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Three-Wheeled Vehicles in Crete by: Alan K. Meier Published by: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Available from: Alan K. Meier Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 USA Reproduced by permission of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, University of California. Reproduction of this microfiche document in any form is subject to the same restrictions as those of the original document.

UCI D-3968

THREE-WHEELED

VEHICLES

IN CRETE

Alan IL Meier

Energy and Envjionment Division Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Energy and Resources Group University of California, Berkeley

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Prepared for the Department of Energy under Contract No. W-7405ENG-48

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LEGAL NOTICE
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the Department of Energy, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

-iii-

UCID-3968

B-WHEELED

VEHICLES IN CRETE

Alan K. Meier

Energy and Environment Division Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Energy and Resources Group University of California, ?Serkeley

-v-

THREE-WHEELED VEHICLES IN CRETE Abstract A new design Greece, appears of to serve to have of the been three-wheeled needs of the vehicles agricultural for has evolved sector. the economic in Crete, The vehicle revival their

in part

responsible

agriculture technology a unique

in Crete. from vehicle. for

The three-wheelers rototillers of in

borrowed but

much of

early into

two-wheeled The rapidity rural also transport been

quickly

evolved a largely

development less

suggests

unfulfilled

need

developed for

countries. quality

The three-wheelers of life in the rural

have

responsible

an improved

areas.

,:; i

Work perfomed under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Energy.

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-l-

An interesting Greek island of Crete

new class to serve are

of its

vehicles rural

is being personal vehicles vehicles of rural affects

developed

on the

and small-scale in a variety are, in a large The extent socioeconomic Crete Furtherare the of of

transport sixes part,

needs .*

These It for

three-wheeled that these revival transport is

and designs. responsible improved in less

appears the

economic rural

Crete. the

to which structures thus more,

small-scale developed

countries of

rarely rural

perceived. transport.

provides similar

an unusual types of

example vehicles, less help

improved

sometimes

imported

from Greece, Conceivably, the effects

now appearing Cretan improved

in other will

developed

countries. some of

experience rural

us anticipate transport

small-scale the effects offers of

in those

countries. rural and the transport? ability virtually to to every

What are Improved carry vehicle, a person particular, by farming i each

of

improved faster

small-scale movement

transport

both goods. on, to

greater

amounts

Compared the Most

to walking, time devoted areas, villages

from a bicycle from one place consist areas. of This hi8

can reduce another. densely

transporting in

rural

and Crete

smal.1,

populated

surrounded several kilometers using and

means that

a farmer

must walk speed cut8

day between moped, additional the risk

home and fields. or small

Higher vehicle,

movement, travel

a hicycle, crdatee At

motorcycle productive of sounding

time

time. like increase a time and motion study, through we better

can estimate

the potential

in productivity

*Please .; :., :<; ;,-.:1 ;, ..,,:_ -,- - ;i I ~&& I,. ~e<&;::,<r;i,,z ;--, :-,

see

illustrations

at end of

paper.

:.. !.

-2-

transportation. about could would working transport ability similar to

Assuming be

that

the

farmer

must walk 6 km each Driving a moped, c,f the 8-10% the time,

day, farmer which

an hour would cover free the about

spent

traveling. in about day,

same distance 3/4 hour each

a quarter perhaps

adding simple

available rural

time. could

Thus,

a relatively increase could it to

improvement 5-10X.

in personal The improved potential in a type

potentially good8

output

transport

affect

productive very

fashion,

although In addition agricultural through

would

depend

much on the through

of

agriculture. of traditional

increasing techniques,

output improved

acceleration also permits

transport

increased opportunities extremely

output

technological

innovations.

The increased change that could are

brought difficult of to

on by transport-induced estimate. personal from Conceivably,

technological a vehicle goods percent.

improves increase

the movement productive

a farmers

and marketable five to fifty

potential also of

anywhere introduce8 the spare

A vehicle to it. for devote

liabilities. time created also

A farmer

may be forced to maintaining to paying farmers energies

a part

by the vehicle now be allocated

Some of the

the worker8 This into

time must financial

vehicle. time if

burden

may divert activities. transportation a better for

the

and spare Even is

other effect factors

income-producing of improved

the net other A cinema increase to the of

on spare

time

negligible,

make owning in iraklion, from evening quality

vehicle example,

especially observed

attractive. a substantial parked For

-, ,, I -,..5.xr ,,:I_ 0_ :/ -, s; .: -*i ,,;, :

operator of

patron8 every higher

the villages. confirmed of life this

The three-wheelers observation. more

next

cinema Crete

the

farmers

means spending

,.

-3-

time the

at time

the

local

taverns

with spent to

the

other

farmers home),

(where

previously nearby season are

would

have been

walking the bus

visiting

relatives where

or taking the too

someone day-long

doctor trip

during

the harvest the connections of

previously took

(because A motor

so poor) has status.

much valuable of life

time. is of

vehicle

any kind

The quality the

perceived

by many to have been simply because it imparts

raised status.

through

acquisition

a vehicle

Until implements group A 6-8

recently in Crete.

there

were

relatively the rncst

few motorized common item within such

agricultural this small

Perhaps

was the hp petrol

two-wheeled engine

rototilltz, the

as the German HAKO-WEEUCE. and any attachments. with hand controls cart was one

powered

two wheels the rototiller

The farmer mounted

controlled

and steered from the

on extensions . The farmer in the

Chassis.

A two-wheeled some goods vehicle via these

attachment while

could

transport the

or a few passengers the hand controls. rototillers, large

he sat For the

cart,

driving that were that could

few farmers

afford

increases with

in productivity could each equal year).

achieved. of ten

The work of laborers cart could faster, track. (and

one man tilling vineyards must

a machine twice

be tilled or . olives

The small

carry

more grape8 they had

than a mule to

and perhaps the nearest

a little navigable

although

to be hand carried the it cart could and engine

As a vehicle, paved road

was hardly than

a speedster.

On an open

go no faster walk.

25 km/hr

and on a path

not much faster

than

a brisk

,:

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-4-

Quite Mechanization vehicle8 not clear.

suddenly

in

the

late

1960's,

the

situation

changed. manufactured are

became much more widespread to appear. factors of The forces may have agricultural

and locally this a role.

began

behind played labor.

transformation

Several

One may have been in a elsewhere, labor-

an increasing long could economic not

shortage decline

The villages, better the jobs

as the

young men sought needed to support

supply methods

the manpower of cultivation. under

traditional

intensive abandoned roads

hs a result, cultivation.

farmland

was either government cities. agriculture;

or brought ensured

mechanized

A vigorous the coastal

program

year-round the delivery

connections of necessities

with

The road8 at the

permitted

of mechanized

same time, During develop of

the this

roads time, through

stimulated

new desires

and demands for expertise and have was reflected far size more

tranaport. began to

technological the construction

and mechanical of

both

new equipment of Crete This which of were

the repair always in the

older their

equipment. independence such

Moreover,

the

people

prized support

and self-sufficiency. as machine for shops, a region

facilities, than would million

sophisticated (about one half In that the

be expected population).

Crete's

period,

several

factories with

in

Crete the

began financing

manufacturing coming but through the

two-wheeled

rototillers, Bank of

much of

the Agricultural design

Greece. Cretan. pace

Many parts

were

imported

Boon become In the early

uniquely 1970's the This

quickened.

In addition,

an entirely of to the

.. i :_) new vehicle appeared. ; -/ 3: the engine driving the .' c ;_\.: y,.c (; .'.. :;;.,'," ,$;ri _, ,:u 5:" : r.,,Jk 'Y,.,r.. :i,'I. ,- ..f; "*k!;y; ., &ir,.,r;:I:'i-. i..i- 7,.I .,(. _-,' ;--". :_c;-s ; i'

was a true wheels

three-wheeler. with a flexible

Instead link

two front

/'

-5-

cart,

the engine

rested

on a rigid

chassis

driving

the rear drive.

wheels, The -

with a gear multi-purpose fixed could

and drive character

shaft

system replacing

the belt

was maintained,

however,

because

only 3 bolts the engine

the engine

to the chassis. to a rototiller. are

In less

than half

an hour,

be transferred Three-wheelers

not new to Greece.

They are familiar

sights over

in the urban areas. thirty years.

Homemade three-wheelers : converted

have been used for EWIW motorcycles

These were tl ,.: The more sophist

with-

side-cars. drive

.)* - designs cart.

mated the motorcycles were imported type, bed lay are still as size.

system with a two-wheel and later steered

Other three-wheelers in Greece. In the latter the freight

from Italy the driver

manufactured the single front

wheel while

behind him over the two rear very popular for small-scale

wheels.

These three-wheelers transport.

commercial license increase fees

In Greece,

in many European countries, Thus, to avoid a substantial smaller

are based on engine fees,

in license Partly

these threelimited Also,

wheelers power,

had engines these

than 50 cc. never caught vehicles for

due to their areas.

three-wheelers fees for

on in the rural

the license agricultural

agricultural.

were much lower 49.9 cc agricultural

than nanvehicles

vehicles;

the incentive

did not exist. The appearance the sharp although in Greece times U.S. rise of the agricultural prices. three-wheeler coincided with

in oil

It may merely have been a coincidence, otherwise. Gasoline $0.60/literprices about three

the economic's would suggest are among the highest prices. Diesel oil

in the world, prices,

however,

are about a third

(1

,..

.--

._

-6-

that those

of

gasoline to pull

($0.2l/liter). carts, were

Most

of

the

rototiller8,

such as oil

used only

gasoline-powered. there was certainly possible. hence,

With diesel a strong

costing incentive used build

a third

as much, engines

economic countries to

to use diesel a lopsided (8-12 hp) fuel

whenever policy,

Few other nobody

such small

pricing

had tried

diesel

vehicles.

The Cretans

may be the

first

to do so on a large By the of age.

scale. 1977, about the agricultural three-wheeler had come three-

sunsaer of

At present, The largest smaller

20 factories were

in Crete about

were building

wheelers. while apeared statistics thousand their of the

plants

building smaller

1500 vehicles/year meters,

ones,

Borne in 8hOp8 about

than 150 square

to be building are not

one hundred but it have ago. is

vehicles/year. estimated that

Current about use ten since must

available, three-wheelers

these

already Total

come into annual

appearance several

some four thousand

years vehicles

production

be around

each

year. standardized 20 unrelated to the extent factories

The three-wheelers that it is a recognizable it. Most of

design vehicle

ha8 become even

though

are building

the vehicle8 from the

u8e an 8 or

12 hp rope-started engine is transmitted

2 1-z22 1 e-fig-jne , through strength speed is

The power

forward-positioned to the rear wheels.

two independent rear 40-45 or axle

gearshifts

The automobileMaximum costs were cost

can typically

support

a 1000 kg payload. claimed prices). operating

km/hr.

&Ie manufacturer (based on Greek fuel

1.5C/km ,: : ;:, I, Y,$&~ :_ :r:;+; ,$.< -: : 2: - i _ aill.L /;c., -2. _, $ .,,,,_ ._ about

2lc/hour

New vehicles

$2,500.

-7-

How are

the

three-wheeler8

used?

This the

depend8

upon the centered carrying

season. around baskets the

In the grape of

late harvest.

summer (when Thus,

I was there)

activities were seen

many three-wheelers and drying such

grapes

to local

presses

areas.

Occasionally sheets baskets. anything could to (which

they are

would used

carry to

support

material8, raisin

as polyethylene and extra More than

accelerate is very

production)

But harvesting else, easily the carry threesix any a8

grapes wheeler8 people

labor-intensive. people. carry

carried and often (This

The three-wheeler8 up to nine that on trips the vehicle the

the city has great

without potential

adaptation. a rural feed,

suggests In other firewood,

minibus.) a few goats,

instances,

three-wheeler8

carried

and insecticide. till and plow the fields. to The engine the since engines. developed. It ha8 limited Here implement comes a removable engine tiller. many

In other

seasons, from

farmers the

must be removed This of will

three-wheeler less frequently have

and connected in the future

probably

occur

the

newer

three-wheeler8 of transport the but cart is

permanently

attached

A spectrum At the speed the with next, engine design8 r _, , , :: :.<, .. ., ,;. .,. I _-II ._;I,:_,_,, I :-)~ :,,r0 :-c:;,,~...;,, Xi. .:.pickup as well lower

alternatives pulled by the the

seems to have rototiller.

end is

and capacity

obviously is for

cheapest

alternative. agricultural

overriding transport providing still are

requirement being almost

a mechanized

incidential. and capacity. for

The three-wheeler The model8 but with the of

greater provide

speed

motive

power

cultivation, top is

fixed light

only

for

transport. offer even personal

At the higher

the group

truckswhich

speed8

and slightly pickup

more capacity costs about

as much greater

comfort.

A light

--. ., .. i, .; j

-8-

$6,000 in Crete. costs

These pickups

use gasoline

engines

so their

operating 1

are much greater

than the three-wheelers. of the farm, the farmers

The choice

of vehicles i

depends upon the size of status. Without in Crete. sophisticated electric

income, and hi8 perceptions

any planning,

a motor vehicle

industry

is developing built are

Many of

the three-wheelers

presently

being

vehicles.

Some have enclosed signals. At least

dr iver I s compartment , one firm plans to build

ignition

and turn While

a four-wheeler! Greece,

few of the three-wheeler8 being exported

are seen on mainland Some but none

they are already are talking

to nearby. countries. association,

manufacturers

of a manufacturers

had been formed as of Besides three-wheelers areas of less

summer 1977. of a unique vehicle, the importance countries. of the evolution of the

the creation indicates developed

transport

in agricultural

Starting

with what was essentially a vehicle emerged for dissociated. than improved

an attachment

to a mechanized

farm implement,

which the implement became secondary , and eventually The rapidity a decade rural with which this demand was realized the importance

entirely

and met--less of

in Crete-- indicates

andpotential

transport.

_ ii :: ::l.- ; ;i r . ) : .-,

1.

A rototiller and cart. The man on the left is starting the engine. The cart is full of grapes and other Three adults and a child goods. Note will ride on top of the cargo. how the woman in the center is steadying the rototiller and depressing the brake pedal. The grapes were hand-carried in baskets from their fields some They 50 meters above the vehicle. will now drive the few kilometers to their village to unload their grapes and take a siesta.

CBB '779-9020

2.

This type An urban three-wheeler. of vehicle proved not to be rugged Nevertheless, enough for rural use. they are used extensively within the cities for small goods transport. Similar chassis have been used for taxicabs in southeast Asia.

CBB 779-9014

3.

This A three-wheeler carrying hay. design is fairly early on the evoluThe engine can be tionary scale. removed for use on a rototiller. The front wheel is smaller than the rear wheels and the driver steers with a handle, rather than a steering wheel, and uses hand controls rather than foot pedals.

T,

-lO-

4.

A side view of a three-wheeler. Here a farmer is loading cuttings in the vehicle, possibly to feed goats at home. He is also carrying a large insecticide apparatus (behind the clippings). This design is The slightly more sophisticated. drive-shaft, as well as the steering linkage, is faintly visible beneath Note the single headlight. the floor. The engine is still removable.

CBB 779-9022

5.

An advanced design three-wheeler. The driver's compartment is now partially enclosed and the engine There are two headis covered. lights and the newest have internationally specified (probably imported) turn/brake lights on the rear.

CBB 779-9006

6.

A light pickup truck. For larger loads and longer distances, pickups are very popular.

CBB 779-9024

I This report was done with support from the Department of Energy. Any conclusions or opinions expressed in this report represent solely those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of The Regent2 of the University of California, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory or the Department of Energy. I

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