(Photo: Mark Gamba)
Remember the Truck Trike?
It was almost 10 years ago when we first introduced you to this Portland-made, Portland-desinged, bike lane legal, electric-assisted bicycle that can haul up to 600 pounds of cargo. Bill Stites (Stites Design) has evolved his product considerably since then. When we last heard from him a year ago his trikes were being tested by UPS in a last-mile delivery pilot project up in Seattle.
The Truck Trike was a pioneer in what is now a very hot market of zero-emission urban delivery services. Since he started the project in 2010, e-bikes have skyrocketed in popularity, battery technology has gotten better and cheaper, and businesses worldwide have begun to adopt smaller, pedal-assist vehicles for urban freight.
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Now Stites is seeking a new business partner to take his trikes to the next level. “We are interested in licensing our proven design to a capable manufacturer and distributor,” he shared in a recent email. With e-commerce becoming the new normal, last-mile delivery has exploded in the last few years. Unfortunately, too much of it is still done with oversized fossil-fuel burning vehicles. Stites sees his Truck Trike — now in its third generation of design — as the perfect solution.
Stites says the key to success is a manufacturer that could reap the benefits of mass-producing the trikes to keep costs down. Beyond a business opportunity, Stites says this is about fighting back against the climate crisis. “We must continue to work on zero-emission solutions and reduce the number of trucks on the streets.” All he needs is someone to make them.
Check out TruckTrike.com for more information.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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