Abstract: A tricycle is driven by an electric motor supplied by batteries recharged by solar panels. Electric braking is used. The batteries and a battery charger are enclosed in a thermally insulated compartment and the batteries are kept warm in cold weather by the heat produced by the battery charger and by electric braking. The solar panels are mounted on the roof of the passenger cabin and/or on the insulated compartment and are oriented towards the sun by a stepper motor.

Abstract: The solar tracking system maintains a solar collector with its responsive surface normal to the sun rays. It includes a shaft supported for rotation about an axis parallel to the north-south axis of the earth, a stepper motor for intermittent rotation of the shaft at a mean rate equal to the earth's rate of rotation. A solar collector securing assembly is located on one side of the shaft and includes a bracket, collars securing the bracket to the shaft, a support for fixing a solar collector pivoted to the bracket about a pivotal axis transverse to the shaft to vary the inclination of the support relative to the shaft and stays between the support and the bracket to maintain the support at an adjusted inclination. A counter-balancing system includes an arm secured to the shaft and extending normal thereto and away from the assembly and a weight adjustably mounted on the shaft.