Three Wheel

When those of us who live in urban areas picture letter carriers – or posties, or mailmen/women – we usually think of them as people who deliver the mail by foot. The fact is, however, letter carriers in much of the world use small motorcycles to make their deliveries. If Australian inventor Simon Williams has his way, many of those motorcycles may soon be replaced by his electric three-wheeler. Not only is the Williams Deliver-E Trike quieter and cleaner than gas-powered bikes, but its two rear swing arms pivot independently, allowing the vehicle to lean into turns and stand upright when parked at the side of a sloping road. Read More

The cyclecar was a cross between a motorcycle and a car that popular a 100 years ago, mainly because the extremely light weight and powerful big V-twin motorcycle engine gave it sporting performance. Only one of the original cyclecar manufacturers still exists today – Morgan – and in a remarkable announcement, the entire concept has been updated and will sell for GBP25,000 powered by a big 115 bhp S&S V-twin, a five-speed Mazda gearbox and a cockpit modeled on a WW1 fighter plane. Read More

Although I live by a river, I don't own a boat so am not faced with having to drag a trailer down to the water's edge and unload my dinghy every time I want to cross the great expanse. I might just be persuaded to spend more time on the water, though, if there was something like the Manta waiting outside my front door. The sporty-looking three-wheeler concept is designed to be run on twin electric motors, with the rear wheels taking care of propulsion on water as well as on the road. The design is amongst the entries chosen by this year's Michelin Challenge Design judges for display at the recent North American International Auto Show. Read More

If the notion of flying through the air appeals then hang-gliding might be your first thought. But if your fear of heights keeps you closer to the ground then perhaps Dr Carsten Mehring's StreetFlyer may be of interest. The human-powered three-wheeler suspends its user from an arched frame so that when enough momentum is generated, the legs can be lifted off the ground and you're away – at a cruising altitude of just a few feet. Read More

The recently finalized Double Challenge project required MA students at London’s Royal College of Art to design an ultra-compact electric vehicle for event sponsor Citroën. Not surprisingly from such distilled intelligence, the winning entry is a new type of personal urban commuter positioned between bicycles and cars – light, aerodynamically efficient, cheap to build and economical in its use of energy and hence run. Heikki Juvonen’s “E-3POD Antistatic” is an ultralight, micro segment electric three-wheeler with the driver sitting inside a large hub-less third wheel. Read More

Those attending the International Motor Show in New York this weekend will be the first to get a close up look at Bombardier Recreational Products’ (BRP) Can-Am Spyder hybrid concept vehicle. In developing the hybrid Spyder roadster BRP are aiming to achieve a 50 percent improvement in fuel efficiency than the current Can-Am Spyder roadster with comparable acceleration and a total range of 375 miles (604 km). Read More

Since its launch in 2007, Bombardier Recreational Products’ (BRP) Can-Am Spyder roadster has carved a unique place for itself with its distinctive Y-architecture – two wheels in the front and one in the back – which gives the vehicle the open-air exhilaration of a motorbike combined with the stability of a four-wheeled vehicle. We were duly impressed by our first test ride on the three-wheeler back in 2008, but now a new take on the Spyder is on the horizon. As part of the Canadian government’s efforts to boost that country’s automotive research and development, a project is underway to develop a hybrid version which aims to equal the performance of the current Rotax 998cc V-Twin powered model. Read More

Electric vehicles are beginning to spread onto the mass market, but one of the limiting factors in these early days is a high-cost compared to their gas-burning equivalents. Electric scooters and motorcycles are considerably cheaper, but not everyone is comfortable on two wheels, or likes being exposed to the elements. Here's an alternative type of EV that costs less than six thousand dollars, is stable on the road and will protect you from wind and rain. It’s called the BugE, and there’s just one catch to it – you have to put the thing together yourself. Read More

Of all the quirky old British cars, perhaps none has more of a cult following than the Morgan Threewheeler. About 30,000 of the autos were manufactured at Morgan’s plant in Malvern, England between 1909 and 1953, with a number of others being produced under license by Darmont Morgan in France. The Threewheeler was no slouch in the performance department – it could maintain an average speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) on the race track, and one of the vehicles won the 1913 French Grand Prix. Now the Morgan Motor Company is re-releasing the car with its original looks and today’s technology. Read More