Two students at the University of Toronto have created a prototype for a vehicle modeled after a car and bike that runs on electricity.
The car-bike, created through the startup Sojourn Labs, is charged by pedaling, and is designed to help people avoid the nuisance of traffic. Users can arrive to destinations on time without having a negative impact on the environment, according to The Toronto Star. Features of the prototype include wires, bike parts, some Tupperware containers and a 500-watt engine.
Those who use the three-wheeled vehicle can adjust the pedal-to-engine-power ratio to what makes them comfortable. The e-bike's creators also designed it to be tall enough for others on the road to see while also being narrow enough to move through packed streets.
Phil Lam, one of the students behind the electric vehicle, said it was created after his experiences commuting through Union Station, The Toronto Star reported.
"But everybody's experience is bad, right? Drivers get stuck in traffic. People who take public transit never get anywhere on time. Walking is pleasant, but it doesn't take you very far ... Cycling, if not outright dangerous, is certainly uncomfortable for a lot of reasons. Everybody's suffering in their own way. The answer is reinterpreting how we get around," he said.
The car-bike also comes with a windshield designed to keep the driver safe from dangerous weather, as well as a small trunk for them to store their groceries and other items they need to bring with them.
The team consists of Lam and Jonathan Lang, both of whom are finishing their PhDs, The Toronto Star reported. Lam and Lang spent 18 months building the prototype, and are aiming to obtain a six-figure investment in order to make the car-bike commercially available within the next two years.
The students plan for the final version to come with lights, a horn, a cabin that is semi-closed, a range of 30 to 40 kilometers, and a maximum speed of 32 kilometers per hour. The vehicle will be able to work with the owner's smartphone, letting owners use their phones to control pedal resistance and keep track of charge levels and calories burnt.
The team also plans on making a model that has two seats, as well as adding a solar panel mounted on the roof that would charge the vehicle and could negate the need for a plug.
"You could leave this in front of your workplace at 9 o'clock in the morning, and even on a cloudy day, when you come back, chances are pretty good that the battery would be full enough to get you home," Lam said.
While the exact cost of the e-bike hasn't been revealed yet, Lam and Lang are looking to make sure customers can afford it, according to The Toronto Star.
Lam said the team's new bike is "good for the rider, good for the planet, and good for the city."
