - with hybrid drivetrain technology added to produce a 2-person vehicle that promises low CO2 emissions as well as greater safety and weather protection than conventional scooters. Read More

Zuumer electric scooter conquers the Californian coast

By Noel McKeegan

19:15 October 13, 2008 PDT

Sky-high fuel prices and an increasing awareness of the damage we are doing to our planet with oversized, CO2 spouting modes of transport has seen the electric scooter evolve from plaything to viable short-trip transportation option. So if you're a new manufacturer entering into this growing market, how do you get noticed and stand out from the pack? For San Diego based start-up company ZuumCraft, the answer was to take their three-wheeled, stand-up electric vehicle on a 650 mile road trip from San Francisco to San Diego - nothing like the 2-3 mile journey it's designed for, but a great way to showcase the reliability and performance attributes of this impressive design. Read More

Build your own three-wheel 225MPG plug-in-Hybrid

By Noel McKeegan

09:01 August 20, 2008 PDT

Here's one for the dedicated back-yard mechanic. Arizona based Robert Q. Riley Enterprises has now released construction plans based on the completed prototype of its do-it-yourself, two-passenger, XR3 plug-in hybrid, a vehicle that's capable of up to 225 miles per gallon, has a top speed of 80 mph and acceleration comparable to a conventional small car. The USD$200 instructional package for the modular, three-wheeled sportscar includes printed drawings, electronic 3D virtual models, computer files that enable vendors to make parts plus a DVD that outlines the building of the car. Read More

Can-Am Spyder Roadster review

By Noel McKeegan

21:25 June 5, 2008 PDT

It combines the open air exhilaration of two-wheeled transport with the stability of four, but it's not a motorbike and it's not a convertible sportscar. In fact, direct comparisons with anything else on the highway are largely useless because there's simply nothing out there like the Can-Am Spyder Roadster. More than a decade since BRP first began to explore the idea for totally a new breed of three-wheeled road going conveyance and four years since the styling was finalized, the world wide roll-out of the Spyder is now in full swing. Noel McKeegan climbs aboard for a closer look. Read More

TVA Gazelle - 4-wheel tilting car/bike hybrid

By Loz Blain

02:23 May 21, 2008 PDT

We are on the brink of a new commuting age; cars are too heavy, too inefficient, too dirty and too big to be viable in tomorrow's traffic-clogged cities - and motorcycles are too dangerous and too hard to ride to be a real option for many. The new TVA Gazelle tilting 4-wheeler could be the answer, capable of over 100mpg, incredibly agile in the corners and with a price tag of less than US$10,000. Read More

Three-wheeled, GSXR-engined Stealth Tryke

By Noel McKeegan

23:19 May 7, 2008 PDT

May 8, 2008 The line between car and motorcycle has become increasingly blurred in recent times with the appearance of scintillating 3-wheeled conveyances like Campagna's T-Rex and BRP's Can-Am Spyder roadster. In that vein, the custom made Stealth Tryke from Lehigh Valley Choppers employs a GSXR 1000 engine and wide, flat profile tires to take advantage of the stable "Y" configuration and deliver what looks to be one ripping ride. Read More

New design proposed for T-REX three-wheel street racer

By Noel McKeegan

20:36 April 8, 2008 PDT

Young industrial designer Johnathan Côté has proposed this slick re-design for the legendary T-REX 3-wheeler, retaining an updated variation of the distinctive recessed headlights and above seat air in-takes, dropping the exposed roll-bars and adding a heavily sculpted feel to the vehicle's low-slung aerodynamic profile. With the the first prototype released in 1994, the T-REX is a pioneer in the rapidly expanding world of modern 3-wheeled transport that has now spawned such exotic gems as the Can-Am Spyder, Brudeli's Three-Wheel Leanster, TriRod's F3 Adrenaline and the upcoming ZAP Alias highway electric car. Read More

Three-wheeler handling meets 1930s racecar style: Seattle's ACE Cycle Car

By Loz Blain

00:03 March 17, 2008 PDT

March 17, 2007 If you don't have the cash for a Caterham Levante, and the Can-Am Spyder's looks are a bit modern for you, you could do a lot worse than check out Liberty's ACE Cycle Car, a classically styled open-top three wheeler with twin open front wheels. Powered by a loud, strong and beautiful Harley-Davidson engine, the ACE offers a classic racecar-style driving experience as it hugs the corners around your favourite twisty road. Read More

New colors, button-shift and accelerated market expansion for 3-wheel Can-Am Spyder roadster

By Noel McKeegan

18:44 March 4, 2008 PST

March 5, 2008 The much anticipated roll-out of the 3-wheel Can-Am Spyderroadster is continuing apace according to the latest news from the company behind the project, BRP. Strong market demand has led BRP to expand deployment with ordering now open to 35 states, five provinces and 20 international markets. Read More

Sidam's tilting Xnovo three-wheeler: scooter or micro-minivan?

By Loz Blain

23:27 February 25, 2008 PST

February 26, 2008 Riding the wave of interest started by the Piaggio MP3 and Gilera Fuoco three-wheelers, French scooter importer Sidam is planning to try its luck with a new bike that turns the concept backwards. The Xnovo gives the tilting triangle wheelbase concept a much less fun, more utilitarian application than its Italian forebears, acting like a mini-minivan with huge carrying capacity, a hard roof, windscreen and twin driven rear wheels each on its own swingarm. And while it probably handles like a barge, the Xnovo may well find a niche as a traffic-busting courier/delivery vehicle. Read More

ZAP brings Alias highway electric car project closer to reality

By Noel McKeegan

19:49 January 23, 2008 PST

January 24, 2008 Electric-transport pioneer ZAP is now predicting a 2nd quarter 2009 production launch for the planned ZAP Alias(TM) highway electric car. The Joint Venture Company formed by ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group has invited engineering and technology companies to participate in the project by initiating a RFQ (Request For Quotation) process for the 150-mile range, 100mph three-wheeler which the company hopes to bring to market for around USD$30,000. The news follows the showing of the company's made for iPod electric car and iZAP rechargable battery technology at Macworld 2008 and the announcement of a deal with Coca Cola that will see a fleet of 30 of Zap's compact electric trucks used for a new beverage distribution system in Montevideo, Uruguay, with the aim of targeting areas where larger vehicles are challenged by parking shortages, traffic congestion and air pollution. Read More

First ride: Piaggio’s MP3 three-wheeled carver

By Loz Blain

16:12 October 29, 2007 PDT

October 30, 2007 What a hoot! Piaggio’s new carving three-wheeler, with two independently suspended front wheels, opens up yet another whole new category of motorcycle – a category that will surely explode once people get a glimpse of the ability of these stunning bikes. The MP3’s triangle footprint produces some sensational handling characteristics, making it an exceptionally fool-proof learner/commuter bike – as well as a hilarious hooligan tool for more experienced riders. Gizmag spent an afternoon with the scooter that just won’t let you mess things up. Read More

Triketek X2 Arrow three-wheel twin-seater cruise machine

By Loz Blain

23:21 September 12, 2007 PDT

September 13, 2007 We’re seeing more and more vehicles coming to market that are completely impractical and purely for fun purposes and three-wheeler trikes fit squarely into this category. Enter the X2 Arrow, currently being shown in Frankfurt, a uniquely styled, low-profile trike that offers a driver and a passenger the wind-in-your-hair freedom and snappy handling of a motorcycle with the roll-cage safety of a sports car. Read More

Harley-Davidson to build carving trikes

By Mike Hanlon

June 16, 2007 We've always been excited about the prospects for three wheeled conveyances. Way back in September 2006, (which seems like ancient history in internet years), Lehman Trikes and Harley-Davidson announced that they had entered into an agreement for the development of three-wheeled machines based on Harley “motorcycle product” and sold as Harley-Davidson branded vehicles through authorized Harley-Davidson dealers. Given that Lehman has been making a range of turnkey Harley trikes, conversion kits and accessories for 20 years, with two wheels at the back and a motorcycle front-end, the announcement didn’t get a lot of attention. A recent patent filing by Harley makes the whole story suddenly much more exciting. It appears that Harley isn’t far from releasing a stunning new “carving” model . Read More

Canadian T-REX 3-wheel street racer

By Loz Blain

Stand in front of it, and it looks like an exotic race car. Peek behind, and it looks like it's got a very large motorcycle up its backside. 0-60mph in under 4 seconds, with the elemental acceleration of a motorcycle, the cornering traction and roll-bar safety of a race car and the complete lack of practicality you'd expect from a machine bred purely for sports. Introducing Quebec's nastiest export: the T-REX from Campagna. Read More

The three-wheel, 225 mpg plug-in hybrid XR-3 kit car

By Mike Hanlon

March 21, 2007 Robert Q. Riley’s radical high-efficiency designs, concepts and kits have been public for a long time, and have often been viewed as non-mainstream and largely irrelevant by an American population with a highly distorted view of the real cost of cheap petrol. Now his fuel-efficient designs seem suddenly relevant – we desperately need new transportation alternatives that conserve energy and protect the planet’s ecosystem, Riley’s latest creation, the XR-3 plug-in hybrid, is a sleek two-passenger, three-wheel sports car that is expected to return 225 miles per gallon. Designed to be assembled by someone with average mechanical abilities and no prior experience, the all-wheel drive vehicle will be available as a kit or plans for complete do-it-yourself construction. The XR-3 Hybrid is currently under development and is scheduled to debut in June 2007. Read More

ZAP adds solar option to electric Xebra Xero

By Mike Hanlon

March 7,2007 After a positive response for its Xebra Xero, electric car pioneer ZAP has designed a solar option for the three-wheeled electric workhorse - a photovoltaic panel that ZAP says can offer short-distance driving on sunlight alone. ZAP intends to showcase the new Xebra Xero (pronounced zebra zero) Truck at up-coming industry events for automotive fleets. The Xebra truck is a city car, available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger truck, good for city driving up to 40 mph and will cost about US$12,000 with the Xero Solar Panel Option. The car recharges normally by plugging into a standard 110 volt outlet for a full charge in up to six hours and a 50 percent charge in 1.5 hours. The ZAP Truck converts into a flatbed or dump-bed that can tilt to allow maximum exposure to the sun. Read More

The plug-in hybrid carving three-wheeler from Venture

By Mike Hanlon

February 17, 2007 UPDATED IMAGES Venture Vehicles has formally announced in Los Angeles, the development of a revolutionary (not to mention very cool), 3-wheel, tilting, plug-in Hybrid vehicle under the working name VentureOne. It’s a two-passenger Hybrid vehicle that will get 100 mpg, accelerate from 0-60 in 6 seconds, will have a top speed of over 100 mph, while being priced at under US$20,000. In addition to the low-emission, flex-fuel Hybrid model, a zero-emission all-electric version is also being developed that will have an all-electric range of nearly 200 miles. A key feature of the VentureOne is the patented Dynamic Vehicle Control tilting technology from Dutch-based Carver Engineering that allows the body of the vehicle to actually tilt when going through turns while all three wheels maintain firm contact with the road. Carver already sells petrol-engined versions of the machine, and the Phiaro 3-wheeler is also closely based on the Carver. But a plug-in hybrid with a 200 mile electric range and sportscar performance is very enticing. Production is not scheduled until late 2008 and Venture Vehicles will initially offer two propulsion packages for the VentureOne: the hybrid E50 and Q100, and all-electric Venture EV model. The US$23,000 all-electric model will top the range while the E50 hybrid will sell for US$18,000 and the Q100 hybrid is expected to be priced under US$20,000. Read More

Can-Am Spyder roadster: three wheeled motorcycle

By Mike Hanlon

February 20, 2007 BRP has unveiled its first "on-road" vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am Spyder roadster. This three-wheel vehicle, with two wheels in the front and one in the rear, offers a completely new and stunning look. Powered by a proven 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, Spyder roadster, with its unique Y-architecture, can be described as part motorcycle and part convertible sports car. Later this year twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. BRP will then expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years. Read More