This Semi-Enclosed Electric Trike Could Make Commuting A Lot More Fun

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

This electric trike is small enough to fit in bike lanes and bike paths, has an enclosure that offers some protection from the weather, and includes a variety of car-like features such as headlights and tail lights, turn signals, mirrors, and even a roll bar and a windshield with a power wiper. The Veemo looks like a velomobile, or a pod bike, or a semi-recumbent electric tricycle, but no matter how it’s described, it could help make commuting (and getting the groceries) lower carbon — and a lot more fun.

The electric mobility sector is looking pretty diverse right now, with options for zero-emission transportation available in all sorts of form factors, from electric skateboards and scooters to e-bikes and e-motorcycles to electric trikes and quadracycles to microcars and low-speed electric vehicles. And that’s not even counting full-sized electric cars and trucks, so we’re now at a place where there is an electric transportation option available for just about every budget.

If you’ve got the money to invest in something a little more pricey than a standard e-bike, and you’re in the market for a zero emission commuter vehicle that combines the health benefits of cycling with the convenience of an enclosure that keeps out (most) of the elements, perhaps you’d enjoy an electric velomobile like the Veemo.

ENVO Drive Systems, which builds e-mobility solutions that range from e-bikes to electric snow machines to e-ATVs, has just announced that the Veemo, which is based on the acquired work of another Canadian e-mobility company that went bankrupt, will be shipping to customers in mid-May.

Kyle took a trip to Vancouver last year to see what ENVO has been working on, and at that point, the Veemo was still not ready for primetime, but he did get to drive some “early frankensteined prototypes.” His impression was that “They rode extremely well and with their narrow footprint and weather protection, the design and concept are attractive.” And soon, intrepid early adopters will be able to get their hands on the production model.

The Veemo has a 750W rear hub motor providing the oomph, powered by a battery said to be good for up to 45 miles (70 km) of range, with the option for a dual battery configuration. The top speed is about 28 mph, but it is limited to 20 mph (32 km/h) to comply with regulations in the US and Canada, and to 16 mph (25 km/h) in the EU.

“While this does not sound fast to some, keep in mind that the average speed of most commutes in North American is historically around 26.5 Miles Per Hour and has been falling every single year since 2001 *. Average commute speeds in the EU are even slower.” – ENVO

The Veemo SE, which is the semi-enclosed model, only seats one person, but has 60 liters of cargo space behind the seat. The price on the base model SE starts at US$6,199, with the dual battery option bringing it to $6,899.

The Veemo LT is a “topless” version, without an enclosure, and ENVO added a front bumper and a rear seat and foot rests, so it can haul two riders plus cargo, and the price on the base model LT starts at $4,649 ($5,349 for the dual battery configuration).

According to the website, there are options for adding anti-theft measures to the Veemo, such as an electronically controlled parking brake and an alarm and tracking function. ENVO is taking reservations now with a refundable $186 deposit, with shipping expected to begin in mid-May.