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Last update : september 2023 |
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The three-wheelers
have been existing for a long time. One could even assert that they were born
before the motorcars since the famous Fardier built by Nicolas - Joseph
Cugnot in 1770 (and sponsored by french King Louis XV), was designed on this
principle. This may be because it crashed in a wall during its first tests
that since that time the three-wheelers do not have good reputation! ... |
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Although they were much more of them on the roads than motorcars at
the end of the 19th century, their development has very quickly decreased
because of their doubtful dynamic behavior. Nevertheless the three-wheelers
sometimes re-appeared on the roads. This is the case of the famous post-war
Messerschmidt or the equally famous Reliant that has long sailed the English
countryside. Today, a few British or North American specialists for the most part,
propose three-wheelers sold more or less confidential. Generally lowered or
very wide to improve the handling, it is mainly vehicles having sporting or recreational uses. |
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The current need to
have energy-efficient vehicles and, if possible, have a good ability to move
in the traffic gave a second chance to the three-wheelers or, to be more
precise, to a new generation of them: the “Tilting Three Wheelers” (TTWs). Closer to the
motorcycle’s operating dynamics than to the motorcar’s one, these efficient
machines don’t suffer of the weaknesses of the conventional three-wheelers
and offer a better compromise - comfort, safety, maneuverability, ability to
move in traffic and driving pleasure – than a two-wheeler. |
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There are
some of us in the world to be passionated for a long time by this new
alternative. The Mitch Casto forum in the United States has been the scene of
debates led by enthusiasts from all walks of life since the early 2000s. Some
big industrial companies have also begun to have a look on this phenomenon at
that moment. Mercedes, Aprilia, Italjet and Renault have presented vehicle
concepts based on this principle. A Dutch company has sold an avant-garde
machine between 2002 and 2010: the Carver. In 2006, the Clever and the
Piaggio Mp3 have also been presented to the press. Since that time, the
Piaggio has become a great commercial success, particularly on the French
market. Competitors such as Peugeot and Yamaha then entered this segment
still dominated by the Italian manufacturer. |
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Toyota has also
entered the game by presenting the i-Road, which was the subject of a car-sharing
experiment in Grenoble (France) between 2014 and 2017. This new way of
thinking "three-wheeler" can also be applied to non-motorized
vehicles, bicycles or "commuters" of all sorts. |
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As far as I’m
concerned, I have been working on this subject for a long time. This has led me
to develop a number of motorized prototypes (Pulsar projects) and to
become interested in secondary safety issues (Torga project). My goal: to
contribute to the resolution of the mobility problems of our time and to the
search for a "sustainable pleasure on two wheels" by proposing
solutions which contribute to the reduction of the accident rate of
motorcyclists and other users of this type of vehicle, while preserving the
well-known and appreciated advantages of this mode of travel. |
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Philippe Girardi |
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