Back in April, Ukraine ebike maker Delfast announced that work had started on a three-wheeled electric package delivery solution. After reaching the final development phase in July, the Trike is now on sale.
As any bike-riding courier can tell you, hauling packages around busy city streets every day can take it out of you. A battery and motor combination could potentially help riders haul more for longer.
And that's where Delfast hopes its Trike will come in. It not only gives the rider the choice of throttle power up to a top speed of 34 km/h (21 mph) or pedal assist, it's also designed to carry up to 300 kg (660 lb) of cargo in the big box at the back. The company says it's spent a good while fine-tuning the 46-Ah battery pack design to give riders a per charge range of at least 70 km (44 mi), though that could be extended to a maximum of 110 km (68 mi) depending on how it's used.
The final design is a little different to the renders, which showed a covered frame in the style of its two-wheeled ebikes, and a weather shield to offer the rider some protection from the elements. But what you do get is a 750-W motor to the rear, a reinforced steel frame, triple-clamp aluminum forks, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano 8-speed shifter, a LED headlight, side and tail lights, and 24-inch Maxxis tires at the back and a 24-inch Kenda tire to the front.
It has been developed with support from the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, and is designed for small businesses looking for an environment-friendly way to deliver goods to customers. It's available to order now for US$3,799 (though businesses can pay half now, and the other half on delivery). The video below has more.
Delfast also recently announced a huge change to its B2C (business-to-consumer) sales profile. From November 1, models such as the Prime – which holds the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance on a single charge on two wheels – and last year's Offroad electric fatbike will no longer be available to buy. In fact, all models except the latest Top ebike will be discontinued from the end of October. From then on, the development focus for the consumer market will be solely on future Top models.
"There is a great business argument behind our decision," said company co-founder, Daniel Tonkopiy. "Top gives us 81 percent of sales, so we decided to focus on this model and make the best Top electric bike possible for our clients."
For the remainder of this month, Delfast is having a clear-out sale of its consumer models. The move does not affect existing customer support and warranty arrangements, nor does it impact on the company's business-to-business and business-to-government sales/development models.
Source: Delfast