The Norwegian mobility company Podbike has developed a curious-looking four-wheeled electric bike called the Frikar, set to release this spring.
“The Frikar e-bike seeks to mate comfort and practicality from cars with low environmental impact and healthy life-style from cycling. Made from easily reusable materials with high efficiency results in personal transport with minimum environmental impact.”
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Seating one adult and a child, riders can use the Frikar wherever you would use a regular bike. In addition, the enclosed e-bike offers all-weather protection, with a filtered air cabin and optional heating available. Additionally, you can remove the canopy to soak up the sun during the summertime.
The Frikar packs an 877 Wh battery with a rated range of 50-80 km (30-50 miles). You can also add a second battery for extra range. Batteries can be charged either on the vehicle or removed for remote charging.
It’s a bike, it’s a car…it’s a Frikar!
In Europe, the Frikar is technically classified as an electric bicycle, meaning riders won’t need a licence or registration and can use bicycle lanes to cut through city traffic quickly. But the Frikar doesn’t exactly operate like a bike or a car. Instead, it has functional pedals like a bicycle, though they power a generator and run a drive-by-wire system that connects to a pair of hub motors in the rear wheels.
As for safety, there are “optional” seatbelts inside. On the outside, lights and indicators make it easy to spot, and protective zones absorb and distribute impact energy in case of collision.
The Frikar costs 6249€ (roughly $7150 US). With over 3400 pre-orders already, don’t expect new pre-orders to deliver until 2023. But depending on scaling, it may be possible to get the bike earlier.