However, only a limited series of 500 TWIKE 5s will be built. However, customers on the back of the list can move up with an advance payment or otherwise secure a place at the front of the successor series now. Of course, all customers are eagerly awaiting the start of series production and the TWIKE team is working flat out to ensure that this can begin as soon as possible.
A number of milestones on the roadmap must be passed before TWIKE can start production. Once the assembly hall has been completed, the warehouses and workstations for pre-assembly and final assembly, which are required for the production steps to be completed in Rosenthal, must be set up before work can begin. The list of further interim goals is now manageable.
Final development of all components
Conceptually, development is complete. Over 98 percent of the TWIKE 5 components are also sufficiently determined for procurement. Larger components that need to be finalized for series production are, for example, the steering and some tooling chassis components. We were able to complete this process for the first driver test vehicle (FET) at the beginning of October 2023.
Driver test vehicle (FET)
To ensure that the newly developed vehicle meets the requirements for safe driving dynamics, various tests and any optimizations to driver test vehicles (FET) are required. By FET, we mean prototypes that are roadworthy but do not necessarily have a fairing yet. A first FET was built and the electrical and drive tests were started in October 2023. A second FET, bonded close to series production from black anodized aluminium sheets, allows further tests on more demanding driving dynamics and was completed in February 2025.
Prototypes
As soon as the road tests have been successfully completed and the frame (BIW), chassis and drive system are deemed approvable by us and the accompanying experts, we can add the exterior to the road test vehicles over the next four to five months or so and build fully-fledged prototypes. We will present these prototypes to our customers and at the same time carry out final physical tests for the ECE homologation.
ECE homologation
Homologation is the technical term for the type approval of a vehicle or the approval of a series vehicle in the EU, which is also accepted by some non-European countries. For this purpose, we work together with the Luxembourg registration service provider ATEEL. The Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg confirms the completeness of the required evidence and then issues the EU approval.
Converting the pre-order into an order
Once the prototypes have been inspected, customers have the opportunity to convert their pre-order into a binding order. This is the final lever for the start of series production.
Start of series production (SOP)
Once the go-ahead has been given, two vehicles a day are to be assembled at the Rosenthal plant once production processes have been ramped up. We continue to assume that we will be able to reach this point around six months after the prototypes are presented. The planned 500 TWIKE 5s will then be produced and handed over to our customers within a period of twelve months, starting after SOP and reaching the so-called comb line of producing two vehicles per working day.
In order to meet the ambitious schedule, it is essential that sufficient liquidity is always available. If there is a delay in the receipt of the required funds, the schedule will be delayed. However, we believe that the presentation of prototypes at the latest will dispel the current reluctance to make advance payments.
As we were unable to cover 100% of our capital requirements via crowdfunding until the start of deliveries, we are now closing the gap with advance payments. Our interest-based ranking system allows later pre-orderers to move up in the ranking with a higher advance payment and also reserve a desired serial number.
You can find out how our financing is organizedhere.
Article updated on 06.02.2025
