The Sinclair C5 was once touted as the future of electric vehicles – and indeed travel.
To give you an idea of what we’re talking about, take a look at this original advert from 1985 for the battery-assisted, pedal-powered tricycle.
You can’t fault the quality of an advert like that but, sadly for the little one-person vehicle – which had a top speed of just 15mph – it never really caught on.
Over 37 years after its invention by Sir Clive Sinclair though, the C5 has received a modern makeover.
Created by Grant Sincliar, the original inventor’s nephew, this modern take on the iconic three-wheeler is on the face of it a totally different kettle of fish.
The IRIS eTrike’s design shape is inspired by cycling helmets used in velodrome racing and, with a one-hour charge cycle, 50-mile range and a top speed of over 25mph – it actually sounds like a viable short distance vehicle.
The eTrike will be road-legal too when it is released later this year.
The version in the video above is the “Eco” model, but the company also offers an all-black “Extreme” model offering speeds of over 30mph.
That’s not surprising either, as the battery in this model dishes out over 750 watts in comparison to the Eco’s 250. What’s more, the Extreme can drive without the need for pedalling, relying only on its mid-drive motor.
This latest invention under the Sinclair name doesn’t come cheap though, with the Eco model priced at £2,999 and the Extreme at £3,499.
Whether or not there’s a market for the eTrike we will have to wait and see – but the younger Sinclair will be hoping he hasn’t followed in his uncle’s footsteps too closely with this one.
Fingers crossed Sir Clive gave the eTrike a thumbs up too…
