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Forum » Electric Vehicles (EV) Forums » TWIKE

The TWIKE - Eco-Car with a future?

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Written on: 02. 10. 07 [13:26]
ecoadmin Administrator Topic creator registered since: 20.07.2007 Posts: 367	My native language is not English, so there might be here and there a typo but I believe the issue of greener cars is a global one and the more people can access the content, the better. The following text is a summary of my experiences with the TWIKE. I am a supporter of the TWIKE for many years. The idea to bundle human power with electrical power look convincing to me. The TWIKE is a very energy-efficient vehicle and consumes about a tenth of the energy a normal petrol or diesel car would consume. Additionally the driver has the option to do some exercise which keeps fit and is fun. In the beginning of the summer 2007 I decided to rent a TWIKE for a week to test it thoroughly. The rented TWIKE with serial number 499 has a luxury interior and the battery packs consists of three NiCD Sanyo 3.6CP batteries. I do not want to elaborate too much on technical details here, but put more emphasis on general usability. Driving: It is pretty easy to drive a TWIKE and after only a few miles of practice, most drivers will get used to the ergonomically placed handles and switches. To turn it on you will have to enter a Code on the Control Panel which is located in the center between driver and passenger. The TWIKE accelerates nicely and it is no problem at all to go with the traffic flow. There are two acceleration modes. If you want to achieve more range it is recommended to use the first acceleration mode which is enough for most occasions. The Control Panel informs driver and passenger of driven distance, remaining battery capacity, battery temperature, speed etc. To slow down the TWIKE it is best to use the recuperation brake system which restores brake energy into the batteries during braking. If you need to slow down quickly or if you want to execute an emergency stop you can use the feet pedals and and put them into reverse to achieve a short breaking distance. If you drive curvy roads speedy I had the impression of slight instability. When driving in rainy conditions there is a wiper to clear the front windows. To avoid the fogging up of the windows, the driver can turn on hot air blowers to improve visibility. The blowers appeared to be a bit weak and it worked best for me to open the softtop on the side a bit to keep the windows free condensation. The TWIKE can easily be maneuvered around if necessary and due to its size it won't be a problem to find a parking lot. Refueling (Recharging) When petrol powered car owners switch to an electric car, probably their biggest worry is the limited range and the frequent recharges. The TWIKE 499 achieved with the three Sanyo batteries a range of about 60 km. If an agrressive driving style is applied and with continously high speeds, then the range will drop. With an economic driving style and muscular power it should not be a problem to achieve a range of more than 70km. The range should be sufficient for most needs in daily life. In the case that you need to recharge on the move, you can achieve a full recharge in about 2 hours. Recharging is simple: Just use a regular electrical power socket and plug the recharging cable in and press the 'Recharge'-button on the Control Panel to start the charge. Should the batteries be to warm, the quick recharge option is unavailable. It is therefore advisable to park the TWIKE in the shade if possible. To keep the battery temperature at reasonable levels it also helps to open the canopy. This however, should only be necessary an days with warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. In Germany as well as in Switzerland there is already a good network of recharging stations and there is little risk that you get stranded with empty batteries. In case you run out of power and with no recharging stations around, then it is usually no problem to find a socket near a restaurant, shop, council, company or private person. Most people are very happy to help if asked nicely. If the TWIKE is mostly used in the vicinity of your place of living, you will quickly find out all the places offering recharging sockets. Just as you know all the gas stations in your area. A slow recharge is availabe to recharge the TWIKE overnight. Interior/Comfort Our TWIKE was carpeted in the interior which gave it a warm appearance. There was also a CD-Player installed which adds to a relaxed driving experience when driving on country roads. There is limited room available in the TWIKE, the seating position is however quite comfy. I am 1.85m and it was no problem to find a comfortable seating position by adjusting the seat. It is however an advantage if you are not to corpulent otherwise it can get a bit cramped. Getting in and out is easy as the canopy can be opened wide. For the daily shopping activities the space seems to be sufficient and it should not be a problem to drive a way with the TWIKE for a weekend and load the luggage. Is there only the driver and no passenger, the space on the passenger side can also be used to carry additional luggage. Should I buy a TWIKE? After one week driving the TWIKE it was a bit sad to return it. I had a lot of fun driving such an efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle around. After a few days the recharging, the parking and the nosy glances of by-passers had become a routine. The selling price is a very big argument for most car buyers. When considering buying a new vehicle, the TWIKE is not more expensive than a small petrol or diesel powered car. Maintenance costs are a lot cheaper and the charges for the electricity are minimal. However, the TWIKE has a relatively high price when buying new. It also does not offer the comfort and range of a regular small car. I personally find it comparisons with regular cars difficult or to some extent unappropriate, becaus ethe TWIKE does not fit into the category of a four-wheel fossil fuel powered car with its light weight and three wheels. Whether it makes financially sense to buy a TWIKE depends largely on your personal lifestyle. The TWIKE (as any car) is able to give a lot of freedom and can complement public transport. If you are often on short distances on the road and you need the freedom of your own vehicle, the TWIKE is a very interesting option. If there are lots of recharging stations around the area it is used, the value of the vehicle is even further increased. Additionally the TWIKE is with its low energy consumption a lot more environmentally friendly compared to a fossil fuel powered car. Especially if the energy comes from renewable sources. Note: If you are looking to buy a used car, a regular car can still be the cheaper option. Prices for used TWIKES are relatively high. That of course be an advantage when buying a new TWIKE. With my next car I will have to make up my mind: Am I ready to contribute my part to a more sustainable mobility? Summary Despite its age (the TWIKE celebrated recently its 10th anniversary), its still a visionary vehicle and leading the way when it comes to energy efficiency. The TWIKE has showed its reliability on severl long-term tests and showed its qualities. If the TWIKE manufacturer FineMobile GmbH in Germany further develops the vehicle and improves its range with modern battery technology (Li-Ion), then the TWIKEcan maintain its market position. The group of competitors is growing and some of them promise greater range and more comfort. Some are already on the market, others are announced for sale soon. More comeptition is probably good as it will increase the sale of eco-friendly vehicles and ultimately lead to cheaper costs per battery module. With an increased range and cheaper battery modules, the TWIKE would indeed be a very tempting vehicle. Whether one should wait to buy one now or go for it is a difficult question to answer. Too many times new vehicles had been announced but due to financial problems never reached the serial production status. The TWIKE however is already available and is waiting for customers. In the mean time our planet continues to heat up. [This article was edited 1 times, at last 02.10.2007 at 13:32.] ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network Community for sustainable transport
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Written on: 05. 10. 07 [21:41]
childress registered since: 14.08.2007 Posts: 76	Conversions for the metric impaired: 60km = a little over 37 miles 70km = about 43.5 miles 1.85m tall = a little under 6' 1" Thanks for the review! Commute suck? Twike it; You'll like it! http://www.uiuc.edu/goto/twike
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Written on: 27. 10. 07 [16:40]
jstack6 registered since: 27.10.2007 Posts: 30	I requested to buy one in the USA, AZ with NiMH batteries. They said about 20K, when they finally wanted to deliver it the price had jumped to $28,000 USD ! Too much for too little.
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Written on: 11. 02. 08 [21:21]
childress registered since: 14.08.2007 Posts: 76	Hmmm... yes, Twike in the US will have to overcome the typical American short-term investor-thinking. You have to alter your perspective to think of you're investing/betting that the price of oil will go up, and so you're locking in your fuel cost for the next 5-10 years (ie, the cost of the batteries). Usually this is not so difficult when one goes to the pump to fill-up With the slide of the US dollar on the world market, a barell of oil recently topped US$90. Currently we're driving on cheaper winter mix gasoline, so in the summer during peak demand/driving season with the more expensive summer mix (heavier/more carbon-dense chains) With China switchint from basing their economy on the US$ to the euro, the current state of the US economy (headed toward recession) I fully expect to see US$4/gallon gasoline prices -- and I'm not the only one. The same US dollar's slippage on the world market is primarily responsible for the price bump from $20k - $30k for a new Twike. Hopefully with the change in Presidents will result in a change in policy, and a change in the strength of the US dollar. There has been a marked recession after each war: as they only consume, they do not produce anything of value, wars typically have a very negative impact on the economy -- the one exception being WWII, where we 'sold' arms et. al. to England and the allies while we were 'neutral' and our economy boomed under the cash-n-carry policy. Currently I think of the Twike in the US as a motorcycle, and as such, see it as a 'Honda Goldwing' or a Harley Davidson upper-crust upper-tier bike, at which point a $30,000 vehicle is not outrageous. While I see plenty of demand for a vehicle that fits the niche of the Twike, I don't see it taking hold strongly in the US either in supply-side or being economically feasible until there is at a minimum a US Twike repair center, at which point I see little difference between a repair center and a US assembly plant/factory. There is plenty of demand; I see it almost every day I drive my 10-year-old Twike 433 back and forth to work; the days I had it down for repair people noticed it was missing from it's usual parking spot, and were 'concerned' and said they 'missed it'. If you're interested in an electric vehile in the US, and don't want to wait/pay for a Twike, the Zap Xebra is currently available. In my opinion, it does not even come close to my 10-year-old Twike in terms of stability, reliability and top speed/range, and I've no idea under what conditions (worker and ecological) the Xebra is manufactured under. The Twike is built by German workers in a passive-solar factory. 'Nuff said there; no worries my green machine is being built by harming the environment or by near-slave wages/working conditions. That being said, you can get a Xebra for US$10-11,000, and can get one NOW. I strongly feel that this is a case where you get what you pay for... but there are lots of happy Xebra owners in the US. Commute suck? Twike it; You'll like it! http://www.uiuc.edu/goto/twike
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Written on: 29. 02. 08 [12:26]
ecoadmin Administrator Topic creator registered since: 20.07.2007 Posts: 367	I requested to buy one in the USA, AZ with NiMH batteries. They said about 20K, when they finally wanted to deliver it the price had jumped to $28,000 USD ! Too much for too little. I am sorry to hear that. That is quite an increase in the price..."Too much for too little..." thats an argument I hear quite often when discussing the Twike. In my research for my ideal future car or vehicle, this thought crossed my mind as well I must admit. But the more research I've been doing the more I am convinced about the Twike. What convinces me is that the Twike is manufactured in a factory using renewable energy and conditions for workers are everything else than near-slave like. On top of that the vehicle is very energy efficient and really REDUCES energy consumption which cannot always be said about e.g. converted vehicles or sport car EV's (it of course matters from where the electricity comes from - renewable or not). Currently I think of the Twike in the US as a motorcycle, and as such, see it as a 'Honda Goldwing' or a Harley Davidson upper-crust upper-tier bike, at which point a $30,000 vehicle is not outrageous. I second 'childress' on that. $30'000 is a lot of money, I agree. But many people spend that amount of money for something they like. Sports Cars, Antiques, Travels, Home Improvement etc...So why not invest it into something eco-friendly if you need a vehicle and don't need a big family car or SUV to do your daily shopping/commute! The fact that a Twike does cost about the same as a small car (when bought new and is used over a period of five years) is an important one. It shows that the Twike is affordable for most people. However, many are still put off by the high sales price. In the mean time though the Twike can alo be leased... To make it more attractive in the US a sales/repair center would certainly help. We can only hope that this will become reality some day. Because the Twike is registered as a motorcycle in the US, drivers would need to get a motorcycle licence. Another hurdle makes me think... I believe the Twike is on the right path and it shows us everyday that there are other ways of mobility and freedom. A mobility using less energy with much less pollution and which is less dangerous for everyone on the road. On top of that its fun to drive and easy to park. Whats the value of that? ecocarforum.com - Green Car Network Community for sustainable transport
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Written on: 05. 06. 08 [22:27]
insight registered since: 26.04.2008 Posts: 10	The Twike and the City El designs both fall into a category of thinking similar to sailplanes verses jet liners or sailboats verses ocean liners. They are at opposite ends of the spectrum but do the same thing.One highly efficient the other like using a chain saw to cut butter. People have to adopt a new way of thinking about their transport,place new values on it when looking at the price such as the above contributors have. As it becomes more expensive to fuel a traditional car it will become more acceptable to spend large sums in acquireing lower performing highly efficient cars like the Twike. We are heading into that era, that is the future and I for one am ready to embrace it. Insight [This article was edited 1 times, at last 05.06.2008 at 22:28.]
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