On behalf of the Japan Automobile Museum (Komatsu City), the Ishikawa National College of Technology has repaired a German-made hybrid vehicle with electric drive called TWIKE. The vehicle was donated by a private individual in Wakayama Prefecture. After replacing a faulty battery, a test drive was carried out on the school grounds on January 15. The vehicle , which is believed to be the only one in Japan that works smoothly, will be on display in the museum from June 16.
The repaired TWIKE was manufactured in Germany around 2014. It works like an electric bike, seats two people, has a top speed of 85 km/h and can travel 500 km at a stretch. It has three wheels with three tires, pedals and a stick on the seat to control the speed and direction and is charged when the brakes are applied.
Associate Professor Yasunori Kawai from the Department of Electrical Engineering ordered batteries from a German manufacturer and updated the control program. During the driving test, the technical college students rode the TWIKE together with Professor Kawai, drove around the site and turned the pedals to check the function.
Hideaki Takagawa, Deputy Director of the Japan Automobile Museum, who attended the test, said: “It’s wonderful. I want to show the transition to technology and use the vehicle in parking lots and events,” while Associate Professor Kawai said, “I was relieved when I saw the vehicle running. I hope many people will see this vehicle with new ideas.”
Source : www.hokkoku.co.jp
