Project View

e-Quest

Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Published: 2026-06-07

Tadpole Trike

Velomobile

Grin All-Axle

Human-electric hybrid tricycle. I have added pedal assist to a pre-owned carbon-fiber Quest velomobile. The purpose of this project was to create a practical and efficient vehicle for most of my urban commuting and errands, along with the occasional out of town excursion. I wished to exploit the advantages of a fully faired vehicle to safely increase my low-impact travel relative to using my recumbent bicycle. The reduced aerodynamic drag results in significantly less energy required to travel on level ground, especially at speeds exceeding ~14 mph. The 3-wheeled "tadpole" configuration will keep me upright when surfaces get slippery, and the fairing provides additional protection from the weather and certain kinds of crash injuries. The added weight, however, requires the addition of electric pedal assist, mainly to maintain safe minimum speed on uphill sections of roadways shared with automobile traffic.

My vehicle was originally purchased by this Californian velonaut in 2012. — First owner

e-Quest from the front, open top configuration. Monocoque construction with carbon fiber for the structural body yields the lightest affordable vehicle in this class. All wheels are faired in for maximum aero advantage. — Front view

A little from the rear, with — Summer Top

Testing performance on the a closed course with other human-powered vehicles, at the Waterford Michigan HPV rally weekend in June of 2025. — In Competition

Additional Info

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc69YVyIbqc

Acquisition and prep

After years of looking, I finally found a used velomobile that I could afford to buy, that would fit me, and which was located not too far from my home in SW Michigan, USA

By March of 2024 I had the velomobile sufficiently cleaned up and fitted to me that I could take it out for some pedal-power only tests around campus. The top part of the body has been removed for access to the various components. — Human Power test

Foreground is the vehicle I eventually bought, in a driveway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Behind it is the vehicle the seller had upgraded to. — First look

After some thought and negotiations, I brought her home on a borrowed trailer, December 21, 2023. Merry Christmas to me. — Home

As purchased, the front derailleur was not correct for the triple ring setup in the front. I would also have to install shorter cranks in order for my big feet to flail freely within the fairing. — Front derailleur

All three wheels have suspension, including the driven rear wheel. To facilitate inner tube changes in the field, all three wheels are also supported on only one side of the axle. Here one can see the aluminum swingarm supporting the drive side of the rear wheel, and the custom air shock. The wheel itself is not visible within the shroud at the top of this photo. — Rear Suspension

Rear Swingarm Replacement

This was the major part of my project. I really wanted to have regenerative braking (because physics) so I decided I would use a hub motor in the rear of the trike. This required designing and fabricating an all-new swingarm so that both sides of the rear wheel would be supported. Luckily I was aided by talented and generous friends. For some reason, the photos in this section may not appear in the order in which I intended them, apologies.

The new swingarm, painted and mounted to the wheel-motor. — Swingarm and wheel

View inside the vehicle, looking toward the rear, behind seat (which has been raised). New swingarm installed. — Mount points

I acquired an All-Axle motor laced to a 26-inch wheel by Grin. Here it is mounted with the mockup of the new rear swingarm. — Hub motor with swingarm model

Same view, interior area behind the seat. Phaserunner controller has been installed on an oversized heat sink (since airflow will be minimal) along with cabling. Protective shrouds over the drive train are also in place. — Motor controller, cabling

The new swingarm, constructed of thin-walled chromolly tubing, after brazing in its fixture. — New rear swingarm

Wheel has now been mounted, and we see the drive chain and air shock in place. — Rear suspension

The old aluminum swingarm is seen in the foreground. Behind it is a wooden mockup of the new design that we would use to test fit in the vehicle, before cutting any metal. — 3d modeling, low-tech

The old assembly (above) compared with the new. Same mounting points in the body are used. — Comparison

Controls

Original velomobile was well-equipped with lighting and an electric horn. Now it has two separate DC electrical systems, the one I added, at nominal 52 V for propulsion assist, and the other at 15 V for the accessories.

Steering of the front two wheels is effected with this T-handle through a universal joint. Cycle Analyst computer is visible to the right. — Steering yoke

The small control yoke was already crowded with center-mounted brake lever, turn signal indicator switches, shifters for the front and rear derailleurs, and the electric horn button. To these I managed to add the thumb throttle at left, and the multi-function level switch at right for the pedal assist system. — Steering yoke

First powered tests

By late summer, 2024, the hybrid drive system was complete enough for some road testing.