It’s not a car, it’s not a pushbike… it’s a Karbike! “The concept is essentially urban,” says Karbike co-founder and president Lucas Vançon.
“It is a bike which can fulfil many of the functions of a car. The technology is cutting edge, with reverse gear and even automatic gears. Also, it can be locked, just like a car. We have taken concepts from cars and integrated them into a bicycle.”
“Introducing a mobile contraption that has four wheels, a roof, rear seats for passengers and luggage, and an electric motor good for 47 miles on a single charge and able to store additional range thanks to the solar panel on the roof. But it’s a stretch to use the word ‘car’ to describe it. … It even conforms to the 250-watt power limit of pedal-assist e‑bikes in Europe. … The roof is aluminum, and the frame is steel. The Karbike measures 31.5 inches wide. … The rider propels the hybrid vehicle using both pedals and the mid‑mounted Valeo motor. Speed is limited to about 15 mph. … Founded in 2022 by Gaelle Richard and Lucas Vançon, two Alsatian engineers, who hope to eventually offer two versions once it advances past the prototype stage this summer.”
“The Karbikes e‑vehicle merges aspects of a micro‑car and ebike… The Karbikes vehicle has been in development for just over 2 years by a Strasbourg‑based startup founded by Lucas Vançon and Gaëlle Richard… There’s a 250‑W pedal‑assist motor and Valeo automatic gearbox combination for pedal‑assist speeds up to 25 km/h… a 1.24‑kWh battery pack… zip‑up fabric doors… aluminum roof and polycarbonate windshield to ensure rider and passenger(s) stay dry during unfavorable weather… bench seating to the rear accommodating one adult or two children… a rear storage compartment for up to 400 litres… hydraulic disc brakes, shock absorbers, turn signals, alarm, horn…”
