Lost Your License? Stopped Driving? How Electric Trikes Can Give You Back Your Independence!

Are you no longer driving a car? Why an electric trike could be your key to getting around.

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. Today, we're going to talk about how, if you've lost your license, an electric trike could be your key to getting around. Right here, I've got three amazing e-trikes from Sixthreezero. Got our Simple Glide 500-watt, our Simple Glide 750-watt fat tire, and our Relaxed Body 750-watt e-trike. If you want any more information about any of these e-trikes, check out our YouTube channel. We have lots of videos about each one specifically. So I do a lot of test rides here in California, and I speak to many people who either haven't driven for many, many years, or all of a sudden they've lost their license. Either they've decided to stop driving for various reasons, or maybe a family member has taken away their license or their keys and said, We don't want you driving a car anymore. There are also a lot of people who have physical impairments at a younger age as well, whether it be something with legs or arms, or visual impairment. And they've stopped driving, and they haven't been out in a car while driving personally for five, six, seven years.

The unfortunate part of that, the stories I hear, is now you're at the mercy of someone driving you around and getting you where you want to go throughout the day. Now, there's always been mobility options out there if you don't have a license, right? Of course, you could do taxis, Uber, Lyft. There are senior transportation services, but in those situations, you're still relying on others, right? So for many of us, that feels like you're still taking away your independence because you can't come and go as you please, necessarily. Well, there are mobility scooters, right? They've been around for many years. The problem with mobility scooters is that they go very slowly, they have a small range, and they're not suited for off-road terrain. So, introduce electric tricycles, a whole new sector of mobility that is proving to be amazing for many areas of our population, including those riders, like I said, that have lost their driver's license or have stopped driving because of some physical condition that's prevented them from driving. The huge benefit of an electric tricycle is several things. You can have assistance from the motor when you're pedaling, or you can twist a throttle on the handlebars, and it will go without you pedaling. Now, it's turned into a full-fledged mobility vice. You don't have to pedal, and you can cruise around, and you can go much faster on an electric tricycle than you can on a mobility scooter.

Depending on the e-trike that you choose, they're going to go upwards of 18, 19, 20 miles an hour. The Relaxed body can go 19, as can this one as well. A lot of them are geared to about 16 miles an hour. It depends on the configuration and what is safe and stable for the particular frame that you're looking at. Now, the other benefit too is that you can get exercise if you so choose, and you can get assistance from the motor while you pedal. So when you're out riding, if you want to pedal a little, get exercise, you want to stop, use the throttle, you can do all those things. And like this model right here, you have a footrest that you can put down and put your feet on if you do want to take a break from pedaling. Now, the other thing is the off-road terrain idea. So if you're someone that likes to get out to the trails, or go out into nature, again, mobility scooters are not going to be conducive to that With electric trikes, you can find the right model that is going to be able to take on something like that, including the Simple Glide right here with these fat tires that are knobby and geared for that type of trail riding. You can get out safely to enjoy those trails. Now, if you also want to run errands or pick up things at the grocery store, you can see that on the Relaxed body, you have a huge rear basket.

All those short-range trips that you used to do in your car, you can easily replace with an electric trike. Now, the one thing an electric trike doesn't provide is heating and air conditioning and shelter from the elements, although canopies are available for certain models. So if you're in a cold climate, a cold-weather climate area, then you may have to put your electric trike away for the winter. But when those summer months are out, you can be doing all those short-range trips on your own. You don't have to talk to anyone else. As long as you're able to steer the handlebars, you don't need your driver's license to be out riding these in a bike lane or on a trail. These are all approved to ride on trails that bicycles would ride on as well, so long as the motors fit within the guidelines put forth by the government. That parameter, you would just have to check with your local jurisdiction on what is legal or not legal, so the other benefit of these is the range. So, you can go up to 50 miles, if not more, depending on the electric trike that you choose. A very big upgrade from a lot of these mobility scooters, and you can also buy additional batteries and easily change them to even increase the range, so really, the sky's the limit. You can go out and make 20, 30, 40-mile adventures if you so choose. You don't have to limit yourself to those short-range trips. You're just going to be outdoors, enjoying the outdoors while you go to the local store, pick up your groceries, and do what else you need to do. So there is hope after you lose your license. 

Trikes are a great option to keep getting out, maintain your independence, and come and go as you please, so you don't have to rely on someone else. Now, if you have any other questions or comments on the topic, please reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.com or call us at 310-982-2877. Also on our YouTube channel, we have tons of videos detailing all of these, so you can find out more information and see demos on them as well. In addition to that, we offer a 30-day test ride on your e-trike policy. If you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back. No questions asked, no money out of your pocket. In addition to that, we're going to warranty everything for one year. If anything goes wrong in the first year, we'll take care of it, parts and labor. Also, if you want to come out for a test ride, we are here in San Clemente, California at 1046 Calle Rocoto, Unit K. Come test-ride any of our e-trikes before you purchase to ensure you like the one you like before you buy. Also, join our community. We have a Facebook group with thousands of members it called Sixthreezero Pedalers. Join the group before you purchase to talk to existing riders to ensure you're making the right choice. Then, when you have yours, post in the group, make friends, and finally download our app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. Don't forget, it's your journey or experience. Enjoy the ride.