Alright, so let’s dive in here. This is what we’re looking at: an electric trike with a pivoting front end that mounts a bench-style seat for two adults (or probably three kids squished shoulder to shoulder).
This 85 kg (187 lb.) electric rickshaw is the open-aired pedal minivan you’ve been looking for. Or maybe you haven’t been looking for it, but it found you anyway. Just look at the luck on you, my friend!
The electric pedicab comes with comfy cushions for the bench seat and backrest, diamond plate flooring, and even a set of wooden arm rests to keep your fares comfortable.
For the driver we’ve got a padded full-width handlebar and a six-speed transmission. Steering is accomplished by turning the whole front end of the e-trike, which is a dead simple way to offer the stability of a tadpole trike (two front wheels instead of two rear wheels) without the complexity of steering knuckles and articulating front wheels.
And of course the entire thing is electric, meaning you won’t have to pedal the 200 kg (440 lb.) payload capacity under your own strength, or at least not entirely by yourself.
Now I’ll be the first to say that the electric kit on this pedicab leaves a lot to be desired. It’s a simple 250W Dapu e-bike motor and controller. That means it’s not going to get rolling very quickly, and so it’s a good thing you’ve got a six-speed transmission that allows you to drop into low gear to help get things moving.
The bike includes a 36V 13Ah battery, which again, is not particularly large. But since this pedicab likely maxes out at around 25 km/h (15 mph), it’s not like you’re going to be burning up that much energy doing low-speed riding.
The company claims the e-rickshaw can handle a 35º hill, but that’s probably a fib taller than these handlebars. You’d have trouble walking up a 35º incline, let alone powering a heavy e-bike up one.
But we’ll let that slide since the bike seems to come with some pretty nice features. It even has hydraulic disc brakes plus a pair of storage compartments behind the seat! What’s not to like here?
You can see the major features in the video below. My favorite part is the tranquil music and the subtle narration.
But my favorite part of all of this is probably the price. The non-electric version of the pedidcab is priced at an amazingly affordable $685. If you want the electric pedicab, that’ll be a slightly higher but still more than reasonable $980.
And now you’re probably thinking that “sure, it’s cheap, but shipping is going to be the killer here.” And you’re right, sort of. I inquired about door-to-door shipping and the vendor told me that it’d cost over $1,000 to the US. So next I had the vendor check on LCL (less than container load) shipping to Miami port, which turned out to be a cool $280. Ka-ching!
If you’re on the West Coast then it’s probably going to be even cheaper, since you’ve got one less Panama Canal to navigate.
From there you’d still have other add-on charges, such as import duties, arrival duties, broker fees, and the responsibility of picking it up at port or trucking it yourself to your final destination. But you could probably be home free for less than $2,000 if you play your cards right. Is it going to be as nice as a $2,500 e-trike? No way. But can it carry more and give you a better story of how you got it to the US? Definitely.
And the best part is that this is all a write-off, since you’re definitely going to be starting a pedicab company with this thing, right?! I mean, why wouldn’t you? Charge $5 a ride and you’re just a mere 400 fares away from paying this bad boy off.
Realistically speaking, even if you’re not planning on bringing in 20 of these and becoming the next pedicab tycoon of your local beach town, this could still make a fun family vehicle. It’d be perfect for more than just Sunday rides with the kids. You could even use it for carpool duty during the week to drop those rug rats off at school or make a little cargo net for the front to turn the bench into a big trunk for grocery shopping.
When you own your own electric trike, the world is your oyster!
Now I just have to decide if I’m really going to get one of these. I don’t need it, but then again I didn’t need an electric boat or mini e-truck either, and I don’t regret those!
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
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The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai teases new electric SUV in China (Source: Beijing Hyundai)
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
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Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
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