Bicycles

Wheelys 2 electric trike is also a coffee-shop-on-the-go

Wheelys 2 electric trike is also a coffee-shop-on-the-go
Wheelys 2 is made for entrepreneurs who don't mind doing a bit of pedaling ... and peddling
Wheelys 2 is made for entrepreneurs who don't mind doing a bit of pedaling ... and peddling
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Wheelys 2 is made for entrepreneurs who don't mind doing a bit of pedaling ... and peddling
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Wheelys 2 is made for entrepreneurs who don't mind doing a bit of pedaling ... and peddling
Some of Wheely 2's features
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Some of Wheely 2's features
Power is provided by an onboard battery pack, which also runs the trike's electric-assist motor
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Power is provided by an onboard battery pack, which also runs the trike's electric-assist motor
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Five years ago, we heard about a bicycle that doubles as a beer bar. Clever though that may be, sometimes people need a jolt more than a buzz. Well, that's where Wheelys 2 comes in. It's an electric cargo trike that also happens to be a powered mobile coffee shop.

Wheelys 2 was created in Sweden, by members of The Nordic Society For Invention and Discovery (NSID) – the same collective that brought us the Nebula 12 indoor cloud-making system and the world's biggest iPod dock.

And, as its name suggests, Wheelys 2 isn't the first of its kind.

The original Wheelys 1 non-electric trike isn't all that different from the ice cream-vending trikes that enterprising kids used to schlep down the street. Its features include an insulated compartment for chilled beverages and snacks; a siphon-style coffee brewer; a butane-powered stove for heating that brewer; a 10-liter coffee Thermos; and a basin for catching spills when drinks are poured into the included Wheelys-branded disposable cups.

According to NSID, within just a few months of being launched, approximately 30 of those trikes were purchased by independent operators in over 10 countries.

Power is provided by an onboard battery pack, which also runs the trike's electric-assist motor
Power is provided by an onboard battery pack, which also runs the trike's electric-assist motor

The new Wheelys 2 adds a number of features, including electrically- or manually-pumped running water; an animated LCD menu board that can be linked to the operator's smartphone; a 20-liter water tank; a speaker for pumpin' out the tunes; a router for turning the trike into a Wi-Fi hotspot; and, a roof that can be lowered while riding.

Power is provided by an onboard battery pack, which also runs the electric-assist motor – no performance specs have been provided. Solar panels help keep that battery charged while the trike is parked.

With either version of Wheelys, operators purchase the trike, pay a monthly franchise fee, and then regularly receive the coffee beans and other brand-specific supplies needed to run the business. Whatever money they make in sales, they keep.

NSID is currently raising production funds for Wheelys 2, on Indiegogo. A pledge of US$2,250 will currently get you a Wheelys 1, with $7,000 required for a Wheelys 2 – when and if it's ready to roll.

Sources: Wheelys Cafe, Indiegogo

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1 comment
1 comment
Germano Pecoraro Designer
Very well but this body is too heavy; this veihcle can comeing olny on plane