West Cork inventor Tim Rowe’s battery and pedal-powered vehicle ‘The Mott’ – a mix between a bicycle and a car – has just received CE marking, which means it can now be sold here and across Europe.
The three-wheeler brightly-painted wooden electric vehicle, which is styled on a 1940’s open-top tourer ‘fun’ car, brings to mind Bugsy Malone.
A commercial beekeeper in a past life, with the changing climate making harvests unreliable, Tim, who also makes charcoal for gardeners and grows elephant garlic, turned his hand to designing a wooden car about a year ago, sharing his experiments with followers of his YouTube channel ‘Way Out West – Workshop Stuff’ and taking their advice on board.
“I really wanted to own a vintage open top tourer because they look so fun to drive but couldn’t afford one, so I decided to have a go at making something myself,” shares the inventor.
“I started out designing one with four wheels but it was pointed out to me that you couldn’t use it in Ireland, as technically it would be classed as a car.”
With a 250 watt motor, the trike goes at a speed of 25km per hour. Tim has reached 45km per hour downhill, successfully putting its hydraulic disc brakes to the test.
“Because it’s a tricycle you need to drive it differently from a car or a bicycle, slowing down for the corners and leaning over,” he says.
A carpenter by trade, with an interest in mechanics and engineering, Tim made the light and hardwearing Monocoque design shell out of marine ply.
Just over a metre wide, ‘The Mott’ uses barrel steering, has eight gears, a handbrake, lights and a horn and comes with an instruction manual. The comfortable bucket seat is based on lightweight aeroplane design.
Tim and his prototypes, with a maximum round trip of 50km, have been a regular sign on Bantry’s roads over the past six months. “It’s fun to drive and I use it regularly to do my shopping,” he says.
Safer and more comfortable than an e-bike according to its maker, ‘The Mott’, which takes approx one month to build once ordered is retailing at €3,500.
It’s been an interesting and rewarding challenge for Tim, who already has his eye on the next invention, a wooden windmill with a difference!
You can find out more about the car on Tim’s website www.ironpig.ie
