It was just this January that we heard about Wheelys 2, an electric-assist cargo trike that doubles as a mobile coffee shop. Although it provides pretty much everything that its owner might need to run their own business, its designers are now introducing the new-and-improved Wheelys 3.
Like its predecessor (along with the non-electric Wheelys 1), the Wheelys 3 is the product of Sweden's Nordic Society For Invention and Discovery (NSID). Also like the Wheelys 2, it includes features such as an insulated compartment for chilled beverages and snacks; a siphon-style coffee brewer; a 10-liter coffee Thermos; a battery-boosting solar panel; and a basin for catching spills.
While the 2 has a single butane burner for heating the brewer, however, the 3 has three burners for three brewers, that can be pulled out once the trike is parked. The temperature of those burners is wirelessly controlled using a custom app, which can also be used for things like keeping track of customer orders and handling payments – including ones made by Bitcoin.
Both hot and cold running water are also now available, as is a mini towable greenhouse for growing one's own coffee plants. Are many owners likely to use that? Probably not. It could be a useful marketing gimmick, though.
NSID is now raising production funds for the Wheelys 3, on Indiegogo. A pledge of US$2,999 will get you one, when and if they're ready to roll. 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.
More information is available in the rather quirky video below.
Sources: Wheelys Cafe, Indiegogo