The ZUV Tricycle Is Quite Ugly, but It Still Puts Your e-Bike to Shame

Most e-bike companies get their components from Asia, mostly China; in some cases, the entire bike originates from there and is only assembled at the company, before being shipped to the new owner. Shipping all these parts comes with a big carbon footprint, in addition to whatever pollution is generated in the actual manufacturing of them. Granted, it’s not as bad as when you drive a car or fly by private jet, but it does show that e-bikes, while green, are not as green as we’d need them to be right now.

This electric trike could be closer to the ideal sustainable vehicle that would help us effectively lower emissions. It’s called ZUV, which stands for zero-emissions utility vehicle, and it’s a functional concept designed by EEOS Next and New Raw, on the occasion of the 2021 edition of the Vienna Biennale for Change.

Being a concept means that ZUV is not commercially available, but it could be. Should it happen, ZUV would become a truly sustainable vehicle, generating much less waste and less emissions, through the inclusion of recycled plastic and being fully recyclable itself. It would also be easier to maintain than a regular e-bike and, just as importantly, more versatile than one. That last part is due to the fact that it’s a trike designed as a cargo e-bike, able to carry twice its weight in cargo.

ZUV even looks like a cargo bike, though it does have seating for two people on the scooter-like seat. The box in front is for the cargo, which can also be strapped on top of it. The box can be adapted to fit two small children, so that ZUV becomes a family vehicle. In total, the trike weighs 100 kg (220.5 pounds) and can carry a payload of as much as 200 kg (441 pounds).

Sustainability was a focus with the project starting with manufacturing, This Is Paper points out. The frame of the trike is 3D printed from recycled plastic and is fully recyclable itself. This means that, once one ZUV reaches end of life, it can be shredded and then the plastic be used to 3D print a new one. Eventually, of course, the plastic too would reach end of life, but it would still be put to longer use than plastic today.

Because it would use locally sourced plastic, ZUV would solve several pressing issues at once, like that of the distribution network, prime materials, and unwanted waste. Once the frame was 3D printed, the new owner could take it to any local bike shop (LPS) and have it fitted with a battery and a standard 250 W motor. Since compatibility wouldn’t be an issue, maintenance would be a breeze, more cost- and time-efficient.

The 250 W motor means a speed limit of 25 kph (15.5 mph) in most European countries, so that it still qualifies as a bicycle and it’s able to ride on cycle paths – at least in theory. However, said qualification might not apply in real life, considering the ZUV has no pedals so it runs on torque only. EEOS estimates range at 50 km (31 miles) on a single charge, which might not be that impressive if we’re talking about fleet use but is enough for a regular commuter.

ZUV has integrated front and rear lights, and a display on the handlebars for vital stats like battery charge, speed, and progress of the trip.

It’s nothing out of the ordinary in terms of features, because that’s not the goal behind it. If anything, one could even argue that, from afar, ZUV is too boxy-looking and quite ugly. There is beauty to its design up close, due to the fact that it’s 3D printed, but focusing too much on aesthetics is beside the point: should ZUV ever go into production, it would be so green that it’d put even your best e-bike to shame.