Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors
  3. News

Iris eTrike offers the comfort of a tiny car while remaining eco-friendly

By

People around the world have been doing their part to go green by looking at other ways to commute with fewer carbon emissions. Many have turned towards bicycles, but others miss the comfort and convenience of a car. What if there was something a little bit in the middle?

Inventor Grant Sinclair has come up with a working design called the Iris eTrike. This small, motorized vehicle is the spiritual successor to the Sinclair C5 vehicle that his uncle, Sir Clive Sinclair, developed in 1985.

Recommended Videos

While the Sinclair C5 didn’t light the world on fire back in the 1980s, the Iris eTrike has quite a few upgrades that set it apart. For starters, this eTrike travels about three times as fast with a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour. The body itself was inspired by the aerodynamic helmets that are used in velodrome bike racing. Crash helmets for skiing also made their influence in the body’s Quantum Foam EPP material that protects the rider.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Visibility is always a concern with smaller modes of transportation. To keep the rider safe, the Iris eTrike features LED headlamps, brake lights, and turn signals. The chest height, high-level profile of the eTrike also helps to attract attention.

For a longer commute, storage space is a big necessity, and this is where this eTrike shines. Iris features a lockable rear compartment that has 50 liters of space. Whether for personal shopping, express couriers, or food delivery, the Iris eTrike allows for a green way to carry goods.

IRIS eTrike® as seen on BBC TV

Iris runs on a 250-watt geared hub motor that uses regenerative braking to recharge the battery in transit. This allows the eTrike to travel up to 50 miles after a one-hour charge. The hybrid design of the vehicle automatically starts the motor when pedaling. Additionally, the battery powers a few extra features inside the cabin. A universal smartphone dock can easily be used for GPS, music playback, and more. The phone also can be used to stream footage from the built-in rearview camera.

Other features include a hinged acrylic canopy to keep the rider dry and channeled air vents to keep air flowing inside the cabin.

The Iris eTrike can be pre-ordered now with a 99-pound ($124) deposit. With a final price of 2,999 pounds ($3,762), delivery is estimated for the fourth quarter of 2017.

Topics
Garrett Hulfish
Garrett Hulfish
Contributor
Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…
Juiced Bikes sold at auction for $1.2 million, report says
The Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 adds more power, upgraded tires, and an improved battery to the popular moped style e-bike.

Juiced Bikes, the San Diego-based maker of e-bikes, has been sold on an auction website for $1,225,000, according to a report from Electrek.Digital Trends recently reported how the company was showing signs of being on the brink of bankruptcy. The company and its executives had remained silent, while customer inquiries went unanswered and its website showed all products were out of stock. In addition, there were numerous reports of layoffs at the company.Yet, the most convincing sign was that the company’s assets appeared as listed for sale on an auction website used by companies that go out of business.Now, it appears that Juiced Bikes’ assets, including a dozen patents, multiple URLs, and the company’s inventory in both the U.S. and China, have been sold at auction, according to the report. It is likely that the buyer, who remains unknown, can capitalize on the brand and the overall value of the 15-year old company. Founded in 2009 by Tora Harris, a U.S. high-jump Olympian, Juiced Bikes was one of the early pioneers of the direct-to-consumer e-bike brands in the U.S. market.
The company had quickly built a reputation for the versatility of its e-bikes and the durability of their batteries. Over the years, the popularity of models such as the CrossCurrent, HyperScrambler, and RipCurrent only bolstered the brand’s status.Last year, Digital Trends named the Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 as the best moped-style e-bike for 2023, citing its versatility, rich feature set, and performance.Juiced Bikes’ getting sold quickly might be a sign of what consulting firm Houlihan Lokey says is a recovery in the North American e-bike market.
The industry has had a roller-coaster ride during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A huge spike in demand for e-bikes had combined with disrupted supply chains to create a supply/demand mismatch of “historic proportions," Houlihan Lokey said.

Read more
Adventure time: SUPCASE has the ultimate gear for outdoor enthusiasts
A variety of outdoor gear options for the ultimate wilderness enthusiast.
Scenic view from inside a tent while camping.

You might know SUPCASE for its excellent collection of durable and rugged phone cases. But as it's in the industry of making tough gear for the adventurous sorts, it should come as no surprise that the brand also has a valuable collection of outdoor gear. Just to provide some examples, a multi-functional pocket tool, a rugged and water-resistant equipment case, a durable yet spacious backpack, or even a sleek yet reliable bottle opener.

In fact, there are quite a few options, so many that it could be tough to nail down just one tool or outdoor item you'd need. Naturally, we put together this guide to explore some of the ultimate gear, but you can always peep at them yourself, as well.

Read more
Aventon Abound SR combines thoughtful design, enhanced security, and smart connectivity
Aventon Abound SR hero image with couple on the e-bike

Electric bikes are nothing new at this point, and while there are many styles, few purportedly do-it-all, and even fewer actually offer smart or more advanced features. They tend to do one thing particularly well, like cruising, carrying cargo, or sightseeing -- like city riding -- but the biggest way they push the envelope is by offering that long-range electric power. The Aventon Abound SR, a new do-it-all bike, goes far and beyond anything that's come before it.

For starters, it's the first bike equipped with Aventon's electronic control unit (ACU) which empowers intelligent safety features. That gives you 4G and GPS tracking built-in, plus remote locking, an alarm system, and much more. But also, this top-of-its-class bike is incredibly versatile and is suitable for everything from commutes to tough exercise rides and daily routines. It features a top speed of 20 miles per hour, has a range of up to 60 miles per charge, and can carry a payload of up to 440 pounds. Impressive, indeed. Let's take a closer look and get a little more friendly with it, shall we?

Read more