Pinoy-made Salamander amphibious trike can tackle land and water

by Vernon B. Sarne - Jan 21, 2015

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Salamander Amphitrike

If you're into car customization, the name Atoy Llave will certainly ring a bell.
The man behind A-Toy Bodykits and the company's aftermarket exterior designs is
quite popular among Filipino car lovers. The curious thing you see here--the
Salamander amphibious trike--is Llave's latest creation. He made this in
partnership with a new company called H2O Technologies, developing it in particular
with the firm's technical head, Lamberto Armada.

Because it is amphibious, the Salamander can travel both on land and in water. It
stemmed from Llave's desire to do something really useful for the benefit of his
countrymen. That and his wish to put the Philippines on the global automotive map.

"I want to show the world that the Filipino can," Llave told TopGear.com.ph.

As you read this, Llave and his partners are launching the thing somewhere in
Mandaluyong (near our office, actually). It's a big night for the group. They have
been toiling day and night in order to seamlessly roll out the Salamander before
the critical eyes of the motoring press.

Last month, Llave gave us exclusive access to the Salamander. It was for a full-
length magazine story that will appear in our February issue. Writer Niky Tamayo
was able to test it for himself, and you will read his initial impressions in our
next issue.

The Salamander has two powerplant choices: one electric and one internal-
combustion. Boasting a six-person seating capacity (four in water), the amphibious
tricycle is powered by either a 5kW electric engine or a 250cc gasoline motor. We
assume these are the target specs for the production version, because the
provisional spec sheet still mentions a 3kW electric engine and a 200cc motor.
(Watch the video at the bottom.)

"I've already achieved so much in the car business," Llave shared. "Now, I want to
leave behind a legacy. I want to produce something that will help people."

Llave, of course, is referring to our country being flood-prone. Imagine having an

amphibious vehicle like this when the water rises. The Salamander will also be
practical as a shuttle vehicle in between small islands all around the archipelago.

The only hurdle? As with any brilliant Filipino idea, there is currently a lack of
funding, which Llave hopes to get as soon as word spreads about his newest
brainchild. We hope a wealthy businessman with patriotic and philanthropic
intentions is reading this. The Salamander is waiting to be developed, polished and
marketed to the world.

Atoy Llave is right: The Filipino can.

Pinoy-developed amphibious trike offers transportation solution for flood-prone
areas
Published January 24, 2015 8:32pm
The Salamander, an amphibian tricycle developed by a Filipino company, may offer a
transportation solution for flood-prone areas.

In a report on GMA's 24 Oras aired Saturday evening, H20 Technologies Inc.'s

Salamander chief designer Atoy Llave said their product is a first in the world.
Gumagawa kami ng solution para sa baha. If you see the design if you cut the
half, ang makikita mo diyan is a boat, Llave said.

The gasoline-powered prototype of the Salamander can carry up to six people. Oars
are provided in case it runs out of fuel while in the water.

An electric Salamander prototype equipped with solar panels is also available. That
protoype has USB ports for charging gadgets during emergencies.

Llave said the Salamander is not yet on the market since the company is focused on
local governments that might be interested in purchasing the amphibious tricycle.

Ang target price namin is about P200-plus thousand. Kung puwede ngang lower than
P100,000 why not? he said.

Officials from the flood-prone Roxas District in Quezon City doubt, however,
whether the Salamander can be operated in their area.

Siguro mas mabilis yan actually than mga ating mga fiberglass boats. Ang weakness
lang nito Let's say kung ang isang area ay low-lying... Well, in terms of
maneuverability, siguro hindi siya makaka-maneuver agad kung masikip yung lugar,
an official said.

Maganda po pero ang problema po kung gagamitin dito yan, kakapit siguro sa makina
'yung mga plastic kasi maraming basura, said another official. Andrei
Medina/JDS, GMA News
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First Filipino Made Amphibious Tricycle The Salamander
January 23, 2015
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First Filipino made amphibious tricycle, The Salamander is an amphibious tricycle

that can run both land and on water.

This Salamander amphibious tricycle is an amphibious type tricycle that can sail
through Manilas flooded streets, cross rivers and lakes, and can even go island-
hopping.

salamander
salamander
The Salamander has two power-plant choices, powered by 5-kilowatt electric motor
that runs on electricity and 250 cc. internal combustion type gasoline engine.

h2o-salamander_2
H20 Technologies Inc.
It was designed by a famous car designer named Atoy Llave who was in charge of the
Atoy Bodykits and is well know among car lovers.

One main reason Atoy build the Salamander is to show the world that the Filipino
can. And hoping the mentally of the Filipino people will change that its just a
Philippine made, theres one better abroad. And one more obstacle he has to face
is the lack of funding. This is the biggest and the oldest problem of any brilliant
Filipino creators.

video footage courtesy of topgear.com

The curious thing you see here in this videothe Salamander amphibious trikeis
Llaves latest creation.

With this kind of unique invention travelling around flooded areas of Metro Manila
is not a big problem anymore.

Atoy Llave had a big hope with his new creation, having two working prototype and
by spreading the word out to the world, an investor might give a call. The Filipino
can!

Salamander aqua trike: Proudly Pinoy made

posted January 29, 2015 at 08:30 pm by Dino Ray V. Directo III
Necessity is the mother of invention and a body kit maker may have found the
answer to one of the countrys pressing needs. Perennial floodings in Metro Manila
and in some provinces have spurred the creation of an amphibious vehicle.

Salamander designer Victor Llave does a hot lap

with his creation.
Designed by the countrys King of Bodykits Victor Atoy Llave with a group of
enterprising youngsters whose purpose is to find a solution to the countrys
flood problem, H20 Technologies recently unveiled the first ever Philippine made
amphibious tricycle.

Branded as the Salamander, this amphibious vehicle took five years to develop and
revolved around the concept of a five-seater motorized tricycle with a sturdy hull
and fiber glass body. It is powered by a 250cc motorcycle engine, and can be
controlled by a handlebar or a stick when the Salamander is running on water. The
design team is also led by the companys Chief Engineer, Lamberto Armada who also
revealed that they have created two models that runs with either a mechanical or an
electric motor. Electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support these
vehicles are still in its early stages. Years from now there will be charging
stations situated throughout the urban areas but right now, people will have to
resort to traditional methods instead. Thats why we created the fuel based version
as well to ensure that we were able to bring our innovation to the people who need
it today. Armada went on further to say the Salamander will help us to overcome
the challenges we have today during rainy season with flooding; but also be ready
as the market shifts to more sustainable and eco-friendly electric vehicles in the
near future.

In a country where over half of the 42,000 Barangays are prone to flooding, the
Salamander would fit well into the Philippines landscape requirements. This is why
we created the Salamander said David Ong Chairman of the Board for H2O
Technologies.

Patented by H2O technologies, the Salamander can be functions like a normal

tricycle on land, and transforms into an amphibious vehicle once operated in a
watery environment. It can reach speeds of up to 80kph on land, and six knots in
water with a full compliment of six people including the driver. Deriving knowledge
from his familys boat manufacturing business, one of H2Os founding member/CEO
Dominic Chung derived his expertise from boat building and coordinated with Atoy
regarding the tricycles unique body structure. The Salamander was designed to
withstand a certain degree of impact or damage and can still maintain its buoyancy
and stability even rough seas, explains Chung.

The Salamander is expected to cost etween P295,000 and P495,000. The H2O group is
currently in talks with private organizations which have expressed interest in
funding the mass production of the Salamander. Our target date for actual
manufacturing is this year. I just hope that the government sees the potential of
this aqua tricycle so we can provide this technology to the people in need, says
Chung.

mphibious three-wheeler could keep flood-stricken Filipinos mobile

Ben Coxworth Ben Coxworth April 10, 2015

7 PICTURES The Salamander is designed to be at home on the road and the water
The Salamander is designed to be at home on the road and the water . View gallery
(7 images)

If there are two things that the Philippines has a lot of, it's motorized trikes
and small flood-prone villages. That's why Filipino startup H2O Technologies has
developed the Salamander. It's a three-wheeler that can be driven on the road like
a normal vehicle most of the time, but that can also take to the water when floods
occur.

There are actually two versions of the Salamander a gas/hydrogen model, and one
that's fully ... The Salamander's cockpit The Salamander has a full lighting
package The Salamander HydrOPlus has a fuel blending system that lets it run on a
combination of ...
There are actually two versions of the vehicle a gas/hydrogen model, and one
that's fully electric.

The first version, called the HydrOPlus, has a 200-cc engine that runs on regular
gasoline. Should hydrogen be available, however, it also has a fuel blending system
that lets it run on a combination of gas and hydrogen. This should both cut down on
emissions, and give it considerably better mileage.

The electric model is instead driven by a 3,000 W 48-volt motor, that is in turn
powered by four 90-Ah gel-type batteries. There's no word on range or charging
time, or on mileage for the gas version.

A maximum land speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) is possible in the HydrOPLus the
electric is a little slower with both models managing 6 knots (11 km/h or 7 mph)
on the water. Both versions can also carry six passengers on land (including the
driver), and four when in boat mode.

The double-layered hull is constructed of high-density polyethylene, and is

compartmentalized in order to help the vehicle stay afloat and stabilized if
damaged. Propulsion in the water is achieved using a rear-mounted marine-grade
propeller, that's run by the same motor that turns the wheels when on the road.
Simply pulling a lever lets the driver switch between modes.

Although H2O would ultimately like to distribute Salamanders worldwide, the company
is working towards selling them in barangays (villages) for now, and has launched a
Kickstarter campaign to help finance that goal. The estimated price range is
295,000 to 495,000 Philippine pesos (about US$6,614 to $11,098).

To see the Salamander in action, check out the video below.

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