It's the Eurobike trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, later this month, and local firm HP Velotechnik is riding in hot with a recumbent electric trike called the Delta tx that was developed to take "a senior tricycle to the next level."
At least that was the original plan, but company CEO Paul Hollants found it to be so much fun during test rides that it's being marketed as an Easy Rider for all generations – "you don't need to be at least a certain age to enjoy the casual riding position on a chopper," he said in a press statement.
The Delta tx was designed for folks needing support and comfort from a tip-resistant vehicle with easy access, and is built around an aluminum frame with a rear triangle that floats on coil suspension. Airy ErgoMesh or ErgoMesh Premium seats will be available, each in two heights and widths with Orthoflex padding technology allowing for adaptation to individual comfort needs.
Where the company's Gekko and Scorpion sport trikes feature two wheels to the front and a single wheel at the back, this upcoming model takes the opposite stance. The basket mounted between the rear wheels is designed to haul gear up to 25 kg (55 lb), plus there's an optional bag holder for the back rest, and side mounts allow for bags to be secured either side of the handlebar. If that's still not enough storage capacity, a trailer can be hitched to "set 40 kilos of transport load in motion."
The basic model will ride out with a Bafang M300 motor powering the laid-back trip, partnered with an Enviolo Trekking Automatiq geared hub. But buyers can also choose to upgrade to one of three Shimano STEPS motors with responsive torque sensing – the E5000 and E6100 flavors are matched with an 8-speed Nexus Di2 hub while the EP801 Cargo variant will partner with a new Cues Di2 10-speed derailleur, though the Enviolo hub is also an option here, as is manual shifting via the 14-speed Rohloff Speedhub.
Interestingly, as the mid-axle motor drives both rear wheels at equal speeds, the company needed to solve the potential issue of slip during cornering. Not wanting to employ a differential gear "for three reasons: it’s costly, it’s heavy and it needs maintenance," engineers came up with "a design with two freewheels axially arranged in the rear wheel axle." This Freewheelin Twin technology not only ensures that only the inner wheel is motor-driven during cornering, but is also reported to provide improved traction for hill starts and tricky surfaces like gravel.
There's no mention of top pedal-assist speeds, but other motor-packing models from the company roll up to 25 km/h in Europe or 20 mph in the US with 250-W drives, though the 400-W S-Pedelec versions bump that up to 45 km/h (28 mph). Likewise, per-charge range from the low-slung battery is also an unknown at this point. These and other specs blanks will doubtless be revealed closer to release time.
The Delta tx weighs in at just 32 kg (70 lb), and can be broken down into three sections for between-ride transport. It will make its public debut during Eurobike at Messe Frankfurt from June 21 to June 25, and HP Velotechnik will be offering test rides for show goers ahead of production and availability from the beginning of 2024 for a starting price of US$6,920.
Source: HP Velotechnik