SPORT VEHICLE
THE MAN-MACHINE
The TWIKE is the first and only car to combine an electric motor with a pedal drive. Muscle power is converted directly into kinetic energy. This not only additionally improves the vehicle’s efficiency but also increases its range. The steady pedaling during the ride turns the TWIKE from a pure means of transportation into a training machine for muscles and circulation.
How much muscle power the driver uses is up to him. An averagely trained rider can put in 100 to 200 W of power by pedaling. At a speed of 50 km/h, this corresponds to about 10 to 20 % of the total energy requirement. The pedal drive is intended to assist the motor, but not as the sole source of propulsion for the TWIKE.
The principle of coupling pedal drive and electric motor, as well as the handling is very simple. Both drives go directly to the drive shaft: the pedal drive via a chain, the motor via the gearbox. The speed can be set by means of cruise control. When you now pedal, the electronics throttle the motor by exactly the amount of power you put in through the pedals and the range increases.