We love the quirkiness opf the Sinclair C5 – and we have flagged them up on eBay in the past when we've spotted them. Sadly, the buying public wasn't quite to so keen on the mini electric car when it landed in the mid-80s. Indeed, less than 12,000 shifted and the company went into administration. Here's hoping the follow-up, the newly-launched Sinclair X-1, get a more favourable response.
It's a similar kind of vehicle, but according to Cnet, has a few improvements – a reclining nylon seat and a waterproof acrylic bubble being the most obvious, the latter keeping you secure from the elements. At least, more secure than the original. Still not great in a heavy downpour.
Apparently, it also uses 'an MCR pancake motor' which works in a similar fashion to the motors used in floppy disk drives, with power provided by a lightweight, rechargeable 24V lithium polymer battery pack. It's not generally though to be fast and there are worries over hills and the increasing risk of potholes on the roads – just look at those skinny wheels. No lights as yet either, which might be an issue at night.
But on the plus side, no driving licence, insurance or road tax will be required to use one and it can be driven by anyone in the UK aged 14 years or older both on the road and on pavements. Look out for the X-1 from July 2011, priced around £595. You can pre-order directly from Sinclair now – and see it in action – on its website. There…we didn't mention 'mobility scooter' once.
More crap from Sinclair??
The video shows it being peddled.
So why not just buy an electric cycle?