11 hours ago
Check out this funky Hopper e-bike... er, trike
Tech
What has three wheels, two pedals, electric power and protection from the rain? Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
This is a hybrid, but not as you know it. Say hi to the Hopper, an electrically-assisted pedal trike with its own cover and headlights – and it's just gone into series production. Car, meet bike.
The 2.1m-long covered pedelec (pedal-electric) is the creation of Hamburg-based start-up Hopper Mobility. A metre wide with its mirrors folded out, its e-bike-style credentials mean legit bike path use, while the Twizy-esque cover keeps most of the rain out of your face. It doesn't come cheap, mind.
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There are two flavours of Hopper. Priced from £10,145 (€11,900) the Passenger Hopper lets you give a friend (or two small humans) a backie and has 125 litres of storage space. The Cargo Hopper costing from £10,486 replaces your mate with an extra-large boot, up to 285 litres in fact. Both have a total payload of 300kg.
The trike sports a Heinzmann wheel hub engine generating 250W of continuous power, peaking at 1,350W to assist your leg muscles and minimise perspiration, at a top speed of 15.53mph. Easy, tiger. You might like
The 1.4kWh battery has a range of 37 miles, and recharges in six hours. There are plans afoot to give the thing an optional fast charger, but it's not there yet.
Both versions have a turning radius of less than two meters, to help negotiate city streets, and Hopper Mobility tells us since the first iteration, the suspension, seat comfort and driving dynamics have been improved, too.
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Inside the cabin there's a USB port, while the driver (or should that be rider?) assist kit includes powered parking and a reversing function. Fancy. Optional extras include body-colour wheel caps, a smartphone holder and side panels, so you've something to slam shut when you're arguing with your other half.
So what do you think? Any room for a third wheel?
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