Electric taxi project

[Alan Quay]

Brother and I bought this, er, 'beauty' on eBay.

I think it's an early 'velotaxi'.

It's interesting, because it's constructed to meet some (possibly all) of the SVA requirements to make it road legal with a 800w motor. It has lights/indicators, motorcycle tyres, horn etc.

I guess that for private hire in the UK it needs to be plated. This might prove to be too much hassle though.

So, were considering the options.

1. Get the SVA, plate, insurance etc, see if it can be used as a taxi.
2. Put it back to EAPC status, attempt to persuade local council to allow it for use for pleasure rides on cycle paths.
3. Re-body as something else. Coffee/icecream/crepes vending (much less regulation as no passengers).


Anyone have any experience or suggestions?

 

[trex]

3. Re-body as something else. Coffee/icecream/crepes vending (much less regulation as no passengers).

 

[flecc]

If back to EAPC status you wouldn't have to persuade the council, it would be legal on any cyclepath or shared footpath. With weight limits removed since 6th April this year, it would just be an EAPC trike, treated as an unpowered tricycle or bicycle in law. That also covers bridlepaths and Sustrans routes.
.

 

[Alan Quay]

If back to EAPC status you wouldn't have to persuade the council, it would be legal on any cyclepath or shared footpath. With weight limits removed since 6th April this year, it would just be an EAPC trike, treated as an unpowered tricycle or bicycle in law. That also covers bridlepaths and Sustrans routes.
.

Yes, but fare paying passengers?

 

[flecc]

Yes, but fare paying passengers?

Oh no, that could open a Pandora's box of regulation requirements, including public liability issues of insurance and health & safety.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Does it have a leaning mechanism. If not, it'll probably be spending a lot of time on its side, or is just the photo that makes it look narrow?

 

[shemozzle999]

3. Re-body as something else. Coffee/icecream/crepes vending (much less regulation as no passengers).

For coffee check out this one, c/o Martin @ e-bikeshop:


https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Nicolai-Bosch-Cofee-Electric-Bike.jpg

 

[EddiePJ]

You have to paint it yellow, and call the service Trotters independent taxi service

Could be a winner.

 

[Alan Quay]

Does it have a leaning mechanism. If not, it'll probably be spending a lot of time on its side, or is just the photo that makes it look narrow?

No leaning mech, but I doubt it'll fall over. I tried to push it over, and failed. It has a surprisingly low GOG.

 

[Cyclezee]

For coffee check out this one, c/o Martin @ e-bikeshop:


https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Nicolai-Bosch-Cofee-Electric-Bike.jpg

For a proper cup of coffee check this one out http://www.radkutsche.de/kaffeerad.html

then if you are starting to feel peckish check out these
http://www.radkutsche.de/creperie.html
http://www.radkutsche.de/maultaschen-rikscha-1264.html

 

[Alan Quay]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

So, the plan: convert to a vending platform.

Take off the horrible (and massively heavy) body and fit a big box on the back that can contain coolboxes/warmers/whatever.

Ice creams in summer, pies/pasties in winter.

 

[jonathan75]

Hang on a sec

If the tricyclists who ply their trade around central London don't have insurance etc then maybe they don't need to. (EDIT - they do!)

I don't see why a 250w high torque build would require approval if they don't. (EDIT - they may do, see below link to law - but it seems the regs for Greater London are a lot more relaxed than the rest of UK).

Ebike solutions in Germany do a very high torque puma front wheel motor which is 250w and 150 or 175 rpm (and others which would be faster for small wheels but still high torque - I think).

 

[jonathan75]

http://road.cc/content/news/130186-metropolitan-police-seize-nine-london-pedicabs-fitted-motors

Some interesting law: http://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/pedicabs

 

[flecc]

http://road.cc/content/news/130186-metropolitan-police-seize-nine-london-pedicabs-fitted-motors

Some interesting law: http://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/pedicabs

The first link is no longer valid Jonathan. Prompted by London taxi driver protests, these raids ( the quoted one was the last of several) used the excuse of the weight to take them off the road, but the 6th April 2015 changes in EAPC law removed all weight limits.
.

 

[jonathan75]

The first link is no longer valid Jonathan. Prompted by London taxi driver protests, these raids ( the quoted one was the last of several) used the excuse of the weight to take them off the road, but the 6th April 2015 changes in EAPC law removed all weight limits.
.

Yes it is wrong on weight but right on lighting I think. I mentioned the weight rules might have changed already but edited that out by accident.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

That article was published a year ago, before the weight limit was abolished.

 

[flecc]

That article was published a year ago, before the weight limit was abolished.

As I had already made clear by posting the date of change.
.

 

[Alan Quay]

Brother and I had a couple of hours to spare today. Earlier in the week we had removed the pedicab body. We needed to fix the cable actuated hydraulic disc brakes (I kid you not), get the electrics working, and fix a flat.

After doing the latter two jobs, and a lunchtime pint, we ignored the brakes and went for a test drive.

Plenty of torque, and gets to around 14mph (a guess).

 

[Alan Quay]

I forgot to mention the impressive amount of torque.

This is the first experience I have of a direct drive hub motor. It will just about pull away from a standstill with me on board. (that's my significantly skinnier brother in picture).

My watt meter indicates a peak current of 35 amps, which as we all know is just under 250 watts at 42v ;-)