Royal Mail's e-Trikes Are Green and Dorky

It sounds like something a five-year-old would drive, but Britain’s “e-Trikes” are … exactly something a five-year-old would drive. But a five-year-old’s legs aren’t this long. So there’s that. Neat technology, though.

Britain's Royal Mail service is set to demo the three-wheeled e-trikes in Stratford, east London, Cambridge and Sutton Coldfield, and while it definitely looks like a giant toy, it sports some serious horsepower (for a tricycle).

The e-Trikes subsist on a combination of biomechanical energy (your legs), solar power, a battery-operated motor, and regenerative braking. A 48v lithium battery powers a 250w electric motor, which provides a 0.34bhp boost to the peddler. Photovoltaics and the brakes top off the motor.

And yes, they’re extremely dorky-looking – the Segway is now the 2^nd-most embarrassing ride – but their environmental chops are strong. Royal Mail apparently has more than 47,000 vehicles, with most of them sporting traditional combustion engines. Disseminating e-Trikes across the fleet might prompt a few giggles, but they’ll save a ton on CO2 emissions.

“As a company, we are committed to making changes to our operations which reduce our environmental impact,” said David Gold, the Royal Mail’s director of public affairs and policy.

“Alongside our ongoing transformation program and the introduction of electric vans in locations across our business, this trial is part of a programme of initiatives across our business.”

Royal Mail plans to demo eight e-Trikes for six months starting in late March, before a possible wider deployment.