from boing boibg gadgets, this little bugger looks like fun.

from the side

My husband built a pedal/electric hybrid 4-wheeler last summer. With the current gas prices, it’s now our “errand car” — we use it for one-person errands within a 10 mile radius. It gets a lot of interesting looks!

The only drawback to this is that it is not waterproof; the electronics aren’t protected from the elements.
My husband is currently in the process of designing and building Version 2; its frame will be welded steel or, maybe, aluminum. Yes, it creaks horribly, but it’s a sturdy little beast!

Maximum speed is over 30mph but when you get it that high it tends to be a little “squirrely”; it’s happy cruising along at 25 (it even has cruise control!). The motor is 80+% efficient; because it’s a hub motor, it’s direct drive, so you don’t lose anything to a gear. It is designed to seat two but only has one seat at the moment. It can be pedaled, so it qualifies as a bicycle for road rules and can be ridden anywhere a bike is allowed.
He built it from plans he got at www.electricrider.com.

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