Being able to lean into a corner has to be one of the greatest joys of riding two wheeled transport. Adding more wheels to a bike may increase
stability ШУУД ҮЗЭХ and make it
easier to ride, but it also strips that sublime pleasure away. Unless the multi-wheeler can tilt too. Poland's Jacek Skopinski has developed an interesting four-wheeled electric scooter called the EV4 that does just that.
"Moving within Warsaw, which from year to year is becoming more and more
jammed, I lacked alternative means of transport, which could easily get
around street jams, Skopinski told Gizmag. "I could simply not accept
the daily, pointless and costly waste of time. I began to think about
the development of an innovative vehicle that would allow for faster
urban transport."
On his checklist of must-haves, the head of light aircraft design,
construction and repair firm Aero-Service set about making a must-have
checklist, which included that the vehicle must be faster than a
bicycle, be cheap to run yet be a high quality product, be small enough
to ride on bike lanes, in parks and through forest tracks, and get from A
to B faster than a bicycle but emission free. He decided on an electric
drive four-wheeler for stability, but one that wouldn't be too large
for use in narrow cycle lanes.
"From the very beginning the EV4 was designed and constructed just like
an airplane," revealed Skopinski. "Hence, I aimed at a low weight.
Nearly all components are made of highly durable aeronautical aluminum
alloy. An interesting fact is that the main frame of the vehicle is
riveted just like in the case of airplanes. This approach makes the main
frame even more durable and lightweight."
He went on to explain that the EV4 has an adaptive suspension system
featuring two bicycle shock absorbers with adjustable damping and welded
aluminum wishbones designed to adjust to the shape of the terrain at
any given moment and keep all four wheels uniformly on the ground. Its
two 500 W electric motors, geared belt drives and 36 V Li-ion battery
pack in either 20 Ah or 40 Ah configurations offer a top speed of 40
km/h (25 mph) and a range of between 30 and 50 km (18.6 - 31 miles) with
the 20 Ah battery installed and up to double that with the larger pack
on board.
The four-wheeler sports hydraulic disc brakes on each of the four wheels
ensure short stopping distances. It's 150 cm long and 60 cm wide (59 x
24 in) and benefits from a height-adjustable seat. Sans battery pack,
the EV4 tips the scales at 41 kg (90 lb), which increases to 47 kg with
the 20 Ah battery installed and 53 kg with the 40 Ah pack. There's a
twist-grip throttle and ride information, such as speed and remaining
charge, is displayed on a handlebar-mounted LCD display.
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