Equipped with four wheels but considered a bicycle, the Frikar is what is called an electric velomobile. It can take cycle paths while offering the comfort and safety of a car. An innovative but expensive hybrid format.
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[EN VIDÉO] With this wheel, a simple bicycle becomes electric In recent years, a new generation of bicycles has emerged. Electric, connected, intelligent, they make our travels increasingly easier. It is now also possible to update its old model using motorized wheels such as the GeoOrbital Wheel for example. Here it is on video.
The Norwegian startup Podbike has just launched the marketing of its first vehicle hybrid, half-bike half-car. Considered a electric bike, it allows you to enjoy the joys of cycling with unprecedented comfort. Its production should start in the spring of 2022.
After a long development work, Podbike finally releases its first model of electric bike with closed cabin. Halfway between the bike and the car, this new type of transport allows the driver to pedal in a seated position while benefiting from electric assistance. Baptized Frikar, this funny four-wheeled vehicle is nevertheless considered a bicycle and can therefore use cycle paths.
Its design has been worked out in such a way that it offers even less resistance at theair than a conventional bicycle, with more comfort of course, since the driver is seated and sheltered from the weather. Heating is even available as an option. According to Podbike, anyone between 1.50 and 2m tall can sit down and ride their e-bike. There is even room to add a child seat, again optional.
From 50 to 80 km of autonomy
Its engine gives it a speed 25 km/h which can however go up to 60 km/h downhill. As for its autonomy, it varies from 50 to 80 km, depending on the type of roads taken and the average speed practiced.
Through this new vehicle, Podbike’s objective is to enable the general public to make a transition to ever more efficient and more sustainable modes of transport, even as original and expensive. Because the Frikar is displayed at 6,249 euros (excluding VAT, shipping costs and various options).
Note that in 2020, the German bicycle manufacturer Canyon had presented a concept of the same kind, a real reflection on the mobility of the future, in the form of a funny capsule, with a passenger compartment that can be opened completely if it is too hot, like a convertible.
The Podbike, an electric velomobile soon on the roads of Norway
Article of Marc Zaffagni, 09/02/2018
The Podbike is a human-powered, electric four-wheeled vehicle with pedals connected to a generator. A first series of ten copies will be tested in Norway. The marketing of this curious machine is planned for 2020.
Many daily journeys are made over short distances for which a means of transport other than the car would be less polluting and economical. the bike is a very good candidate. But drive regularly bike requires a good dose of motivation to face conditions weather report not always attractive (cold, rain, wind…) and cohabitation with motor vehicles which can be a source of stress. The velomobile is precisely the ideal compromise.
Designed in the 1980s in Northern Europe, it is a tricycle fitted with a body that is driven in a lying position with the pedals in front of you. A configuration that reduces fatigue and protects the passenger from bad weather. To make it a means of transport likely to seduce other than the irreducible of the little queen, the Norwegian manufacturer Elpedal imagined creating a velomobile that would be closer to a car.
The Podbike can run at 25 km/h for 60 km
His Podbike has four wheels and an electric pedal assistance system that allows it to reach 25 km/h. The pedals are connected to a generator which will power the two motors placed on the rear wheels. A rechargeable battery completes the device to provide extra power and ensure a minimum range of 60 km.
Elpedal has just unveiled the first functional prototype of its Podbike which will be produced in twelve copies. Ten of them will be used in real conditions by volunteers who will submit their observations. The objective is to market the product in Norway next year and then in Europe in 2020. The price would be around 4,500 euros. It may seem expensive, but you should know that the electric bikes of quality are in this price range and that a car without a license can cost double.
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