TerraTrike Charge launched as one of the most affordable reverse electric trikes yet
When people think of electric trikes, they tend to conjure up images of traditional delta-style trikes with two wheels in the back. But tadpole-style trikes, also known as reverse trikes, are much more stable in turns. They’ve generally been quite pricey, but the recently unveiled TerraTrike Charge is helping pull those prices down to more affordable territory than the bike store recumbent e-trikes that cost several thousand dollars more.
This isn’t TerraTrike’s first e-trike, not by a long shot. The company was one of the first on the scene with an electric trike back in 2014.
More recently, TerraTrike’s EVO recumbent tadpole trike made waves in the industry. That e-trike uses a stable and maneuverable platform with a reclined seating position for ultimate comfort. But the sophisticated design and Bosch drivetrain kept the price fairly lofty at around $5,000.
Now the company has revealed the new TerraTrike Charge at a much more attractive price of $3,249.
The Charge still uses a recumbent tadpole trike design, letting riders make quick and agile turns without feeling like they’ll tip over. But the Charge also adopts more price-conscious design notes like a rear hub motor to replace the pricier Bosch mid-drive setup.
It may look like a fun little three-wheeled go-kart, but don’t expect the 57-pound (26 kg) TerraTrike Charge to fly off the line or take the checkered flag.
That 250W hub motor from Promovec carries a modest 43 Nm torque rating, which is far from the highest performance we’ve seen in e-bike motors.
The 374 Wh battery is also on the lower end of the scale for battery capacity. There’s no word on official range, but the lack of a hand throttle means that efficient pedal assist is your only option and should result in decent range. The 8-speed transmission should make pedaling pretty easy, as will that electric assist motor.
The trike’s design puts recreational and leisure riding front and center, meaning the humble performance is in line with the type of riders seeking out recumbent tadpole trikes.
As TerraTrike sales and marketing director Marshall Randall explained:
This new Charge is going to open doors for so many riders wishing to extend their riding range with the addition of e-assist and the comfort a tadpole trike brings. We’re seeing a number of new offerings in the more upright delta style e-trikes, where you have two wheels in back, which is great, but we’re confident that riders wishing for a bit more comfort, stability and performance will fall in love with the benefits of the Charge.
A major advantage of tadpole recumbent trikes is that they are designed to be comfortable for all body types, and especially for those riders that don’t enjoy the prospect of sitting on a small bicycle seat with an upright ride posture.
In fact, the seating position of the Charge puts the rider closer to the center of the wheel axle and lowers the overall center of gravity of the bike/rider combo, helping to increase stability over upright e-trikes.
Compared to delta trikes with two rear wheels, the tadpole design with two front wheels is much more stable in corners and helps reduce or remove that tipping feeling when turning sharply.
And while tadpole trikes normally cost a pretty penny, Randall is proud of the Charge’s lower entry price compared to the rest of the industry.
I’ve never been so proud of a price-point trike. People of all ages and abilities can now enjoy the comfort, safety and just the pure fun of an e-assist trike at a lower cost of entry than we’ve ever been able to offer.
Electric trikes are coming into their own this year as several new models hit the market. Addmotor recently upgraded its M340 electric trike and Rad Power Bikes entered the market with its first-ever consumer-facing electric trike, the RadTrike. Wilder designs like sidecar e-bikes are even making electric trikes fun and edgy for younger audiences.
E-trikes are of course not a new format, as evidenced by TerraTrike’s work in the space since 2014. But electric trikes are now finally getting the attention they’ve long deserved as alternative e-bike platforms that offer advantages in stability, cargo capacity, and accessibility.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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