This is madness. One of Germany’s most exciting electric cars is being developed in the small town of Rosenthal, of all places. The TWIKE 5 is set to reach speeds of up to 195 km/h and have a range of up to 500 kilometers. But that’s not all. He is also healthy! The whole story began at the university in Kassel. Martin Möscheid studied mechanical engineering there and was told about a “recumbent bike with an electric motor” from the Swiss company TWIKE. “It didn’t appeal to me straight away, but my brother was immediately enthusiastic about the TWIKE 3. He not only ordered it, but even helped assemble the first series.”
An assembly with consequences. After his first driving impression, Martin Möscheid was also so fascinated by the vehicle that the decision was made: “We will become TWIKE importers for Germany.” That was in 1998, and since then they have sold around 1100 of these vehicles. And that’s not all. Things got even more exciting when the Swiss manufacturers plunked down 25 million francs to build the next generation of e-cars. “We bought the company out of debt restructuring for a high six-figure sum and are now building the vehicles ourselves.” While we are looking at the vehicles in the yard in Rosenthal, a Swiss TWIKE 3 rider rolls in. Slim as a crop, he jumps out of the vehicle, which also has a pedal system. For him, this was the reason for the purchase at the time: “I had problems with being overweight and my doctor had called for more exercise. That’s when I saw this vehicle and I’ve been rid of my problems ever since.” The “ramp extender” reduces the load on the drive and increases the range by ten to 15 percent. Sitting passively in the car is a thing of the past. Martin Möscheid is firmly convinced that now is the right time to take the next step. While the TWIKE 3, with a top speed of 85 km/h, is suitable for the highway with difficulty, the TWIKE 5 should really take off. “It should top out at 195 and accelerate from zero to one hundred in four seconds,” explains Möscheid, who only has a prototype of the next TWIKE in the yard so far.
The electric runabout caused quite a stir in a competition in the USA with its futuristic appearance and performance data. However, it wasn’t quite enough to take first place. “An American model was chosen. ‘America first’,” grins Martin Möscheid. The man from Rosenthal is convinced that his vehicle will find its fans. “Tipping stability like a BMW 5 Series, electricity consumption for two euros per hundred kilometers, safety thanks to the roll bar, tax-free for ten years. And you can also pedal for your health in the TWIKE 5.” However, the cool vehicle is not cheap. Möscheid and co. are asking around 30,000 euros for the basic version. Let’s TWIKE!
Source: 34-magazin.de
