Trike

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

My first attempt at rowing a boat on a park pond was the source of some considerable embarrassment. As I went round and round in ever decreasing circles, I remember thinking that there must have been something wrong with the steering. Troels Øhman's RowRay though may just tempt me back to the oars. Designed to bring a fun element to family exercise, the three-wheeled landcart concept is driven by grabbing hold of the two handles and pulling back for dear life. Turning the cart is a matter of pulling on the left or right "oar" and the designer sees users being able to take one for a spin by using a smartphone to unlock it from a base station at the beach or in the park.  Read More

It would be a huge understatement to say that the 12 vehicles remaining in the Automotive X PRIZE are pretty unusual. One of the things that was particularly fun for those of us recently attending the Finals Stage in Michigan, in fact, was observing all the different forms and configurations that the different teams’ automobiles have taken. One standout (and they’re all standouts really) has been the TW4XP, representing the team of the same name. The vehicle is a sneak-peek of the next generation of Twike, a production electric three-wheeler built and sold by some of the team members back home in Germany. One of the things that makes regular Twikes special is the fact that they have pedals, so you can extend their range by giving the battery a break and pedaling on the easy stuff. While other X PRIZE contenders such as the Aptera may be sexier than the TW4XP, it represents an already-available vehicle that could help you work off those unwanted extra pounds.  Read More

If you’re excited by the new Ducati 1198, but are perhaps a little too poor or timid to buy one, here’s the next-best thing – a top-of-the-line Italian tricycle for your kid. Not only is Italtrike's oko, well, you know... Italian, but it also sports some rather clever features that make it safer and more practical than your average Lilliputian three-wheeler.  Read More

The Kid Kustoms' Roddler stroller has been wowing parents for a few years now - not only because of its customizable hot rod look but also its price tag – from USD $2,500. Now the company has released a trike conversion kit that replaces the front end of the stroller to create a new set of wheels for your trendy tot.  Read More

February 12, 2008 First came the dog-powered scooter, now inventor Mark Schuette has developed a dog-powered recumbent trike that employs the same "dog behind a steering wheel" configuration with the added stability offered by a sit-down trike design and twice the steering power and braking power of the scooter.  Read More

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

July 18, 2006 Our prize for the best product extension of the year goes to the company that designs and manufactures the three-wheeled cambering Trikke and has now developed a new snow sport from the design and named it Skki. The Trikke is an ingenious human-powered machine that is both chainless and pedal-less. The rider propels the Trikke by slaloming in a graceful, non-impactful fashion, working the torso and arms as well as the legs to generate speeds akin to that of a mountain bike. The best part of the Trikke is the downhill cornering, where the cambering gives it a carving feel akin to that of a racing motorcycle. The Skki is not a logical product extension until you see it, as it offers an identical steering and riding motion that’s just perfect for the snow. There’s some big advantages too – it’s easier to learn than skiing or snowboarding because there’s a set of handlebars for turning, can be done in any comfortable snowboot and hence doesn’t involve any ski-boot pain, it’s 1000 percent less likely to cause a knee reconstruction, and it lacks for nothing in terms of thrills, spills and fun because you can be carving like a pro inside a few minutes! Most importantly, experienced skiers love it too as it’s an entirely new form of snow thrill. Check out the extensive image library.  Read More

June 3, 2006 We never cease to be amazed at just how many combinations for three and four wheeled conveyances are possible in the quest to have some fun. Yet another completely new layout for the humble tricycle arrived on our desk this week and it's a far cry from the picture you see in your mind's eye when the word tricycle is mentioned. The new layout has been trademarked DriftRider and it's a reclining trike with a fixed front wheel and steering via both rear wheels. Offering a human-powered experience akin to that of the new motorsport known as drifting, we could see the US$170 DriftRider becoming a Christmas sensation as a new wave of tweens comes to grips with the machine's ability to slide, drift and do quite spectacular things. Check out the image gallery then the video - still images don't do the stunt capabilities justice.  Read More