Joe Wilcox wowed the crowd at this year’s CES in Las Vegas when he showcased his 3 wheel scooter powered by lithium batteries. The three wheel tilting trike is the signature product for Wilcox’s Sway Motorsports. It’s designed for urban transportation and has more maneuverability than standard trikes and scooters.
The secret is in the sway – hence the name Sway Motorsports. Instead of steering like a traditional 3 wheel scooter, riders steer by leaning or tilting in the direction they want to go. Since the vehicle has three wheels, tilting doesn’t cause the rider to wipe out. The extra wheel also adds 50% more braking power.
Wilcox is looking for a Shark to help him steer the course with production of the 3 wheel scooter and he’ll ask them for an investment in episode 623. Depending on the model you choose, Sway Motorsports has a 3 wheel scooter that holds a charge for 4 – 6 hours and has top speeds of 40-60 MPH. Wilcox is accepting pre-orders on his website for a $100 deposit; the final cost, depending on the model, is $8,000-$11,000.
My Take on the Sway 3 Wheel Scooter
I just sold my 2 wheel scooter. I bought it when gas was $4+ per gallon and put about 7,000 miles on it. It got about 120 MPG, so it paid for itself. I’ve been looking at the Can Am Spyder, but at nearly $30K, it’s an expensive toy. Sway Motorsports could be a good substitute for the Spyder since I’d just be using it for local motion. It looks like a blast to drive, but I wish I could test drive it before committing to a roughly $10,000 purchase.
The other problem is the range – the top of the line model only goes 60 miles before needing a recharge, which is a limiting factor, at least for me. For the urbanite who’s using it to commute, it’s probably perfect. I’m not sure the Sway would survive the onslaught of Boston potholes either.
I like this product and if it could go mainstream, it would probably be successful.
Are Sharks Swayed?
Even though we saw the Air Car get an investment a couple weeks ago, motor vehicles are a tough sell in the Tank. It’s very costly to jump through all the regulatory loopholes and getting enough inventory produced is challenging. A Shark would need to see solid sales before parting with his or her money.
I get the impression that Sway doesn’t have any inventory – hence the pre-ordering. Without inventory, there aren’t any sales. A hundred dollar deposit isn’t much of a commitment on the part of a buyer, they’ll still need to come up with another $9,000 or more. If Wilcox gets screwed by people not accepting delivery after pre-ordering, he could be underwater before he even starts. Being underwater is never a good thing when there are Sharks around!
