Benchmark of similar projects

I did start making a few sketches as soon as the idea came up, but I didn't want to (completely) reinvent the wheel, so I quickly started researching what already existed.

My aim was to find means of road transport that were :

• small and handy (1 or 2 seats)

• that offer protection from the outside world

• environmentally friendly

The variety of vehicles and projects by individuals was impressive, so I listed and classified a few interesting examples.

To my knowledge, this concept is the only hybrid between a car and a motorbike to have been marketed, and it has been widely talked about, for both good reasons and bad.

Now several project by automotive companies are launched in this direction: AMI by Citroën, Topolino by FIAT, ...

No matter how much the design or the design errors are criticised, I still think it's a very bold and innovative move from Renault. Projects that try to break new ground almost always have their detractors.

Price: €10,000 new

It may be hard to believe that there has been much development in this direction when you only look at the road. And not for nothing: apart from Renault's Twizy, virtually no project has survived and been marketed, not to mention been an economic success.

Bigger project, closer to motorbike than bicycle

Renault Twizy

A project supported by BMW and funded by the European Union, Clever's aim was to design a low-carbon vehicle suited to the urban environment. With a natural gas engine and a controlled tilting system, it should be able to reach speeds of 100 km/h with 2 passengers.

After several working prototypes, the project was finally stopped and relegated to the BMW museum in Munich.

BMW Clever

Lumeneo was a French company founded in 2006 that also wanted to revolutionise the automotive industry with its concept of a 2-seater, 4-wheeled vehicle that was totally electric. Once again, the lack of interest in this type of vehicle caused the company to go bankrupt in 2013.

Price: €25,000 new

Lumeneo SMERA

These vehicles are basically fully closed motorcycles with small wheels that ... out at low speed to prevent the vehicle from falling.

An interesting concept being explored by several companies. In 2011, the Peraves monotracer was the fastest mass-produced electric vehicle in the world, reaching 250 km/h.

Price: €80,000

Monotracers

Unlike the majority of previously presented projects, this one is not finished but rather in the process of development. The French startup CIXI has been working since 2016 on this vehicle propelled both by the driver via pedals and electrically assisted to reach speeds of up to 120 km/h.

Another aspect that could prove to be very interesting for this vehicle is that it will be offered for rent rather than for purchase. To be continued.

CIXI Vigoz

This Lithuanian project also started in 2016 and aims to revolutionize the individual transportation market by filling the gap between the car and the motorcycle. Reaching speeds of up to 230 km/h, this fully electric vehicle could prove to be almost as practical as a motorcycle while being much safer. After several functional prototypes, the team plans to release the final version by 2021.

Price: unknown

AKO trike P150

If small vehicles aiming to compete with automobiles have been less common, the "larger" vehicles aiming to compete with bicycles have seen significant development. The primary focus is on cargo or passenger transportation with cargo bikes, but a number of projects for individual transportation are currently under development.

Projects closer to bicycle and velomobile

Bio-hybrid

Bio-hybrid was developed in Germany and planned to be industrialised in 2023. This same year the company declared bankrupticy.

The vehicle operates in both segments (cargo and passenger transport), with a cargo version and a two-seater version. Its windshield and roof distinguish it from most cargo vehicles on the market and makes it more usable in rainy conditions, although the open sides do not provide complete isolation from the outside.

Price: €9,500

In development in Norway, the podbike aims to modernize and adapt the concept of the velomobile to urban settings while reducing costs through a more industrializable design.

The website announces over 4,600 pre-orders, which is significant compared to traditional velomobiles: the highest-selling brand (Velomobiel.nl) claim just over 1,500 sales (across all models) since 2010!

Price: €6,250

Frikar Podbike

Sinclair IRIS

This concept, which aims to be futuristic, is actually a (very beautiful) evolution of the classic velomobile from a design perspective, as the base (under the bodywork) is actually a traditional trike.

Mr. Sinclair, the inventor of this vehicle, has, however, thought of numerous features that improve ergonomics and everyday use (GPS, filtered air, turn signals, etc.).

Price: €7,000

Conclusion

This benchmark is far from exhaustive but allow to understand that STEV-E concept is not alone. Many have tried to revolutionize urban mobility and we hope that that some of the presented projects will succeed, for a safer and more sustainable world.