French Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Mildé Electric Tricycles

Charles Mildé founded the Société des Automobiles Mildé & Cie in 1897.

The following year, he and Robert Mondos entered the Concours des Fiacres with an electric goods van. The battery accumulators were housed beneath the floor and it had a range of around 50 kilometres.

Then in 1900 Mildé built an electric tricycle nicknamed "the electric pony", powered by a Greffe motor with three batteries. It had a six-speed gearbox (4 forward, 2 reverse) and a maximum speed of 35 km/h - the range of 50 km, however, was still problematical. One of these electric tricycles is exquisitely displayed in the Musée Henri Malartre in Lyon.

The company continued to develop electric automobiles until 1942.

Sources: 3-wheelers.com, laberezina.com, et al

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