TWIKE

TWIKE III One of the most advanced electric vehicles in the world, it is the most energy efficient vehicle in its class. As the first such vehicle it features optional pedal power, making it an electric-human hybrid vehicle. Since its introduction in 1995, about 850 vehicles have been sold and are in use all over Europe as well as in the United States and in Canada. TWIKE III specifications: Three-wheeled two-seater vehicle, registers as motorcycle with the U.S. DMV. It has an aluminum space frame like a formula one race car for safety, room for two people plus some luggage, sidestick steering and an on-board computer to set and control all important parameters. The top speed is 85 kph (~ 53 mph), 0 to 60 kph (~ 37 mph) is done in about nine seconds. The drive system includes cruise control and regenerative braking. Maximum vehicle weight is 450 kg (~ 990 lbs) including passengers and payload. The electric motor is a 3 kilowatt, 3-phase, asynchronous air cooled machine. The pedal system is optional. Energy consumption is about 8 kilowatt-hours per 100 km (~ 62 miles) of driving, which is roughly equivalent to a car using less than one liter of gasoline per 100 km (~ more than 250 miles per gallon). TWIKE has a range of up to 160 km (~ 100 miles) per charge, depending on the version that it was purchased as and on the number and type of batteries it is equipped with. The maximum range is obtained with the current state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery system, using a total of five battery packs. In that configuration, TWIKE can store 7 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy in its batteries, roughly equivalent with less than a fifth of a gallon of gasoline.