Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

A interesting inexpensive Velomobile that's about to be produced

Tags:
  • American
  • Cars
Last response: in Cars
Share
December 17, 2012 1:00:52 AM

I have been checking this one out for the past several months.No,I have not had a ride in one nor have seen one in person.
Just looking at their website,specs and some videos.
It's called the ELF from Organic Transit and is around $4,000 which is extremely low for a commercially made Velomobile.
It has a a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) probably similar to a NuVinci 360 so no clunky gear shifting,a 750 watt electric motor (about 1 horsepower and maximum allowed wattage on a vehicle classified as an electric bike under Federal Laws) and is even Solar or Plug in charged as well.I don't know yet if the electric motor uses the CVT for variable higher torque for hills vs. higher speeds and lesser torque so that's still a mystery for me yet.One can pedal or one can use electric power or both.
It is claimed to be able to carry 350 pounds of cargo too.
Has Headlights,Tail lights,turn indicators too.
Here is their website

http://www.organictransit.com/index.html

their kickstarter page (They have almost reached their goal).

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/842248593/roll-out-...

and here is a ride in one in this video (Note the GoPro camera is on the riders chest so the viewpoint would be different).
Man this thing is fast.An advantage of Velomobiles over regular bicycles or even recumbent trikes are that they generally have better aerodynamics as well as better protection (Both from weather and safety standpoints).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtW_MWFMZ7w

I am looking at this because it seems more practical than my current electric bike (No need to pull a trailer,faster,safer,more protective etc).If there is ever a situation where gasoline or diesel becomes too costly or a situation like what happened during the Arab Oil embargo or gas rationing like during World War 2 or a natural catastrophe like Hurricane Sandy where fuel just couldn't be reasonably obtained this would be a great replacement and would easily beat walking.If a huge fuel carbon tax is implemented in the future this is your way of getting around it.

In addition at 1,800 MPGe it uses so little energy that the CO2 emissions from this are minuscule compared to the huge Carbon emissions put out by commuter motor vehicles so one is riding a truly environmentally sustainable vehicle with no guilt about harming the Earth from a global warming transportation perspective.True it isn't multi passenger,nor is meant for long distance highway use,nor super heavy cargo but could be used as a supplement for shorter trips and seems good for suburban and urban areas.
Plus you get your daily exercise by using this and combat obesity issues that might arise due to living a sedentary lifestyle.



More about : interesting inexpensive velomobile produced

December 17, 2012 10:50:41 PM

I like the ELF. It wouldn't work for me because I drive highway every day but for a metropolitan area it makes a lot of sense. My only concern would be keeping the windows defrosted in the winter for northern cities would draw a lot of the power. I guess you could just add a couple of batteries. It does clip along pretty quickly.
December 18, 2012 5:44:43 AM

I've read that they will make solid side doors an option and also a screen on the sides as another option.Not sure if fogging is an issue as I have a Veltop (Classic + model) attachment

http://www.veltop.eu/us/

that I ordered online from France that has the same Polycarbonate material used for its windshield too and the only time I've had it fog up was when I was breathing heavy on it in certain areas. My Veltop (Windshield/Top Cover) attachment sure works great on my electric bike when it rains though.It makes riding a bicycle/electric bicycle in the rain actually pleasurable.
They mention not to use the Veltop in freezing weather though so frosting issues during Winter freezing weather would probably affect the ELF Velomobile as well.
This is not a vehicle to ride in the snow/icey road conditions with either.Plus Lithium Ion batteries don't work well when they are cold either.
Where I reside it usually only snows perhaps a week or two out of the year (Not much).I remember 45 to 50 years ago when it used to be snowy for several months but this is not the case anymore probably because of global warming/climate change in my region.
I see now that Organic Transit have reached their ELF Kickstarter goal already (They apparently have about 340 orders not including the orders on Kickstarter from what I've read on another site).
A Velomobile like this would be a big safer upgrade for me (I am not a highway user just strictly a urban commuter).So for me personally I only need to rent a truck rarely (maybe once per year) for heavier cargo.I can't afford this right away but it's definitely a seemingly good goal.
Related resources
December 18, 2012 4:25:07 PM

For a person in your scenario it looks like a great option. These would be neat options for parks to use for tours. The whole ecotourism idea is taking off and I could see that as being a really smart revenue stream for them to try and tap in to.
January 14, 2013 6:58:53 AM

Well they made more than double of their Kickstarter goal.$225,789 which was above the $100,000 goal.Perhaps more of a business test (My opinion as a outsider) to see how much interest there was in it as I think previously they had 340 pre-orders and another 51 orders at the Kickstarter site for the first 100 models to be produced.
So I guess it's on unless there are unforeseen problems (unlikely I think).
January 17, 2013 1:22:28 AM

Kickstarter is absolute gold for small companies like this. Whoever thought of that idea was a genius.
!