Sinclair C5

Crash

Gary Penn

Jeremy Spencer

Robin Candy

Having heard so much (most of it uncomplimentary) about the C5, we decided the only fair way to assess the vehicle was to do a mini-review. The ubiquitous Robin Candy of Playing Tips fame, our very own Software Editor and a ZZAP! reviewing minion Gary Penn were dragged to a car park in Ludlow and given a C5 to play with for a while. This is what they found. Not being a particularly adventurous type, it was not my life's ambition to drive a vehicle that a lot of the press described as a death trap. But after much debating and squabbling I found myself being lifted into the plastic interior of a C5 by a rather burly Software Editor. After the initial terror had faded away I started to quite enjoy trundling around the local C5 hire emporium. 'The only problem with controlling it I had was the acceleration button - but that soon became second nature. While I respect the views of sceptics who proclaim the C5 as a death trap, used correctly it is perfectly safe; indeed it is as safe as any other vehicleIF used correctly. In fact after about half an hour's use of a C5 I've changed from laughing at the mere mention of one to actually wanting one.' Robin Candy 'I have always been a bit dubious about the C5 as a form of travel from what I'd seen and heard about it, and I have never really taken it seriously. It doesn't exactly look and feel that stable or roadworthy. Due to their width they are annoying to overtake on the road. 'My opinion has changed somewhat though, after actually zipping around in one for while. I must confess to feeling adequately secure as I drove about (if driving a C5 is the correct term) and I was impressed with the reasonable speed that is attainable (even through pedalling). I still feel that the whole thing is rather poor in actual construction, though not in design as the ride was a comfortable and enjoyable one. The price seems fair for what it has to offer but I think it would benefit from being slightly cheaper (if that is in fact possible).' Gary Penn 'What a fantastic surprise? The C5 was a great deal more comfortable than I had imagined it to be, and a good deal quicker. I would have welcomed the chance to have given it a full road test but I think four CRASH-odians dropping on on the poor chap at Temeside was quite enough, without our disappearing over the horizon in his buggy. 'Apart from the comfortable driving position I am pleased to be able to report that the pedal power is easy to use - the driver can exert a lot more force than on an ordinary bike. My only dislikes where the LED warning lights which I found hard to see. There was a lot of creaking from the chassis which was a little unsettling. On the whole I think that it has the potential for being more than just a fun car. I would be more than happy to make my daily 5 mile journey into Ludlow in one. I want one!' Jeremy Spencer

Your Spectrum

OUT TO LAUNCH! If you're bored with software that repeatedly crashes through loading errors, never fear - Sir Clive has now introduced hardware that can be crashed! The Sinclair C5 is claimed to be "a new power in personal transport" and the "vehicle of the future". Its actual constituent parts are a 'squirrel-cage' electric motor (the basic design of which originated in the late nineteenth century and has been used in washing machines ever since!), a lead-acid battery (of similarly venerable antecedents), a welded pressed-steel frame (not conceptually unadjacent to that employed in any early '50s NSU motorcycle) and, oh yes, bodywork that profiles as the largest polypropylene injection moulding ever mass-produced. The Sinclair C5 will retail at only £399, which is the same price as the Sinclair QL, but waiting for the emergence of an infinite lives' POKE may well be worthwhile before considering purchase. Expert criticisms of its safety and stability abound; at its launch, motorcycle stunt rider and leading road safety campaigner Dave Taylor was impolitely requested to desist from demonstrating the C5's tendency to climb on to two wheels instead of its usual three (before falling over completely!). Fourteen years may be old enough to drive a Sinclair C5 on the main roads without suitable safety measures (such as helmet, safety belt and so on)... but it could also be old enough to die in one!

Roger Willis meets the C5 - "Honest guv, the rubber band came off in my hands!"

Sinclair User

Chris Bourne

PEDAL-POWER BEHIND THE HI-TECH TRIKE The Sinclair C5: is it reliable? is it even safe? Chris Bourne on Clive's dream car. The Sinclair C5, a 99lb battery-powered, one-seater tricycle with a white plastic body, seems set to create more noise in the motoring world than John De Lorean and the BL Maestro rolled into one. There was much advance speculation about the machine, and Sinclair staff remained tight-lipped to the bitter end. A few spectacular leaks proved more or less accurate, but the extent of the marketing support from such worthies as Woolworth and the Electricity Council was a surprise. The original design was expected to involve radically new battery technology, as a previous problem facing electric car designers had been the construction of a battery powerful enough to drive the car but light enough for the car to carry. The C5 does not provide anything new in that area, but uses a 33lb lead-acid battery, based on existing car batteries. When you consider that the rest of the machine weighs only twice as much, you realise the sacrifice a conventional battery entails. Unable to produce a radically new battery design, the designers chose to create a lightweight vehicle to suit existing technology. With the aid of Lotus, the British sports car specialists, a sleek body was designed. Steering is through handlebars situated beneath the thighs, with brakes similar to cycle brakes. The accelerator is a button on the handlebars, and there is no reverse gear. In order to get the thing moving, pedals are provided, but on a dry level start we found that only a couple of revolutions were needed before the motor cut in. The pedals are also required when driving up steep hills. The motor delivers a maximum speed of 15mph. The battery has a range of 20 miles, according to Sinclair Vehicles, the company set up to handle the manufacture of the buggy. Overall, it measures 2'6" wide, 2'6" high, and 6'6" long. There is a boot of one cubic foot capacity, enough for a very small shopping load, a few school textbooks or a flimsy party costume. We were unable to squeeze an executive briefcase in. Two lights, one at the back and one at the front, along with a futuristic Liquid Crystal Display, complete the basic package, at £399 mail order in a tough cardboard box. It may be more fun than a QL, but is it safer? Taking advantage of a change in the law in 1983 designed to help disabled drivers and milk float manufacturers, the C5 was carefully designed so that anybody over 14 years old could drive it, without insurance, driving licence, road tax or crash helmet, and even if they had already been disqualified from driving a car in the courts. It is classed as a pedal-assisted tricycle, and it is probably fairest to think of it as an alternative to mopeds or bicycles rather than a serious challenger to the conventional car. Safety organisations have already voiced concern about the C5. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - RoSPA - was commissioned by Sinclair Vehicles to write a booklet on driving the machine safely. That booklet, provided with the C5, was compiled by Howard Boyd, RoSPA's National Cycling Officer. It warns of the danger caused by the low height of the machine, which means lorry-drivers and less alert car drivers may have difficulty spotting it. If you buy the C5 in its basic form, you will not get wing mirrors, indicators, or a horn. Those accessories may be bought as an extra from Sinclair Vehicles, along with a high visibility mast to attach to the car. RoSPA regards such items as essential for safety, particularly the mast. Those cost £143, and together with insurance, spare battery and delivery the full cost of the C5 is around £600, rather more than the £399 quoted. Bill Nichols of Sinclair Research says it was never the intention to hide such costs to the user, and points out that "none of those items is legally required." However, the issue at stake is not the legality of the machine, or even its structural stability. "We are satisfied that it is not inherently unsafe" says Geoff Large, RoSPA's assistant director for Road Safety, with a subtle use of the double negative. What is causing the most concern is how well the C5 will fit in with current traffic conditions, and whether conventional motorists will treat C5 drivers with due respect on the roads. There are training schemes for cyclists and motorcyclists, and saturation advertising to warn motorists of the problems faced by cyclists. So far there is nothing similar to support the vulnerable C5 enthusiast. The first people to test the C5 in normal traffic will be the customers. Because of the secrecy surrounding the production of the machine, the only tests conducted on public roads have been held at night with little traffic about. That is a completely different environment to a busy high street full of frustrated motorists, pick-up trucks, vans, buses and taxis. In spite of reservations, RoSPA does not believe the C5 should be banned. Geoff Large feels that, with the visibility mast, the C5 scores over bicycles for its stability. "If people change from cars to C5s that would be a positive gain for road safety in reducing the traffic load," he says, "but as an alternative to public transport there would be a problem, as there would be no change in the growth of car owners." Of the design itself, regardless of safety considerations, reaction has been kinder. We found it great fun to drive, and the low height gives an added impression of exhilarating speed. According to Sir Clive, the polypropylene body is incredibly tough. "Hit it with enormous force," he says, "and it just bounces back". Although the C5 performed well on the level concrete of Alexandra Palace, test models driven at the launch expired halfway up Muswell Hill, and there were reports of at least one early C5 pioneer finding himself stranded four miles out of Streatham on his way to work. The problem appears to be with the battery. Does it work or not? There are three factors involved, according to Bill Nichols, which can make the battery's performance seem less than impressive. Firstly, when you buy a C5 you must recharge the battery before you set off. There is considerable power loss if it is left sitting around for a long period of time. It takes about eight hours to recharge on the domestic mains, so serious owners will want at least two batteries. Secondly, the C5 requires a new technique of driving, dubbed 'push and coast'. The temptation is to keep your finger firmly on the accelerator button at all times, but that drains the power swiftly. What you should do is give a burst of power, then coast along for a bit, then give another burst. Bill Nichols claims effective use of that technique may push the range well beyond the stated twenty miles. Of course, if you don't use the motor at all, you can keep going until your pedals drop off. The third point, not mentioned in the brochure, is that of weather. Apparently the battery loses 8-10 percent of its efficiency at zero degrees, and more below freezing. "That was a problem in launching it at this time of year" says Nichols. While the pundits mutter, the public appears to be ready to give it a go. Sales in the first week, were fast approaching 1000, according to Nichols, with only "four or five complaints so far." At present it is only available mail-order, but Sinclair says it will be appearing in high street electrical stores later in the year. There is a possibility of Woolworth stocking it. It is already on view in selected Electricity Council showrooms, but not for sale or trial. It is right and proper that a machine which can be driven by an untrained fourteen-year-old should be subjected to as severe a criticism as can be justified. Design faults in a Spectrum are not going to kill anybody: design faults in a car might well do so. But it is worth remembering that Sir Clive has yet again demonstrated his commitment to entrepreneurial risk-taking in no uncertain fashion. Whether the C5 will catch on, either as a toy for rich kids who don't mind looking silly, a novelty at amusement parks, a motorised golf caddy or a genuine new means of urban transport, does not affect that fact. Sir Clive may seem an unlikely candidate for the Henry Ford of the 80s but if nobody ever took those risks, we would still be riding horses. There is a lot to praise in the C5, and many questions which only experience can answer in full. In the meantime, you have to admire his nerve.

Sinclair Programs

SWITCHED ON Sinclair Research have brought out the C5, an electric vehicle which is set to, "Radically reshape and expand the market for practical and personal transport." as Sir Clive Sinclair said at its launch. Anybody over the age of 14 is legally entitled to drive the C5. Tax, insurance and even a licence are not required. Driven by a rechargeable battery, the C5 is open-topped and therefore exposed to the elements, unless you are willing to pay extra for accessories. It costs £399 and its top speed is 15 m.p.h. C5s come in one uniform colour and, since they have no distinguishing features such as registration numbers, serious misunderstandings between owners seem possible. Advantages of the C5, apart from the low price and running expenses are that they are pollution free and quiet.