Trinova is Working on a Three-Wheel EV that Can Lane-Split
There’s an EV in development that could make traffic-related stress a thing of the past.
Trinova is working on a new battery-powered vehicle that would allow you to do just that, according to New Atlas. The company’s eponymously named model is a tilting three-wheeler that can glide through gridlock like a motorcycle.
The California-based startup, which is the brainchild of mechanical engineer Markus Scholten, is trying to stand out from the rest of its peers by building something completely different. The Trinova is a fully enclosed two-seater that rides on a trio of wheels as opposed to the customary four.
A rendering of the production Trinova weaving through traffic
Trinova EV/X
Despite having room for a driver and a passenger, the Trinova measures less than three feet in width (33.5). This allows it to be classed as a motorcycle in certain regions, changing the license you need to drive it. It also means that the EV can lane-split just like a two-wheeler. Trinova estimates the ability to weave through gridlock, in regions where the practices is legal, could save drivers 180 hours, or 7.5 days, per year.
“While the big names spend millions selling fantasy, we’ve been in the garage building the future,” the company’s website states. “Trinova is for the commuter who’s tired of wasting life in traffic—and ready to take it back.”
The ability to lane-split isn’t the only convenience offered by the Trinova. Its compact size will also make it easier to park. And, because it is electric, drivers won’t have to fill it up with gas, like they would a traditional car or motorcycle (New Atlas reports that a gas-powered variant may eventually be offered).
The EV is still only in the prototype stage, but the company plans to equip the eventual production model with two hub motors powered by a 10- to 12-kWh battery pack. Trinova claims this setup will allow the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 120 mph. Range, meanwhile, will come in between 100 and 140 miles, depending on usage.
Unfortunately, Trinova has no timetable for when its first EV will launch. The company plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign soon through WeFounder to fund an initial production run. If successful, Trinova hopes to sell its tilting three-wheeler for between $18,000 and $22,000.
