I know, it sounds too crazy to be true, but the Vigoz by French company Cixi is an honest-to-goodness pedalable vehicle with a top speed of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). And it looks pretty slick, too.
I’m not sure if it’s technically an electric “car” since it only has three wheels, but it’s definitely an electric vehicle. I don’t think we can quite call it an electric bike (or e-trike) either when it’s fully enclosed and looks more like a modern take on a classic Fiat than something you’d see cruising the Paris bike lanes.
But despite the automotive-like exterior, the interior definitely gives you bike mashup vibes. There’s something of a recumbent-style seat that allows riders to lean back while working the bicycle pedals. Yes, that’s right. Bicycle pedals.
The pedals aren’t a direct drive setup, but rather seem to run through a series hybrid generator – something that has become more common on larger cargo e-bikes in the last few years.
Known as the “Pedaling Energy Recovery System”, the human-integrated drivetrain is said to “convert human power into bicycle propulsion through electricity, enabling the rider to intuitively control speed and braking by pedaling,” according to New Atlas. That sounds nice in theory, but I think when I surround myself with glass and air conditioning, any ‘intuition’ about bicycle controls goes out the retractable windows.
Riders can also theoretically charge the battery by pedaling, but that’s probably about as effective as filling a swimming pool with a shot glass.
The Vigoz seems positioned for real utility use though, and not just as a quirky alternative vehicle. There’s room for a passenger seated in tandem configuration in the rear, or enough space for a decent amount of cargo. Or the pass through design can be use to carry skis, apparently.
And for safety, the company claims that the frame is built with crumple zones that should help reduce the impact forces on occupants in the event of a collision.
So far, the company says that its prototype has reached speeds topping 100 km/h (62mph), but the final maximum speed of the drivetrain is intended to be 120 km/h (75 mph).
It’s not clear exactly when the vehicle will be available to the public, or what unique regulatory concerns it could face on its path to homologation. The fact that Cixi hasn’t listed a price, or even opened a reservations list for future customers, shows that we could be looking at these prototypes for a while longer.
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