With the support of USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, the startup Delfast has started designing and developing a new model of electric vehicles, called “Delfast Trike.” The team received the amount of more than 3,000,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (about $110885) for the development and production of the new tricycle, said Danil Tonkopiy, co-founder of Ukrainian electric bike production company Delfast, on his Facebook account.
“USAID’s Competitively Helpable Economy of Ukraine program helps us to create a new production, improve products, invest in scientific and engineering research, as well as create new jobs in Ukraine in the field of production and high-tech developments,” he said.
According to the creators of the electric bike, the development of the Delfast Trike has already begun. It is a three-wheeled electric bike designed for small and medium businesses as well as individual entrepreneurs. The modular cargo platform will be relevant primarily for couriers and delivery services with increased payload. A cargo bike for couriers (and not only for them) is exactly what you need now (in quarantine times) and it looks like it will be needed for a long time.
It is planned that the model will have a cargo platform that can be used for boxes or can be transformed into the coffee or ice-cream trailer/kiosk or any other kind of street goods sales such as newspapers, souvenirs, flowers, etc. In addition, the tricycle can be used for advertising or as a tourist transportation vehicle (tuk-tuk).
The team’s ultimate goal is to make the new electric tricycle affordable, comfortable, of the high quality, and efficient. Delfast thanks USAID for their help during this difficult time of quarantine when developing such a product is very much needed by the delivery guys and services they work for.
