Sinclair C5
Normally more likely to be seen in a museum (or on a tip?) today, this is a Sinclair Research C5 battery electric vehicle. It was invented by Sir Clive Sinclair and launched by Sinclair Vehicles Ltd in the United Kingdom on 10 January 1985. A battery-assisted tricycle steered by a handlebar beneath the driver's knees, its top speed of 15 mph (24 km/h), is the fastest allowed in the UK without a driving licence. It is powered by a 200w or 250W motor and was originally sold for £399 plus £29 for delivery.
It became an object of media and popular ridicule during 1980s Britain and was a commercial disaster, selling only around 17,000 units, although according to Sinclair, it was "the best selling electric vehicle" until November 2011 when the Nissan Leaf had sold over 20,000 units.
This particular one, driven by what I assume is an Englishman, considering his patriotic bowler hat, was seen on the South Bank of the River Thames during the build-up to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It looks rather grubby, suggesting it had been pulled out of a shed at rather short notice?
Sinclair C5
Normally more likely to be seen in a museum (or on a tip?) today, this is a Sinclair Research C5 battery electric vehicle. It was invented by Sir Clive Sinclair and launched by Sinclair Vehicles Ltd in the United Kingdom on 10 January 1985. A battery-assisted tricycle steered by a handlebar beneath the driver's knees, its top speed of 15 mph (24 km/h), is the fastest allowed in the UK without a driving licence. It is powered by a 200w or 250W motor and was originally sold for £399 plus £29 for delivery.
It became an object of media and popular ridicule during 1980s Britain and was a commercial disaster, selling only around 17,000 units, although according to Sinclair, it was "the best selling electric vehicle" until November 2011 when the Nissan Leaf had sold over 20,000 units.
This particular one, driven by what I assume is an Englishman, considering his patriotic bowler hat, was seen on the South Bank of the River Thames during the build-up to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. It looks rather grubby, suggesting it had been pulled out of a shed at rather short notice?