Here we have a couple of super cool electric cleaning tricycles, seen in Beijing in the winter of 2019 under a bridge on the mighty Second Ring Road. The vehicles were unattended and unguarded, so I was able to conduct a thorough inspection.
The cleaning vehicle is a one-seat open-cabin tricycle, with one wheel up front and two at the back. The front wheel is for steering only, the rear wheels are powered. The motor is located between the rear wheels. Dust and other dirt are gathered in the rear compartment.
Slogan time: “Better city, our duty”. Beijing Huanwei (北京环) refers to a state-owned company involved in cleaning, waste collection, and transportation. The full name is Beijing Environmental Sanitation Group (BESG, 北京环卫集团). The company was founded in 1953. It operates a large fleet of cleaning vehicles in many Chinese cities.
The buttons above the type plate control the cleaning mechanism.
The cleaning vehicle was manufactured by Anhui Airuite Environmental Protection Technology (Airuite, 安徽爱). This is a so-called specialty vehicle maker, which means the company buys the platform from elsewhere and fits it with the cleaning equipment. In this case, Anhui Airuite only bought the 3-wheel chassis, the drive motor, and the handle-bar steering system. The rest is done by the company itself. The type name is Ruiqing S13 (瑞清S13).
Specifications according to Airuite: work efficiency: 14000㎡/h, the main brush has a diameter of 700 mm, the side brushes have a diameter of 500 mm, it has an operating time of 6 hours, a range of 100 km, a top speed of 30 km/h, a gradability of 30%, an internal trash bin capacity of 120 liter, a water tank capacity of 60 liter, a rated power of 48V, and the dimensions are 2220/1250/1780.
The control room is quite simple: a handlebar with bike-style brakes, a round dial with speed and range, a brake pedal on the left, and the accelerator on the right. Visibility is very good thanks to the large windshield with side windows, and, of course, the open cabin.
Interestingly, the Beijing Environmental Sanitation Group also owns a specialty vehicle maker, called Beijing Environmental Sanitation Group Environmental Sanitation Equipment (BESG-BEE, 北京环卫集团环卫装备). This company mainly makes larger cleaning vehicles, mostly based on BYD truck chassis.
This is one of the 500 mm side brushes. The main 700 mm brush is hidden underneath the vehicle.
The lights give the Ruiqing S13 an insect-like look, ready to sweep away any dirt or dust. Beijing used to be a very dusty place, especially in the early 2000s, but things are much better now, in large part thanks to brilliant electric cleaning vehicles like the Anhui Airuite Environmental Protection Technology S13.
With a flashlight on the open roof, red-orange rear lights, and orange wheel nuts. The hatch gives access to the 120-liter internal trash bin. The street was very clean, so I guess it was full.