Share Speakout B2. Ahead of its time (TB p 169)
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Launched in United Kingdom in 1985, the Sinclair C5 was a battery-assisted tricycle
the United Kingdom
created by British inventor, Sil Clive Sinclair. The C5 was steered by handlebar
a handlebar
beneath a driver's knees and powered by a small electric motor making it unnecessary
the driver's knees
for the driver to pedal. C5's top speed of twenty-for km/h was the fastest allowed
The C5's
in the UK without driving licence. The retail price was $399, plus $29 for delivery,
a driving licence
which was expensive for the time. Both media and the public ridiculed the C5 during
the media
1980s and it was a commercial disaster, selling only around 12,000 units. In fact, the
the 1980s
design was an impractical one: from the beginning, there were the serious concerns
concerns
about the C5's safety in traffic because it was so low to ground. In addition to this, the driver
to the ground
the driver was exposed to the wind and the rain and the cold weather tended to shorten
(-) cold weather
battery life.The lack of gears and seat-to-pedal adjustment and the fact that a motor
the motor
the motor overheated on the long hiils, were also serious problems. The motor turned out to be
(-) long hills
essentially useless for climbing hills, with even the gentle slopes requiring the driver to
(-) gentle slopes
to pedal. Sinclair spent the millions of pounds on developing the C5 and its failure
(-) millions
bankruped a company and cost him his reputation. I will long be remembered
the company
in the UK as the spectaculat and comic failure, but was Sir Clive's idea just ahead of its time?
a spectacular
