This fantastic machine is a real Shifeng Fengrui II, seen in the countryside to the north of Beijing. The Shifeng Fengrui II is a heavy motorized 3-wheeler with a streamlined cabin. Vehicles like these are all over the place in rural areas, very typical farmland workhorses.
Shifeng is the brandname, Fengrui II is the typename. The brand name is written in large white characters on the side of the flatbed (时风), but oddly enough from written from right to left. The Fengrui II was manufactured by the Shifeng Group, a large farm-vehicle maker from Liaocheng city in Shandong Province.
Lots of names and things. Top door: Shifeng Fengrui Number II (时风锋锐II号). The character 号 (hao) means number. Lower door: the same in English, and Sanlunqiche in pinyin. It means three-wheel motor vehicle.
A double horn on the front of the cabin, almost next to the wheel!
The Shifeng Fengrui II is powered by a 1.5 liter diesel engine with an output of 34 hp and 125 Nm. It has a top speed of 70 km/h and fuel consumption is 3 liter per 100 kilometers. Gearbox is a tractor-style 8-speed system, with a low gearing for hauling the heavy stuff. It is a large machine, measuring 4450 × 1680 × 1830 mm with a 2930 wheelbase. More important yet is the size of the bed: 2700 × 1600 × 500. Empty weight is a hefty 1.2 ton.
The interior has a lot of beige plastics but it doesn’t look too bad for its kind. Note the extreme angle of the steering wheel to control the single front wheel. It also has a real radio and 2.5 seats. The right seat is very wide, and the vehicle is licensed to carry 3 adults. One will sit in the driver’s seat, and two on the second seat. Very cozy indeed!
You can also put two beds in it and use it as a camper! I saw this fine vehicle in 2013. Nowadays most of these farm vehicles are electric, especially around the big cities. But the diesel variants are still being made for the more faraway countryside where charging infrastructure is still rare.
The Fengrui II has proper windshield wipers and large mirrors. It looks quite nice too, with modern headlights and a 3-bar grille. I am always again surprised by how cheap these vehicles are. When new, the Fengrui sold for just 7300 yuan, which is about as much as I paid for my electric scooter in Beijing. And the best thing: you don’t even need a driving license to drive one. Pedal to the medal down these country roads!
The Shifeng logo.
A classic pedal-powered tricycle.
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