The Ev4 Is Tilting In The Right Direction
It looks like the EV4 is tilting in the right direction.
The name EV4 is short and smart and describes the four wheel electric vehicle perfectly.
Being able to lean into a corner has to be one of the greatest joys of riding two wheeled transport. Adding more wheels to a bike may increase stability and make it easier to ride, but it also takes that sublime pleasure away. Unless the multi-wheeler can tilt too. Poland’s Jacek Skopinski has developed an interesting four-wheeled electric scooter called the EV4 that does just that
Skopinski wanted the scooter to look a certain way. Some requirements were the head of light aircraft design, construction and repair firm Aero-Service set about making a must-have checklist, which included that the vehicle must be faster than a bicycle, be cheap to run yet be a high quality product, be small enough to ride on bike lanes, in parks and through forest tracks, and get from A to B faster than a bicycle but emission free. He decided on an electric drive four-wheeler for stability, but one that wouldn’t be too large for use in narrow cycle lanes.
“From the very beginning the EV4 was designed and constructed just like an airplane,” revealed Skopinski. “Hence, I aimed at a low weight. Nearly all components are made of highly durable aeronautical aluminum alloy. An interesting fact is that the main frame of the vehicle is riveted just like in the case of airplanes. This approach makes the main frame even more durable and lightweight.”
The EV4 has an adaptive suspension system featuring two bicycle shock absorbers with adjustable damping and welded aluminum wishbones designed to adjust to the shape of the terrain at any given moment and keep all four wheels uniformly on the ground. Its two 500 W electric motors, geared belt drives and 36 V Li-ion battery pack in either 20 Ah or 40 Ah configurations offer a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) and a range of between 30 and 50 km (18.6 – 31 miles) with the 20 Ah battery installed and up to double that with the larger pack on board.
Currently in its fifth iteration, the EV4 is now available to buy for €5,000 (US$7,000). It can be seen driving along backstreets, covered carparks and public parks in Poland.
Update March 2: Jacek Skopinski has advised revised pricing for the EV4, as follows:
New base price of €3,300
Optional 36 V 20 Ah PB gel battery for a range of about 30 km – €285
Optional 36 V 20 Ah Li-ion battery – €715
Optional 36 V 40 Ah Li-ion battery – €1,430
Optional drive and battery computer – €180
About:
Aero-service company was founded in 2005. Since childhood I developed a passion for avionics and technical innovations, and I was lucky to be able to pursue my childhood dreams on my career path. Aero-Service specializes in the design, construction and repair of ultralight (metal) aircrafts. Since 2014, I decided to extend our offer and commence with the production of a small four-wheeled electric vehicle, which is the EV4. All the knowledge and experience gained from avionics, I carried over to the design and construction of the EV4. The EV4, beginning from project to design and the technology and materials used, has avionic origins.
Source: Gizmag
