Is the world finally ready for a Sinclair electric trike?

Clive Sinclair’s C5 recumbent electric trike was by all means a disastrous failure in an otherwise successful history of an ebullient inventor. Launched in 1985, the e-trike was welcomed by buzz and hype, yet bombed completely on the market, both because of well-analyzed marketing mistakes and because it was certainly ahead of its time.

Almost 40 years later, Sir Clive Sinclair’s nephew, inventor and futurist Grant Sinclair, is sure that times have matured for people to adopt an electric futuristic trike as their mobility choice. 

At the beginning of May, Sinclair unveiled the pre-production model of his new IRIS eTrike, an enclosed electric trike with a futuristic design to revolutionize urban transportation. Equipped with a HEPA air filtering system, the IRIS provides a safe, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional vehicles. It offers a top speed of 30+ mph and a range of 30+ miles on a single charge, with an aerodynamic design that makes it faster than regular bicycles. The trike is accessible to riders aged 14 and up without needing road tax, a driving license, or insurance.

“Due to the climate crisis, fossil fuels are being phased out and major cities are imposing low speed limits or banning cars altogether,” says Sinclair. “The average car has one occupant and people are put off riding bikes in extreme weather. I believe IRIS is part of the urgent solution.”

An IRIS eTrike prototype will be available to check out from 20th May 2023 to 14th April 2024 at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, UK, for their MOTOPIA Exhibition. Test rides will also be conducted soon in various global locations, starting in London, aiming at future commercialization. Sinclair says he received a manufacturing offer from Sony and has already designed a 150sq/m IRIS showroom for an undisclosed Norwegian distributor.