NEWS / AVAILABILITY

 

June 2018

OUR TRIKES ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION with no near-term release date forecast.

We are yet to link up with a mutually agreeable business arrangement for the trikes to be produced. So if you are an interested business with real production experience then make us a serious offer (confidentiality assured).

There are still too many things to be firmed up for us to provide a reliable production date or price, but as an indication an earlier 16in version of the ZYPP SMART sold for under US$3k. And, sorry, for any chance of securing a partner, we need to keep our prototypes.

 

MEDIA RELEASE:  4 May 2016

 

 Evolvetrikes wish to announce their new versatile ZYPP designs, still transit friendly, quick and compact folding but with wider track, higher seat and larger wheels. The ZYPP Rapid model still fits into an airline legal suitcase in under 5 minutes. If suitcase travel is not required it also accepts up to a 700c rear wheel. The ZYPP “EZY” model has a mesh seat and soft-ride 406 wheels all round. Our signature smart car capable ZYPP “SMART” folder now has soft-ride 355 front wheels and a 406 smart fold tail and yes, still fits into a single airline legal suitcase (L+W+H<158cm/62in). And we can reveal that two of these trikes also easily physically fit on a standard 2-bike bus rack. http://evolvetrikes.com/videos.html  includes "Trike Highlights" and "Quick folding an Evolve trike" videos.

 

We are offering an opportunity to be involved with a truly unique product with many exceptional capabilities and with all major markets protected by strong patents. We are open to any options.

 

We are primarily developers trying to get production of our trikes re-started. It is now clear we will have no production in 2016 and there are still too many things to be firmed up for us to provide a reliable production date or price.

We are yet to link up with a mutually agreeable business arrangement for production with a suitable company. So, if you are a business with real production experience who believes you can take our fast compact folding trike to the market in numbers then make us a serious offer. As clearly demonstrated on our web pages, our technology produces the most versatile and transit friendly trike designs, by far.

 

We’ve had to accept that there is strong market resistance to 349 wheels on trikes despite them being used on the Brompton, the world’s most compact transit friendly two wheel folder. Instead we have fully redesigned and optimised the new ZYPP model range to suit 16in(349),18in(355) and 20in(406) wheels so customers can use the wheels that suit them. We have also realigned the folding priorities. Since, for most circumstances, customers only need the fast fold we have focussed on that while still making our latest model, the ZYPP RAPID, quickly separable into an airline legal suitcase. The erect trike has proportions like most popular full size trikes, negating any feeling of size compromise for compact foldability, and it has a more solid appearance to match its capabilities.

 

The ZYPP range has a wider 75cm track to retain cornering stability with higher seats and larger wheels. It also increases the cockpit space for larger riders and has a slightly reduced the turning radius. All of the base models now have a 406(20in) rear wheel and are capable of accepting all standard 135mm hub gears including Rohloffs and hub motors. All configurations have our usual super quick lean compact folding and ultra small storage footprint, and those with up to 355 front wheels still have single airline legal suitcase capability. Configurations with 406 front wheels would require a marginally oversize suitcase. The base models include the “RAPID” with an improved 406 standard tail with a short fold option for extra tight spaces. When the short fold is not required this model can also directly accept up to a 700c rear wheel if desired. The easy entry and exit “EZY” model has a mesh seat and 406 wheels all round. And our signature smart car capable “SMART” folder now has 355 front wheels and a 406 smart fold tail and yes, still fits into a single airline legal suitcase. We are still discovering the versatility of our trikes, for example, we’ve just discovered two of our trikes do easily physically fit on a standard 2-bike bus rack (see here).

More details on these models are shown on:  http://evolvetrikes.com/ZYPP

 

Subsequent to the previous production, inquiries and feedback from customers and dealers convinced us they needed better documentation so we have published technical guides on the way to correctly set up unique aspects of our folding trikes at http://evolvetrikes.com/tech-guides.html

 

That feedback also convinced us we had to be more involved with the manufacturing methods for production to ensure that decisions weren’t made that compromised the foldability and other issues. So we have turned our development skills to devising new simplified fabrication methods. We have also adjusted and finessed the design detail to make it more easily manufacturable at lower cost. Because we know what is critical, we have been able to develop methods that significantly improve manufacturability without compromises, e.g. the most challenging assembly was the fore and aft arms of the frame crucifix, including hinge parts. We experimented with a variety of methods using local companies, which yielded good results. Finally, we fabricated the fore and aft crucifix arms from low cost parts in a single welding fixture without using a skilled frame builder. This method still delivers the accuracy required for precision folding but at a very affordable price. (see image below).

 

We have progressed our design for our aluminum frame version so that all parts except the cross-arms are now AL, but it requires someone experienced in that material to take it further.

 

So if you are an interested business with real production experience then make us a serious offer (confidentiality assured).

 

Eric and Alan Ball

evolvetrikes.com

 

 

Media:
PDF File

ZIP file of images.

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT :  July 27, 2015

 

We regret we will not be exhibitors at RCC this year. We had hoped to exhibit our new trike but a setback means the trikes won't be sufficiently production representative and we don't want to exhibit just prototypes.

 

We are recovering from the break with Cutting Edge Wheels and still learning from what happened. Some dealers and customers have also made us aware of some e2 production issues. Thanks to this information we have identified some improvements that we’d like to incorporate into our first production model.

 

We have developed improved manufacturing methods and a new model still with super quick compact folding and legal suitcase capability but with wider track, higher seat and larger wheels. It will be revealed later this year and, especially if we can partner with a suitable manufacturer, should be launched in 2016.

 

We continue to invest in our IP. Our patents on our unique folding technology continue to be granted in full, the most recent is European patent EU2558355. As can be seen on our web page http://evolvetrikes.com/development.html, our approach is that the trike's strength and durability should be thoroughly verified at each step and certainly before any customer receives one. And this process applies to the new model.

 

We are proceeding as fast as our resources allow. We appreciate your patience.

 

Eric and Alan Ball

evolvetrikes.com

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT :  Feb 26 (amended Mar 1), 2015

 

We regret having to announce that unfortunately we have had to terminate our Agreement with Cutting Edge Wheels to manufacture their e2.

 

Anyone who has visited www.evolvetrikes.com will see the capabilities of our trikes and the extensive testing we did to prove the reliability of our design. We have had increasing concerns in CEW's production processes being able to achieve the folding capabilities reliably, and other matters, from early 2014 and their price increase caused us great concern.

 

Things came to a head suddenly when in reply to our request to inspect the manufacturing facility they informed us they had closed the facility and moved the equipment into storage. This means that unfortunately there will be no production versions of our trikes for sale this (2015) northern summer. It was unfortunate also that we were denied the chance to see their production facility but Edge recumbents has a long history of producing reliable recumbents and we believe their input into CEW would have ensured that continued with the e2. Also we have been given no reason to suspect any such issues with the e2s sold. We were assured that no trike was shipped until it was right, so we do expect that those who have bought an e2 should get many years useful service from those trikes.

 

Fortunately our ongoing developments have yielded an improved model with improved folding to suit a wider range of customer needs. We were intending this model for the EU market, but we feel it’s benefits will suit both markets.

 

So, this trike will now be revealed at RCC (Recumbent Cycle Con) 2015 for release in the US and probably the EU in spring 2016.

 

 

Eric and Alan Ball

evolvetrikes.com

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT :  April 20, 2014

 

We will be attending SPEZI 2014 as visitors to enjoy the show and improve our understanding of the EU industry. Since many of the industry’s key players will be at Spezi, this is the place for us to be, and we hope to talk with many. Though we will be travelling with our latest prototype trikes, it is not practical for us to exhibit them at this show. That will be for a later show when consumer sales begin in the EU.

 

With the prevalence of public transport, smaller cars and apartments, we expect Europe to be a proportionately higher value market, given the compatibility of our superior folding technology and higher demand for easy folding and portability. The ability to be easily rolled on their wheels when folded will be especially attractive for e-trikes with their added weight in motor and batteries.

 

We are pleased to announce also that our folding technology has been further recognized as truly unique by the granting in full of our second US patent.  We eagerly await the granting of our other patent applications including in the EU.

 

We invite anyone interested in being commercially involved in any way with trikes employing our folding technology, for Europe and other markets outside North America, to please contact us at info@evolvetrikes.com

We will be staying in Heidelberg including the full day before (25th April) and the full day after the show  (28th April). If you are genuinely involved in the industry and need to see more than what is on our web page and want to see the trikes in person please contact us also at info@evolvetrikes.com to arrange a meeting.

 

Eric and Alan Ball

evolvetrikes.com

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT :  November 1, 2013

 

We are very excited to announce a business partnership with Cutting Edge Wheels.

 

Our aim has always been to get trikes based on our multi-patented folding mechanisms to market in reasonable numbers as soon as possible,

and we are confident this partnership will achieve that. It has taken us some time to find a company with compatible goals and a capable team with the skills, experience and resources to grow the manufacturing to deliver quality trikes at competitive prices.

 

[ The remainder of announcement has been erased.

After beginning well this agreement had to be terminated as per later announcement. ]

 

Best Regards

Eric and Alan

www.evolvetrikes.com

 

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Evolve IP Pty.Ltd. ABN 93 529 316 785

US Patent 8342555, US and Intl. Patents Pending