this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
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Czech company Katanga has created VM45, a motorized velomobile – a human-powered vehicle that combines elements of a bicycle and an enclosed aerodynamic shell – with four wheels and a body made of milled foam. Polyurethane foam was used for the body, which the design team had to mill into several smaller portions due to its large size. They glued them all together in the end to encase the four-wheeled bicycle, or quad-cycle, that makes up the motorized velomobile VM45

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

My high school was making these (and solar powered) and competing them over 20 years ago, why is this in a technology sub? Should I post a sundial next?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Post good rock. Good rock smash nut, make get meat out from in shell. Good rock good, bad rock bad. How know good rock? Tell how get good rock.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

The tech has changed dramatically since 20 years ago, semis, batteries, motors, controllers etc

https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/applications/light-electric-vehicles/

[–] FlyingSquid 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I can't quite put my finger on what makes that look so unsafe to me, but I would be really nervous while in it.

[–] Sterile_Technique 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It looks unsafe because you know what's going to be driving next to it. When two things collide, the one with less mass is typically fucked.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It looks like if a truck rushes by it will pull you right in

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, something like this concept that doesn't look like it'd be crushed by a bus

https://www.recumbent.news/2020/09/02/german-bike-manufacturer-canyon-introduced-its-velomobile-concept/

[–] Crul 4 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I bet these velomobiles would be fun to race on a track. The driving position is very similar to single seater racing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Pretty much every European city is banning ICE cars. LEVs Light Electric Vehicles are possible alternatives.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

In the Netherlands, They said that they would reconsider LEVs in July. But we still didn’t hear anything about it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Links from the article:
https://www.velomobiel.nl/quatrevelo/ - €10300

Katanga VM45 - guestimated price: 11,000 EUR before VAT for the variant without a motor and around 13,000 EUR before VAT for the motorized version.

Basic physics: each axle adds resistance. There is a 3 wheel 'tadpole' design, so I'm wondering what the advantage of 4 wheels would be.