Wike Electric Sun = bike + WTF?
by Sebastian Blanco on Jun 22nd 2009 at 6:33PM 
Wike has been making bicycle trailers since the mid-1990s but what caught our eye recently was the electric, partially enclosed four-wheeled vehicle that the company is working on. More than an electric bike and less than a car, the Wike Electric Sun is a suitable alternative for people who belive that the important part of transportation is getting to your destination with the smallest possible impact on the environment. Specific details of the Electric Sun's powertrain are not available, but it's hard to imagine that this vehicle is anything but efficient as all get out. Wike's first foray into electric cars was the Yike, an electric-powered recumbant bicycle with a 20-mile range. Wike financed the Yike with money won in a settlement over a bike trailer patent infringement. The Electric Sun is an evolved version of the Yike, sort of a DIY version of GM's PUMA, and is the only vehicle I can think of that can go 30 mph and fold up. Wike's vehicle mindset is as follows:
While cars can be useful for longer trips, the majority of people worldwide only drive a short distance. Something better than a large bulky car can be used for these short runs to work, the grocery store and around the neighbourhood.Thanks to Andres C. for the tip! Andres writes, "To me as an E-bicycle fanatic, this design (that works) represents the future of personal transportation NOT the monster clunkers like the Volt and Tesla cars ... Just imagine a polished version of it." Your thoughts?
[Source: Wike]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 6:43PM (6/22/2009)
I don't get it -- where is the Electric Sun? Is it behind that baby stroller?
;)
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Sebastian 6:50PM (6/22/2009)
OK, i'll admit that made me laugh. Nicely done.
Monroe 7:56PM (6/22/2009)
waste of money. get a high end road bike instead. burn some calories, and go farther than 20 miles.
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Andres 8:06PM (6/22/2009)
My friends, the future will be tiny electric vehicles and regular bicycles pulling trailers. This one is a brilliant idea to improve upon. I still prefer electric bicycles but I can think of many uses for a fold up vehicle like this one that rests on four wheels instead of two.
It runs on rechargeable flashlight batteries for God´s sake.
I congratulate the people at Wike, I get their point !
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!!D 8:53PM (6/22/2009)
I wouldn't ride in traffic due to safety reasons and it's illegal to ride solely-motorized vehicles on pedestrian trails and cycling lanes in my city. That leaves me with no places to ride. So, as king of the world I'd decree that some streets be converted to hyper-light vehicles only.
I like the design. Having pedals as a back-up would be nice, but would add to the weight and decrease foldability. Hmmm.... tradeoffs. Being over 6' (mostly legs), I would like a little extra leg room--just a T-shaped bar with footpegs sticking out front would do.
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mister nomer 1:26AM (6/23/2009)
Scary, scary, scary, scary, scary...
Man, forget about riding that in traffic, I'd be scared even just to ride it in the neighborhood.
Just for perspective:
Every now and then there's a terrible hit that shows up on ESPN. Two guys each going 12 - 15 MPH run into each other - POW!! - and both leave the field on stretchers.
...Shudder...
That's what's going to happen when a 70 lb lab, or a child, or a jogger, or a yuppie on a iPhone, steps out in front of you while you're silently zipping along at 30 MPH.
A 30 MPH crash with ankles and knees for "crumple zones"? No thank you.
Seriously, what's wrong with a bike? A bike is much taller and therefore much easier to see and half as fast so it's harder for people to step out in front of you - and if they do, it's much easier to stop.
And, speaking from experience, if you do hit someone when you're on a bike, the collapse of your front wheel is going to expend a lot of energy and spare you and them a lot of injury.
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Andy 5:14AM (6/23/2009)
Why would it be any different to a bicycle accident?
Ban those damn bikes.
mister nomer 10:43AM (6/23/2009)
Andy says: "Why would it be any different to a bicycle accident?"
I believe I already covered that in the last 2 paragraphs. = ))
See that part where it says "speaking from experience" that's the part where I'm telling you I've been in a pretty serious bicycle accident, where the collapse of the front wheel (and folding of the front fork) saved me from serious injury.
Spoke wheels and front forks aren't much but they are way, way better than nothing at all. Trust me I know. =)
Monroe 11:10AM (6/23/2009)
If you're that concerned about crashing, then you shouldn't ride. But your concerns don't apply to everyone. Many of us motorcyclists are skilled enough to avoid collisions with yuppie pedestrians.
mister nomer 1:19PM (6/23/2009)
Monroe says: "If you're that concerned about crashing, then you shouldn't ride."
I've ridden bikes in the past (both motorcycles and bicycles) and will continue to do so in the future. Why?
1) Bikes provide a sufficient level of control to avoid an accident
2) If I do get into an accident there's at least some material ahead of me (front wheel, front fork) so that I have a decent chance of coming out of it without serious injury.
On the other hand, the Wike Electric Sun is essentially a 30MPH 19th century baby carriage, with about the same level of road holding grip and braking action. Plus, if you get into an accident you have almost no protection.
So, to me at least, the Wike Electric Sun represents an unacceptable level of risk while a bike does not. =)
DasBoese 5:54AM (6/23/2009)
While assisted bi-, tri- or quadracycles are certainly a very practical thing, they're hardly "the future of personal transportation". A piece of the puzzle, maybe, but only a small one.
It's not even about the safety (a slippery slope argument which is largely bogus anyway). They simply can't offer the kind of convenience and versatility an automobile does.
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 8:07AM (6/23/2009)
If they really think this is the future of transportation, then all I can deduce is that there is a lot of overlap with the EV quadricycle and Cannabis scenes.
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Andres 9:17AM (6/23/2009)
It is true it is an idea only. Part of the puzzle. I´m thinking when gas gets to 15-20 dollars a gallon in the US ( and I hope It happens soon) and people in that country are forced to think on how they have depleted almost everything with their horrid lifestyles at the expense of the rest of the planet. Their gigantic cars, their armies of incredible fat people. This humble little quadracycle deserves a chance to be allowed to be in some road with other ultralight vehicles in a safe and intelligent manner. Why not ? Maybe the future is going to be a treehugging vegetarian friendly and slow one free of noise and clouds of toxic particles over us.
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Monroe 11:10AM (6/23/2009)
slow is boring! i'm willing to risk some environmental destruction if the alternative is no longer going more than 30 mph. there are many things we can do to reduce pollution without sacrificing speed.
Richard 4:22PM (6/23/2009)
30mph in that thing would be quite "exciting" enough, thankyouverymuch. It can be reasonably thrilling on a decent bike if the wind picks up :)
Russ Finley 12:53PM (6/23/2009)
Looks an awful lot like the first cars that hit the road. Something like this will eventually make up the bulk of second cars for city transport. The only thing that has been missing is an affordable replacement for the lead acid battery. I love my hybrid electric bike ( http://biodiversivist.blogspot.com/2009/04/pimp-my-ride.html ) but I can see a real need for something like the above to protect you from weather and for comfort. Truth is, an hour on a bike can get uncomfortable and suiting up and down is inconvenient. They also have a tendency to flop over when they hit a slick surface...
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Kaia 1:27AM (6/30/2009)
Hmm...More than an electric bike and less than a car, the Wike Electric Sun is a suitable alternative for people who belive that the important part of transportation is getting to your destination with the smallest possible impact on the environment...
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James 8:29AM (6/30/2009)
Electric-assist, human-powered vehicles could become a central part of the next generation transportation system: http://bit.ly/i7bUR. Traditional bikes work great in many cases, but alternative designs could help address concerns that keep people off bikes the rest of the time (weather, hilly terrain, cargo, etc.). As Andres started to describe, if we start paying true cost pricing for fuel (http://bit.ly/externalities), then human-powered transportation will become much more appealing.
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