Crete 3 Wheeled Vehicles

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MICROFICHEREFERENCELIBRARY

A project of Volunteers in Asia

Three-Wheeled Vehicles in Creteby: Alan K. MeierPublished by:Lawrence Berkeley LaboratoriesUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, CA 94720 USAAvailable from:Alan K. MeierLawrence Berkeley LaboratoriesUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, CA 94720 USAReproduced by permission of Lawrence BerkeleyLaboratories, University of California.


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, l UCI D-3968

THREE-WHEELED VEHICLES IN CRETE

Alan IL Meier

Energy and Envjionment DivisionLawrence Berkeley LaboratoryandEnergy and Resources GroupUniversity of California, Berkeley


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LEGAL NOTICEThis report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by theUnited States Government. Neither the United States nor the Depart-ment of Energy, nor any of their employees, nor any of their con-tractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty,express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility forthe accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, appa-ratus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use wouldnot infringe privately owned rights.


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UCID-3968

B-WHEELED VEHICLES IN CRETE

Alan K. Meier

Energy and Environment DivisionLawrence Berkeley LaboratoryandEnergy and Resources GroupUniversity of California, ?Serkeley


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THREE-WHEEL ED EHICLES IN CRETEAbstract

A new design of three-wheeled vehicles has evolved in Crete,Greece, to serve the needs of the agricultural sector. The vehicleappears to have been in part responsible for the economic revivalof agriculture in Crete. The three-wheelers borrowed much of theirearly technology from two-wheeled rototillers but quickly evolvedinto a unique vehicle. The rapidity of development suggests a largelyunfulfilled need for rural transport in less developed countries.The three-wheelers have also been responsible for an improved qualityof life in the rural areas.


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An interesting new class of vehicles is being developed on theGreek island of Crete to serve its rural personal and small-scaletransport needs .* These are three-wheeled vehicles in a variety ofsixes and designs. It appears that these vehicles are, in a largepart, responsible for the economic revival of rural Crete. The extentto which improved small-scale rural transport affects the socioeconomicstructures in less developed countries is rarely perceived. Cretethus provides an unusual example of improved rural transport. Further-more, similar types of vehicles, sometimes imported from Greece, arenow appearing in other less developed countries. Conceivably, theCretan experience will help us anticipate some of the effects ofimproved rural small-scale transport in those countries.

What are the effects of improved small-scale rural transport?Improved transport offers both faster movement and the ability tocarry greater amounts of goods. Compared to walking, virtually every


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transportation. Assuming that the farmer must walk 6 km each day,about an hour would be spent traveling. Driving a moped, the farmercould cover the same distance in about a quarter c,f the time, whichwould free about 3/4 hour each day, adding perhaps 8-10% availableworking time. Thus, a relatively simple improvement in personal ruraltransport could potentially increase output 5-10X. The improvedability to transport good8 could affect productive potential in asimilar fashion, although it would depend very much on the type ofagriculture. In addition to increasing output through accelerationof traditional agricultural techniques, improved transport also permitsincreased output through technological innovations. The increasedopportunities brought on by transport-induced technological change areextremely difficult to estimate. Conceivably, a vehicle that improvesthe movement of a farmers personal and marketable goods could increase


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time at the local taverns with the other farmers (where previouslythe time would have been spent walking home), visiting nearbyrelatives or taking someone to the doctor during the harvest seasonwhere previously the day-long bus trip (because the connections areso poor) took too much valuable time. A motor vehicle of any kindhas status. The quality of life is perceived by many to have beenraised through the acquisition of a vehicle simply because it impartsstatus.

Until recently there were relatively few motorized agriculturalimplements in Crete. Perhaps the rncst common item within this smallgroup was the two-wheeled rototilltz, such as the German HAK O-WEEUCE.A 6-8 hp petrol engine powered the two wheels and any attachments.The farmer controlled and steered the rototiller with hand controls

mounted on extensions from the Chassis. A two-wheeled cart was oneattachment . The farmer could transport some goods or a few passengers


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Quite suddenly in the late 1960's, the situation changed.Mechanization became much more widespread and locally manufacturedvehicle8 began to appear. The forces behind this transformation arenot clear. Several factors may have played a role. One may have beenan increasing shortage of agricultural labor. The villages, in along economic decline as the young men sought better jobs elsewhere,could not supply the manpower needed to support the traditional labor-intensive methods of cultivation. hs a result, farmland was eitherabandoned or brought under mechanized cultivation. A vigorous governmentroads program ensured year-round connections with the coastal cities.The road8 permitted the delivery of necessities of mechanized agriculture;at the same time, the roads stimulated new desires and demands fortranaport. During this time, technological and mechanical expertisebegan to develop both through the construction of new equipment and


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cart, the engine rested on a rigid chassis driving the rear wheels,with a gear and drive shaft system replacing the belt drive. Themulti-purpose character was maintained, however, because only 3 bolts -fixed the engine to the chassis. In less than half an hour, the enginecould be transferred to a rototiller.

Three-wheelers are not new to Greece. They are familiar sightsin the urban areas. Homemade three-wheelers have been used for overthirty years. These were tl ,.: : converted EWIWmotorcycles with-side-cars. The more sophist .)* - designs mated the motorcyclesdrive system with a two-wheel cart. Other three-wheelers were importedfrom Italy and later manufactured in Greece. In the latter type,the driver steered the single front wheel while the freight bed laybehind him over the two rear wheels. These three-wheelers are stillvery popular for small-scale commercial transport. In Greece, asin many European countries, license fees are based on engine size.


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that of gasoline ($0.2l/liter). Most of the rototiller8, such asthose used to pull carts, were gasoline-powered. With diesel oilcosting only a third as much, there was certainly a strong economicincentive to use diesel engines whenever possible. Few other countriesused such a lopsided fuel pricing policy, hence, nobody had tried tobuild small (8-12 hp) diesel vehicles. The Cretans may be the firstto do so on a large scale.

By the sunsaer of 1977, the agricultural three-wheeler had comeof age. At present, about 20 factories in Crete were building three-wheelers. The largest plants were building about 1500 vehicles/yearwhile the smaller ones, Borne in 8hOp8 smaller than 150 square meters,apeared to be building about one hundred vehicles/year. Currentstatistics are not available, but it is estimated that about tenthousand of these three-wheelers have already come into use since


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How are the three-wheeler8 used? This depend8 upon the season. In the late summer (when I was there) the activities centered around the

grape harvest. Thus, many three-wheelers were seen carrying basketsof grapes to local presses and drying areas. Occasionally they wouldcarry support material8, such as polyethylene sheets (which are usedto accelerate raisin production) and extra baskets. But harvestinggrapes is very labor-intensive. More than anything else, the three-wheeler8 carried people. The three-wheeler8 could easily carry sixpeople and often carry up to nine on trips to the city without anyadaptation. (This suggests that the vehicle has great potential a8a rural minibus.) In other instances, the three-wheeler8 carriedfeed, a few goats, firewood, and insecticide.

In other seasons, farmers till and plow the fields. The enginemust be removed from the three-wheeler and connected to the ti ller.


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$6,000 in Crete. These pickups use gasoline engines so their operating 1costs are much greater than the three-wheelers. The choice of vehiclesdepends upon the size of the farm, the farmers income, and hi8 perceptionsof status.

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Without any planning, a motor vehicle industry is developingin Crete. Many of the three-wheelers presently being built aresophisticated vehicles. Some have enclosed dr iver I s compartment ,electric ignition and turn signals. At least one firm plans to builda four-wheeler! While few of the three-wheeler8 are seen on mainlandGreece, they are already being exported to nearby. countries. Somemanufacturers are talking of a manufacturers association, but nonehad been formed as of summer 1977.

Besides the creation of a unique vehicle, the evolution of thethree-wheelers indicates the importance of transport in agricultural


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CBB '779-9020

2. An urban three-wheeler. This typeof vehicle proved not to be ruggedenough for rural use. Nevertheless,they are used extensively withinthe cities for small goods transport.Similar chassis have been used fortaxicabs in southeast Asia.

A rototiller and cart. The man onthe left is starting the engine.The cart is full of grapes and othergoods. Three adults and a childwill ride on top of the cargo. Notehow the woman in the center issteadying the rototiller and depres-sing the brake pedal.The grapes were hand-carried inbaskets from their fields some50 meters above the vehicle. Theywill now drive the few kilometersto their village to unload theirgrapes and take a siesta.

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4. A side view of a three-wheeler.Here a farmer is loading cuttingsin the vehicle, possibly to feedgoats at home. He is also carryinga large insecticide apparatus (be-hind the clippings). This design is Islightly more sophisticated. Thedrive-shaft, as well as the steeringlinkage, is faintly visible beneath 1the floor. Note the single headlight.The engine is still removable.

CBB 779-9022

5. An advanced design three-wheeler.The driver's compartment is nowpartially enclosed and the engineis covered. There are two head-lights and the newest have inter-nationally specified (probablyimported) turn/brake lights on therear.


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


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Crete 3 Wheeled Vehicles

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