A $500 electric Trikke? It could happen in 2013

The Trikke Tribred Pon-e

Could lower price “Pon-e” be a game-changer in green transportation?

The Trikke Tribred Pon-e, the electric jewel of Trikke’s three-wheel lineup. The fitness and transportation machine that’s part James Bond, part Jetsons. It’s the Trikke that packs the most “wow” factor, but, at $1300-2,200 dollars, it’s also the Trikke that’s out of most people’s price range.

But that could all change, as early as next year, if a series of best-case-scenario events fall into place for Trikke Tech, Inc. The best-case-scenario price: $499.

“We’re excited to get a much more affordable Trikke into the electric market,” said CEO John Simpson in an interview with TrikkeWorld. Trikke inventor Gildo Beleski is also this newest vehicle’s designer, and Simpson described the process as being “fairly well along.”

And while decisions on name, color, marketing and actual price are still to come, the specs, so far, go something like this: the frame is that of a Trikke T67; it’s foldable and comes with fitness tires; the battery is lead acid but upgradable to lithium; the lead acid battery gets roughly six miles per charge; and the vehicle’s top speed is 12 mph, similar to a Segway.

“It’s easy to propel, using your body,” said Simpson. “It could be a great way to overcome doubts about price and how to ‘make it go.’”

A prototype sample of the new electric Trikke is expected to arrive as soon as next week at Trikke Tech’s headquarters in Buellton, Calif. From there, as with all prototypes, the road to market for the “junior Pon-e” could be a challenging adventure.

One possible peril: economics. Getting the seed money to produce the new electric Trikke might prove difficult in these post-recession times. With venture capital hard to come by, many companies are turning to crowd funding websites to help fund their dreams. Trikke Tech is looking into all options, but Simpson sees the newest Trikke as the Pon-e’s upstart little brother, which might be the perfect match for an upstart idea like crowd funding.

Will little brother make it to market? Stay tuned to TrikkeWorld for further developments.