Fiat could bring its funky new three-wheeled micro-truck to the UK as an ultra-compact last-mile delivery vehicle.
Revealed last year, the Tris is a tiny electric pick-up that channels the spirit of the iconic Piaggio Ape in its single front wheel, handlebar steering and tiny proportions.
Equipped with a single seat and handlebar steering, the Tris is designed for use in busy city environments. It also has open sides for quick entry and exit - but Autocar understands it would need to be fitted with doors to meet UK safety requirements.
It can be ordered in either chassis-cab, flatbed or truck-bed form, the last of those having a load area of up to 2.25m2 – equivalent to two standard pallets.
The Tris has a range of 56 miles from its 6.9kWh battery - slightly more than the similarly sized Fiat Topolino microcar (a derivative of the Citroën Ami).
A 12bhp motor can take the Tris to a top speed of 28mph - which would be sufficient in the confines of most UK cities, where the speed limit tends to be 20mph or 30mph.
Measuring more than half a metre shorter than the Fiat 500, at 3.17m, the Tris has a turning circle of 6.1m and a maximum payload of 540kg.
It's built in Morocco and was initially destined just for markets in the Middle East and Asia, but now Fiat has brought it to the UK Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham as part of a programme to identify potential customers and gauge its viability for a commercial launch here.
Kris Cholmondley, who runs the Fiat Professional CV division in the UK, said: "Tris is a smart, forward‑thinking answer to the growing demand for efficient last‑mile delivery.
"It combines practicality, sustainability and versatility in a format designed entirely around urban environments.
"We’re thrilled to showcase it in the UK for the first time at the Commercial Vehicle Show.”
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