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So here at EcoGeek we love to talk about super-efficient green cars, even when they don't look so great. People might think you're crazy, but after you tell them how far you can go on a two-gallon tank of gas, maybe they'll start to question their own insanity. So when we came across the Twike, we got pretty excited.
The Twike was originally designed by a bunch of students in Switzerland in the '80s and then taken on by a German firm for production. While it may look like the usual "bizarre" electric vehicle (it's fully electric, zero emissions), taking a look inside reveals that you can actually pedal to produce up to 500 watts in tandem with a passenger to extend the range of the car by up to 50%. Now THAT'S new!
The car is steered using a joystick configuration, much like in an airplane, and has the accelerator and brakes (regenerative brakes of course) operated by buttons built into the stick. Awesomely geeky! The batteries are lithium-ion and can be charged from a regular household outlet, though slower here than in Europe, where it charges at a rate of about 1km potential per minute. Of course at 12.5 miles per KWh, which is the equivalent of 565 mpg, charging overnight is fine by me! The range on a single charge is anywhere from 20-90 miles depending on driving conditions (and how in shape your legs are!).
They talk about "Grey energy" on their website, the amount of energy used to produce a vehicle, which in this case is 8,400 KWh, compared to 42,000 KWh for a conventional car. What's the best line from their website though?
"Tailpipes? We don't need no stinking tailpipes." Sweet!
$26,000 US might seem like a lot for a glorified electric bicycle, but amazingly they are sold out for 2007 in North America and are taking orders for 2008. It might not take you on cross-country tours (unless you are in great shape), but as a commuter verhicle, what better way to get to and from that lazy office job and stay in shape?
Check out a video of the thing in action after the jump.
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written by stands2reason, December 11, 2007
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written by weee recycling, December 12, 2007
Looks like a great bit of design and a bit of pedalling would improve many peoples health.
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written by anonymo, December 13, 2007
If you're not burning gasoline, you don't have a miles per gallon figure. You don't get to imagine one using a theoretical 100% efficient gasoline powered generator.
It's getting 80 watt-hours per mile. The VentureOne, which is aimed at getting 100mph 100mpg in a serial hybrid carving trike, was IIRC around 110 watt-hours per mile.
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written by anonymo, December 13, 2007
The average for most people is going to be between 50 and 100 watts sustained, per person.
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written by Danno, December 13, 2007
Save yourself about $23k and go here: http://www.electricrider.com/index.htm
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written by xc_para_puravida, December 26, 2007
I can tell you from riding in one, this is NOT an electric bicycle! It IS a lightweight electric car with a pedal assist. It is quiet, clean and thrilling to drive - capable of 55mph. Personally, I don't need an electric bicycle. I am perfectly capable of pedaling a good, old-fashoined bicycle for short-range commutes; even in sub-zero temps on a powder day - with xc skis attached, like this morning. I need range here in the Western US where train service stinks! If the range and chargeability of Twike can continue to improve then it will likely become the 21st-century solution to a looming energy crisis.
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124000BTUs per gallon gas is equivalent to 36.332 Kwh,
36.332*12.5=454.2
I think you're off by a bit.
Either way, the assumption of 100% efficient energy conversion is flawed. The pedaling or charging will give at best 80% and that is before the efficiency of the human body is taken into account.