The All-New Recumbent eBike Rickshaw: A More Comfortable Way to Carry Your Passengers

Why We Built a Recumbent Version of Our Rickshaw

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I've spent 20 years in the bike and e-bike industry, and this is one of the products I've been most excited to show off in a long while: the all-new Recumbent eBike Rickshaw. It takes everything people already love about carrying passengers on three wheels and pairs it with a lower, more laid-back riding position for the person up front. It's loaded with new features and a genuinely different feel, and I can't wait to walk you through all of it.

A little background first. Our original eBike rickshaw has been on the road for close to three years now, and in that time it's become a favorite for folks who want to bring people along. That might be kids or grandkids, a spouse, or a friend who can't ride on their own anymore. It does that job well, and it isn't going anywhere. But over those three years, the same handful of requests kept landing in my inbox. Riders wanted to pedal out in front of their body instead of underneath it. They wanted an easier step-through so getting on and off wasn't a production. And more than anything, they wanted a more supportive, more comfortable seat for the driver. So we sat down and built exactly that.

The recumbent layout is the headline change, and it's worth explaining why it matters. On the upright rickshaw, you sit tall with the pedals directly below you. On this machine, you sit back into a supportive seat with your legs extended out in front of you. That one change does a surprising amount of work. It takes pressure off your lower back, it opens up the entire cockpit so you're not hunched over anything, and it makes longer stretches in the saddle far more comfortable. If you've ever finished a ride with a sore back or tired shoulders, the recumbent position is the answer to that. It's the same thinking behind the rest of our recumbent electric trikes, now applied to a machine that can carry passengers.

Alongside the seating position, we lowered the step-through so climbing aboard is easier on your hips and knees, and we upgraded the driver's seat in a big way. I know a lot of you were specifically interested in that seat, and I don't blame you, because the seat is where you spend your entire ride. This one is a real step up, with more adjustment and more support than what you get on the original. I'll break down exactly how it moves a little later, but the short version is that it's a lot more comfortable.

So think of this as a companion to the upright rickshaw rather than a replacement for it. If you already like the rickshaw concept but you want something lower to the ground, easier to mount, and more comfortable for the driver over a long ride, this is the one built for you. If you're weighing your options across our electric tricycle lineup, the recumbent rickshaw slots in as the comfort-first passenger hauler, and it fills a gap a lot of riders have been asking us to fill.

Before I get into the ride, one honest note about the machine you'll see in this walkthrough: it's a prototype. A few details will change on the production version, and I'll flag every one of them as I go so there are no surprises when yours shows up. An extended stem, the rear hitch attachment, and a derailleur hanger to lift the chain a bit higher are all coming on the models that ship. Everything else you see here is the real deal. Let's start with what makes it move.

Let's talk about the powertrain, because there's something here I'm genuinely proud of. This is a rear-mounted 750-watt motor, and, importantly, it's a motor designed specifically for electric tricycles. That distinction matters more than it might sound at first. A lot of the older trikes on the market use a hub motor that's simply mounted in the rear, borrowed straight from a two-wheel bike design. This is one of the first motors on the market that's built to be a rear trike motor from the ground up, engineered for the way a three-wheeler actually puts power down. You feel the difference in how smoothly and confidently it pulls away from a stop, especially with weight on board.

For stopping power, you get three hydraulic disc brakes, one at every wheel. That's the same confident braking setup you'll find on our original rickshaw, and it's exactly what you want on a machine that might be carrying passengers and cargo. Hydraulic discs give you a light lever pull and a strong, consistent bite, so you're never wrestling with the levers to bring a loaded trike to a smooth stop. Braking is one of those things you don't think about until you need it, and then it's the only thing that matters. If confident disc braking is high on your list, it's worth looking at how we spec our electric trikes with disc brakes across the range.

Power comes from a 20 amp-hour battery that lives right on the frame. It's removable, which is the way I always recommend, for two reasons. First, you can pull it off and carry it inside to charge, which is a lot more convenient than parking the whole trike next to an outlet. Second, if you ever want to roll the machine around without any electronics, you can take the battery off and go. Installing it is simple. You slide the battery down into place, get it seated on top, and then click it in. Once it's locked in, you can remove your keys, so you're not riding around with them dangling. There's also a separate power switch on the other side of the battery that has to be flipped on before the system will wake up, so if the screen ever seems dead, that's the first thing to check. With the battery on, you head up to the handlebars, press and hold the power button, and the display illuminates.

That display is your dashboard. It shows the miles you've ridden, your current speed, and your assistance level, which you change with the up and down arrows. The assist runs from level one to level five. In level one, you're only getting level-one power, whether that power is coming from pedaling or from the throttle. Level five gives you the most. Being able to dial that in on the fly is a big part of getting the range and the ride feel you want.

How far will it go?

Here I'll be straight with you, because range on any e-trike depends entirely on how you ride it and what you're carrying, and I'd rather give you the honest spread than a single flattering number. On the top end, if you're riding on flat ground using a low level of assistance, say level one, you can get up toward 50 miles on a charge. That's the best-case figure, and it's a real one, but it assumes gentle, efficient, pedal-forward riding.

Now flip it around. If you want to use throttle only, with passengers on the back, you're looking at less than 10 miles, depending on whether you're on flat ground or climbing hills. On flat ground with throttle only, you can probably get just north of 10 miles, maybe 10 to 15. Throttle-only riding under a load is the most demanding thing you can ask of the battery, so that's your floor. Most riders live somewhere in the middle, mixing pedal assist and throttle throughout a ride, and they land comfortably between those two numbers. Match your battery expectations to how you actually plan to ride, and you won't be caught out.

How fast does it go?

Top speed is going to be about 16 miles an hour, and that will vary depending on how many passengers are on the back. On my own test ride I saw the high teens at a cruise on flatter ground, and a little more than that coasting downhill, but 16 is the honest number to plan around once you've got people aboard. This is a comfort-and-capability machine, not a speed machine, and it's happiest at a relaxed, steady cruising pace. That's exactly what most riders want out of a rickshaw anyway.

Let's walk the frame. Up front you've got a 16-inch by 4-inch tire, and in the rear you're running two 20-inch by 4-inch tires. Those are proper fat tires, and they pull double duty. They soak up bumps, cracks, and curbs so the ride stays smooth, and they put a big footprint of rubber on the ground, which helps the whole machine feel planted and steady. Fat tires are a big part of why these trikes ride the way they do, and if that cushioned, stable feel is a priority for you, it's worth comparing the rest of our fat tire electric trikes.

This recumbent is a bit longer than the original eBike rickshaw. Front to back, it measures 93 inches, and that's genuinely something to consider before you buy. If you plan to transport it on a rack, fit it into a garage, or store it in a tight spot, measure your space first so there are no surprises on delivery day. We'll also put out a separate video with all the detailed measurements for anyone who wants the full numbers. The upside of that extra length is real, though. Riders in the back get more legroom and space thanks to the footrest, and, as I found out on the road, the longer wheelbase adds a noticeable amount of stability to the whole machine. Elongating the frame paid off in a way you can actually feel.

It's worth sitting with those tire sizes for a second, because the front and rear aren't the same. The smaller 16-inch wheel up front keeps the nose of the trike low and easy to manage, while the larger 20-inch wheels in the rear carry the load and roll over rougher ground with ease. All three are 4 inches wide, so you get that cushioned, confident fat-tire feel at every corner of the machine. It's a setup that glides on pavement but isn't fazed by a gravel shoulder, a driveway lip, or a stretch of broken road, and that matters a lot when you've got passengers depending on a smooth, predictable ride.

The new handlebars

You're probably noticing the handlebars right away, because they're a brand-new addition. They're really comfortable, and they curve back in toward your body so your hands land in a natural, relaxed spot rather than reaching out ahead of you. I'll be honest with you: at first I was a little bit against them. They looked different from what I was used to, and I wasn't sure. But after riding, I came around completely. They actually work really well, and they make it feel like you're truly steering the machine, not just holding on and hoping. Sometimes a change you resist at first turns out to be the right call, and this was one of those.

A whole new stem

We paired those bars with a whole new stem setup, and this is where the fit really gets dialed in. You can raise and lower the stem, and on the production model it will be extended so you can bring the handlebars even farther back toward your body. That extra reach adjustment is how you create a really comfortable steering position instead of settling for close enough. On top of that, there's a new adjustment point on the stem where you can loosen it and rotate the bars to find the exact angle that suits you. Between the height, the reach, and that rotation, there's a lot of room to make the cockpit truly yours. A trike that fits your body is a trike you'll actually want to ride, day after day, and that's the whole point.

One prototype note on the chain

If the chain looks a little low to the ground in this walkthrough, that's a prototype detail, and I want to be upfront about it. On the production models we're adding a derailleur hanger that lifts the chain up off the ground where it belongs. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of detail I'd rather tell you about now than have you notice later.

Mounting and dismounting is where a lot of riders quietly make their decision, so let's cover it in detail. The step-over height on this trike is 17 and a half inches, and there's a really big area of clearance to swing your leg through. If you want to make it even easier, you can lift the armrests up out of the way, sit yourself down, and then lock in your steering so nothing rolls or turns while you settle in. That combination, low step-over plus liftable armrests plus a locked front end, makes getting on and off genuinely simple, even if your mobility isn't what it used to be. A low, easy step-through is one of the most requested features we hear about, and it's the whole idea behind our easy-to-mount low step-through e-trikes.

Once you're seated, the driver's seat is the star of the show. You can slide the seat back quite a bit or bring it forward, and that range is wide enough to accommodate riders from about 4 feet 11 inches all the way up to 6 feet 4 inches comfortably. That's a big spread, and it means the same machine can fit a whole household. On top of the fore-and-aft adjustment, you can adjust the incline, reclining the seatback to find the exact position that feels best on your back. A lot of people want that full, supportive backrest, and they also want the ability to tilt it back, and now you've got both in one seat. That's maximum comfort for the driver, and it's a big reason this machine works so well for riders who want to be gentle on their joints. It's the same comfort-first thinking that makes our electric trikes for seniors so popular.

Everything at your fingertips

Now back to the handlebars, because that's your command center. There are seven speeds that you shift through as you pedal. Right there you've also got your throttle, your flashers, a switch for your headlight, and a horn, all within easy reach. When you power the battery on and hold the button at the bars, the display comes to life and shows your miles, your speed, and your assist level, which you move up and down with the arrows.

One thing worth understanding clearly: those seven gears are bicycle gears, shifted while you pedal, and they are not correlated to the electric assist. They're two separate systems working alongside each other. Your gears help you pedal efficiently, and your assist level controls how much the motor chips in. The push throttle sits right at your thumb, and it's set up with a smart safety touch: if the brakes are engaged, pushing the throttle does nothing. You can't accidentally power into a brake.

For stopping and staying put, your brake levers are up top, and you also have two parking brakes. Pull one out and it pops the brake off; push it in and down and the brakes lock, so the trike stays put on a slope or while you're loading passengers. Up front there's your headlight, and you also get a short suspension fork that you can lock or unlock. Leave it unlocked and the fork moves up and down to soak up bumps. Lock it and you get a stiffer, more direct ride that rolls a touch better on smooth ground. Having that choice lets you tune the front end to the road in front of you. None of these controls are complicated, and that's the point: power on, pick your assist level, throttle to get rolling, and go.

The whole reason a rickshaw exists is to bring people and things along with you, so let's talk about the back of this machine. The rear bench seats up to two adults or up to three children, and it comes with a seat belt for safety. Compared to the original rickshaw, it's now a little easier to climb on and off, and there's a little more leg space for the riders back there thanks to the footrest and the longer frame. I can even scoot over comfortably and make room for another passenger right next to me. If carrying people is your main goal, this machine sits squarely in the family of our e-trikes built to carry passengers, and it's one of the most comfortable ways to do it.

Shade when you want it

You can also attach a canopy. We make a canopy that fits this machine and provides shade for both the driver and the passengers, so if you're out under a hot sun, everyone can stay covered. It's a simple add-on, but on a summer afternoon it makes a real difference in how long you'll actually want to be out riding. You can find it among our sixthreezero canopies.

Storage and the hitch

Underneath the rear seat you've got storage that flips down easily, so you can stash waters, jackets, or whatever else you want to bring along. And on the back you'll have the same hitch feature that our other rickshaws use. That hitch is a genuinely versatile piece: it lets you attach a secondary row of seating, or additional storage like a basket or a trailer. If you haven't seen those videos on our channel, I walk through how to attach a trailer and set all of that up step by step. On this prototype we don't have the hitch attachment installed, but it will be a feature on the production machine, so plan on it being there when yours arrives.

Attaching a second row of seats or a trailer will diminish the range a little, and that's just physics. More weight and more rolling resistance means the battery works harder to move you down the road. It's worth keeping in mind when you're planning a longer outing with a full load, so you can charge up accordingly and pick a route that matches.

Weight limits, plainly

Let's be clear on capacity, because it matters for both safety and longevity. The max weight limit on this machine is 500 pounds total. No more than 250 pounds should go on the rear bench, and the combined total across the whole trike should not exceed 500 pounds. Keep those numbers front of mind when you're deciding who and what is coming along on a given ride. If you know you'll routinely be riding near the top of that range, it's worth browsing our high weight capacity e-trikes to compare specs and make sure you're on the right tool for the job.

Picture the everyday uses and it starts to click. Two kids on the bench for the school run, with the seat belt keeping them secure. A grandparent who can't ride solo anymore coming along for a loop around the neighborhood, riding up front on that reclining seat where they're actually comfortable. A grocery run where the bench and the under-seat storage together swallow more than you could ever balance on a two-wheeler. A weekend where you throw the canopy on, pack a cooler, and take a friend down to the water. This is the kind of machine that quietly changes how you get around your own community, and the recumbent layout just makes the driver's side of that equation easier on your body, ride after ride.

Put it all together, the bench, the seat belt, the flip-down storage, the canopy, and the hitch, and you've got a machine that can genuinely replace a lot of short car trips. Grab the kids, grab the groceries, grab a friend, and go.

Numbers only tell you so much, so let's get on and ride. I like using the throttle to get moving, because it just makes it easy, and then I start to pedal and work up through the gears. Here's an honest word: this isn't something you really want to ride without some assistance. The option to pedal it unassisted is there if that's what you want, but with the weight of the machine, you'll be a lot happier letting the motor help. The great thing about the recumbent for me is that pedal position out in front of my body, paired with a seat that's genuinely comfortable. Once I cranked up the assist, I was cruising along in the high teens on the flatter ground, feeling relaxed the whole time.

Then I picked up a passenger, because I figured you'd want to see it work under a real load. My colleague Jeff hopped on the back. He's 6 feet 4 inches and about 230 pounds, and I'm 230 pounds myself, so combined we were right around 460 pounds. Even with all that added weight, I could still use throttle only to get us moving, and when I wanted to pick up the pace I switched over to pedal assist. Jeff said something worth repeating: he likes the stability on the recumbent. He felt there was a little more room back there, and that it felt more stable to him. The original rickshaw is stable too, but by elongating the frame on this one, we added even more stability. You can feel that longer wheelbase settle the whole machine down, especially with weight on the back.

The honest truth about hills

I took us up a few hills with all 460 pounds aboard, and I want to set the right expectation here rather than oversell it. It's not going to be one of those things where you're flying up the hill. On a decent grade with a heavy load, you'll get up it, but it asks something of both you and the motor. I dropped into a lower gear and held the throttle to make it as easy on myself as possible, and we made it to the top, but it wasn't effortless. Keep in mind I'm 230 pounds. If your setup is lighter, say a 150 to 180 pound rider plus a couple of kids, and you trim 100 to 150 pounds off our test weight, hills get a lot easier in a hurry. Coming back down is a different story, and I want you to ease into the brakes rather than let the trike run away from you. The hydraulic discs made coming to a smooth, quiet stop no problem at all, even with all that weight pushing from behind.

We also swapped seats so Jeff could drive, and he got good leg extension up front just like I did. He mentioned that it was very comfortable, and that going over a curb actually felt a little softer on this machine than on the upright. Being a bit lower to the ground on the recumbent, you can really relax into the ride and let the trike do the work.

So who is this trike for?

If you already like the rickshaw and you want something lower to the ground, with a different riding position and a lot more comfort for the driver, this is your machine. It's a step up in comfort for anyone who regularly carries passengers, and that reclining recumbent seat is a real gift on longer rides, or for riders who simply want to be easy on their back and joints. It's the kind of ride that turns a trip you'd normally take in the car into something you actually look forward to.

A couple of ways to make sure you get it right before you commit. We offer a 30-day test ride: if you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back, no questions asked and no money out of your pocket. We also back the machine with coverage on parts and labor, and you can read the current terms on our warranty page. If you'd rather try before you buy in person, come visit us in San Clemente, California and test ride any of our e-trikes before you decide. And if you have questions about fit or which model is right for you, reach out to our team anytime. Any other questions, drop them below. It's your journey, so enjoy the ride.