11 January 1985 The battery–powered tricycle developed by British inventor Clive Sinclair has been given the green light for road use by the Department of Transport

Sir Clive Sinclair’s electric trike, a battery-powered machine which can be driven on the roads without a licence, insurance or tax by anyone over 14, arrived on the market yesterday.

It costs a basic £399, or £428 by mail order delivery, and Sir Clive predicts sales of 100,000 in the first year.



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Although the user need receive no training, nor wear a crash helmet or safety belt, the Department of Transport says that the specifications of the machine meet and, in some cases, exceed the demands of legislation.

‘When considered as an alternative to pedal cycles, it is not thought likely to have a worse safety record, though if large numbers are to be used on the roads, it is accepted that they will be involved in accidents and their record will be closely monitored,’ said a Department of Transport official.

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The single-seat vehicle is less than six feet long and only 2ft 7in high. The driver sits with legs extended to the pedals which are a legal necessity and essential when the battery gives out, which could be after anything from 11 to 25 miles. It has a tiny boot, and weather protection comes from special clothing.

The trike, called the C5 (its prototype codename) costs a basic £399, but with delivery charges and accessories, such as wing mirrors, horn, and spare battery, the total bill is more than £600. The machine is backed by a £3 million advertising campaign. It comes in a cardboard box and is available through mail order initially.

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From the summer it will be sold in shops - supermarkets, department stores, Woolworths - and is already on display at electricity board showrooms. Some 2,500 C5s have already came off the production line at Hoover’s Merthyr Tydfil factory in South Wales.

The capital for Sinclair Vehicles has come from Sir Clive’s sale of 10 per cent of his computer firm Sinclair Research. He said the investment so far had been several millions and the overall risk he was taking was £7 to £8 million.

The operation of the C5 is monitored and controlled by a microchip produced by Ferranti.

The basic weight - 66lb - is achieved by using polypropylene for the shell, which is mounted on a spinal steel chassis. The wheels are moulded from glass-reinforced nylon.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A closer look at the Sinclair C5. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

The components have been developed by more than 30 companies, mostly British, but the motor (bred from washing machine technology) comes from Italy.

The batteries are connected to a domestic power socket for overnight recharging and servicing and spares will be through Hoover outlets.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has produced an eight-page booklet for owners. C5 has no reverse gear but the back can be lifted.

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