A125 Environmental Evaluation and Effectiveness of Lightweight Electric-assist Tricycle Made of Composite Materials

Abstract

Life cycle environmental evaluation of a new lightweight electric-assist tricycle has been discussed in terms of materials supply, production, use and recycling/disposal stages. The effectiveness of a tricycle is compared with existing transportation such as light truck, passenger car, scooter and the well-known two-wheel electric-assist bicycle from the viewpoint of life cycle environmental impact. The factors affecting the environmental impact of each type of transportation device were shown. Then the optimum transport means is proposed suitable for the loadage and the time required in terms of environmental impact. As a result, the lightweight electric-assist tricycle was found to be effective for short-distance transport of a small amount of materials, as in a factory or for local transportation.