Meet PodRide, an electric-bike and a velomobile that doubles as a mini-car

From time to time we scourge the internet to find some amazing but original inventions by ordinary people. Our search led us all the way to Frösön, the largest island in the lake Storsjön, located west of the city Östersund in Jämtland, Sweden. You may be wondering what Frösön has to do with our story. Frösön is the home of Mikael Kjellman, a Swedish design engineer and the creator of PodRide.

PodRide is car-like electric-bike or a velomobile that doubles as a mini-car. Unlike other electric-bikes on the market, PodRide is designed to withstand all weather conditions. The inspiration for PodRide came when Mikael, an outdoor adventure sports lover, was unable to find a bicycle that’s good enough to use in rugged weather condition in Frösön, Sweden. So, he decided to develop to design and built a four-wheeled bike with full fabric body to keep dry and warm in all-weathers.

PodRide is a is a four wheeled bicycle or a velomobile with full body, giving a dry and safe ride in all weathers. It is built to be a practical everyday vehicle. It runs on electric motor and or you could turn it off and exercise, bike to work all winter, park free in the city center, skip the traffic jams, use both roads and bike paths, no uncomfortable saddle, no driver’s license, cheap to run and great for the environment.

PodRide is a velomobile that is meant to be a practical every day vehicle. It has approximately the same sitting position and seat height as a small car, allowing easy access and good visibility in traffic. It has four wheels to be narrow enough for bicycle paths but still be stable in the curves. It has a full waterproof body to keep you warm and dry in any weather, heated windshield with wipers, soft seat with back support, air suspension and studded tires in winter. A small trunk for your shopping bags and a hitch for a bike trailer when you want to bring your kids. The electric motor and the battery are the same as on an electric bike so it is legally a normal pedal cycle and may therefore be operated on bicycle paths and without a license.

Rider’s pedaling power is a 250-watt crankshaft-mounted motor, taking the PodRide to an electronically limited top speed of 25 km/h. One charge of the onboard battery pack should be good for a motor-assisted range of about 60 km. Other features include a full LED lighting system, 14-speed hub transmission, air-sprung suspension, rear cargo compartment, interior defogging fan, and a manually operated windshield wiper. The electric motor and the battery are the same as on an electric bike so it is legally a normal pedal cycle and may therefore be operated on bicycle paths and without a license.

PodRide had a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGogo in 2016. The startup was able to raise $108,238 from 1,211 backers. Since then, the team has been quiet on the progress and the launch date. It turned out the PodRide team has been busy working working towards the production of new prototypes. According to the updates posted on their website, the company said: “We experienced some unexpected and significant technical problems in changing the format of our 3D models from that produced by our designer to that used by our guys producing the many detailed 2D drawings required for manufacturing.”

From the recent updates, we think PodRide will be on the market before the end of 2020. As for the pricing. Mikael’s assessment is that with large-scale production the price would be 2-3000 Euros.

Below is a video of PodRide

PodRide Demo V1.2