Cars - Twike

	Cars - Twike

The Twike ("TW"in b"IKE") is a Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) with hybrid human power as an option. It can be driven in electric-only mode or electric + pedal power mode. Pedaling merely extends the range of the vehicle — it does not add to the vehicle's top speed, nor can it be driven at speed by solely using pedal power.

Constructed of lightweight materials, this 246 kg (542 lb) (gross vehicle weight — i.e., with nothing in it) tricycle vehicle uses a 336 volt, 3.3 kilowatt-hour nickel-cadmium battery (a nickel metal hydride battery version is in the works) and 3 kilowatt electric motor to augment pedalling effort. The battery can be fully recharged from a common United States house outlet (110 V) in under 2 hours (in one hour at 220 V). Additional energy is reclaimed while driving through regenerative braking.

In motion, the Twike is controlled using a single joystick, more akin to the tiller on a sailboat than a computer 'drive-by-wire' joystick. It is capable of speeds up to 85 kilometers per hour (53 mph). Fully charged, the vehicle is capable of travelling between 40 and 90 kilometers (25–55 miles) per charge on the NiCad batteries, and up to 80 miles (130 km) per charge on NiMh, depending on terrain, speed, weight of passengers & cargo, and of course the amount of pedaling by the pilot and passenger.

Originally developed in Switzerland, the Twike is now manufactured in Germany by Fine Mobile GmbH and may be driven on public roads by drivers with a full driving license.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Twike ]

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