Pashley show off innovate, chain-less cargo trike

Pashley, Britain’s longest established bicycle maker, used the recent  Cenex-LCV exhibition to show off the prototype of a unique, chain-free cargo trike, known as the Multi-trike.

The Multi-trike was exhibited on the Niche Vehicle Network (NVN) stand at Cenex-LCV, as it was NVN who helped fund the ‘Proof of Concept’ development. The trike is expected to enter production in the first half of next year.

The Multi-trike is targeted at the consumer market and designed to safely and efficiently carry light goods, shopping & young children. Various designs of rear boxes can be fitted, as well as a flat-bed/pick-up configuration.

Unlike conventional electrically assisted tricycles, which have a chain drive coupled with a hub or mid-drive motor, the Multi-trike employs a generator at the pedal crank which activates battery driven motors on each of its rear wheels.

It is a ‘drive-by-wire’ system which does away with much of the complexities seen in conventional systems. You just sit on the saddle and start pedalling and the eDriveIN system takes the load and assists on the journey, providing up to 70Nm of torque to each of the rear wheels.

The simplicity of the design means that the rear cargo box can be mounted lower than on a conventional tricycle, thereby keeping the centre of gravity of the load that is carried as low as possible for increased stability.

The innovation continues with a unique, multi-purpose cargo box, the Multi-Pod, which has a 240-litre capacity – equivalent to that of a supermarket trolley – with a lockable lid. It incorporates a built-in headrest and fold-down seat for carrying one or two children as well as the shopping.

Adrian Williams, Pashley’s Managing Director, said: ‘The Multi-trike shows yet again that Pashley is a forward-thinking innovator and manufacturer in this rapidly developing world of micro-mobility. The Multi-trike will add to our extensive sales offering of practical and purposeful light-transport products designed for both business and consumer markets, all designed and hand-built at our factory in Stratford-upon-Avon.’

Retail prices are expected to be in the region of £6,500.