Veemo is a smart, pedal-electric powered alternative to both electric bicycles and electric cars.
If you choose to go electric the market offers you quite a number of options. Unfortunately with each there is that little “but” that always pops up. For example, electric cars are just a little bit over the budget of the average citizen, or electric bicycles are still bicycles and you notice this especially strongly in wintery, windy or rainy days.
So here is something by VeloMetro that fits somewhere between cars and bikes, and actually might convince people to start pedaling to work (assisted by an electric motor, of course). The new type of vehicle is called Veemo, and it might hit the streets of lucky Vancouver sooner than we think.
Veemo looks like something between the Tweezy or the Tuk Tuk by Terra Motors. It is small, three-wheeled, completely covered and protected from wind and rain, and it even has a small cargo space. But what makes it different from the above compact urban e-vehicles, is that Veemo is not 100% electric. It is actually pedal-powered, but assisted by an electric motor. The concept is the same as with any e-bicycle, with a bit of an edge over it.
Of course this is not all. From the promo video by VeloMetro we learn that Veemo is also connected to a smart phone, where via an app the driver can access all sorts of cool features. Although it might look like a small car, it is not- Veemo is essentially classified as a bicycle. As such, it does not require any special permits, licenses or registrations. It also has a limited speed of 32 kph (20 mph) tops, which is often something that non-drivers desire.
Veemo is still a subject of final beta testings, but its makers are convinced that by next year they can get the first ones on the road. If you are looking for a Veemo, make sure you schedule a trip to Vancouver, where the velomobile will be entered into sort of a sharing program, or rental system. The plan is for everyone to be able to rent a Veemo from certain point to another. The cost is calculated like a regular bike rental- per minute. The expected price is around US$0.20 per minute (CAD$0.28).
Image (c) VeloMetro
