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Twike
Twike, based in Rosenthal, is a German manufacturer of light electric vehicles in the European Union vehicle class L5e (US motorcycle). The main product, the Twike (a portmanteau of the words twin and bike), is a human-electric hybrid vehicle (HEHV) designed to carry two passengers and cargo. Essentially a velomobile with an electrical hybrid engine, it can be driven in electric-only mode or electric + pedal power mode.
The Twike 1 prototype was designed by students at ETH Zurich. It was developed for the 1986 EXPO in Vancouver . The tricycle, initially conceived in Switzerland, was originally designed as a pure velomobile without motor assistance. Inspired by the success of the Twike I, a group of enthusiasts began developing the second generation as a step towards a vehicle for everyday road use.
In order to be able to compete with other cars in everyday use, a prototype with electric assistance was developed and presented to the public in 1991 as the Twike II. In 1992, Twike AG, based in Gelterkinden, Switzerland, was founded to bring the prototype to series production. It was developed in collaboration with Alusuisse-Lonza Holding and shown for the first time at the HEUREKA exhibition in Zurich.
In 1992, Twike AG decided to further develop the Twike II into a series vehicle and began looking for capital and customers. Production of the Twike III began in 1995, three years later. In the course of the first year, the reformed AG produced and sold 190 vehicles, mainly in Switzerland and Germany. In 1999, Twike AG merged with the Swiss company S-LEM AG, which was allowed to assemble the Twike itself from 1997, to form SwissLEM AG, based in Hochdorf, Switzerland.
In 1998, FINE Mobile GmbH ("Forum für Intelligente und Nachhaltige Elektro-Mobile") was founded, initially based in Augsburg. The aim of the shareholders was to be the general importer for Germany. In the same year, FINE Mobile also launched the German production line. Kits imported from Switzerland were finally assembled in Germany. One reason for this was the German approval regulations, which required, for example, a laminated glass windshield, while the Swiss series was equipped with Plexiglas.
When SwissLEM went bankrupt in the summer of 2002, FINE Mobile took over the production and brand rights for the Twike. In 2002, the company headquarters were also relocated from Augsburg to Rosenthal. Since then, FINE Mobile GmbH from Rosenthal has been the rights holder and sole producer of the Twike worldwide. At the beginning of 2020, FINE Mobile GmbH changed its name to TWIKE GmbH.
The Twike 1 is a two-seater bicycle with a body. The ergonomic and aerodynamic experiment was developed by Swiss students at ETH Zurich. The idea was presented at the EXPO in Vancouver in 1986. The concept is based on a recumbent bike in which two people pedal side by side. The first Twike model was purely muscle-powered and not electrified. It weighed 50 kg and could be accelerated to a speed of up to 50 km/h. In 1986, it won an award for ergonomics at the World Expo in Vancouver.
The Twike 2 was introduced in 1991. It had a belt pedal drive with continuously variable mechanical transmission and a DC motor powered by NiCd batteries to drive the vehicle. With the support of an electric motor, the hybrid model's suitability for everyday use was significantly improved.
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Twike
Twike, based in Rosenthal, is a German manufacturer of light electric vehicles in the European Union vehicle class L5e (US motorcycle). The main product, the Twike (a portmanteau of the words twin and bike), is a human-electric hybrid vehicle (HEHV) designed to carry two passengers and cargo. Essentially a velomobile with an electrical hybrid engine, it can be driven in electric-only mode or electric + pedal power mode.
The Twike 1 prototype was designed by students at ETH Zurich. It was developed for the 1986 EXPO in Vancouver . The tricycle, initially conceived in Switzerland, was originally designed as a pure velomobile without motor assistance. Inspired by the success of the Twike I, a group of enthusiasts began developing the second generation as a step towards a vehicle for everyday road use.
In order to be able to compete with other cars in everyday use, a prototype with electric assistance was developed and presented to the public in 1991 as the Twike II. In 1992, Twike AG, based in Gelterkinden, Switzerland, was founded to bring the prototype to series production. It was developed in collaboration with Alusuisse-Lonza Holding and shown for the first time at the HEUREKA exhibition in Zurich.
In 1992, Twike AG decided to further develop the Twike II into a series vehicle and began looking for capital and customers. Production of the Twike III began in 1995, three years later. In the course of the first year, the reformed AG produced and sold 190 vehicles, mainly in Switzerland and Germany. In 1999, Twike AG merged with the Swiss company S-LEM AG, which was allowed to assemble the Twike itself from 1997, to form SwissLEM AG, based in Hochdorf, Switzerland.
In 1998, FINE Mobile GmbH ("Forum für Intelligente und Nachhaltige Elektro-Mobile") was founded, initially based in Augsburg. The aim of the shareholders was to be the general importer for Germany. In the same year, FINE Mobile also launched the German production line. Kits imported from Switzerland were finally assembled in Germany. One reason for this was the German approval regulations, which required, for example, a laminated glass windshield, while the Swiss series was equipped with Plexiglas.
When SwissLEM went bankrupt in the summer of 2002, FINE Mobile took over the production and brand rights for the Twike. In 2002, the company headquarters were also relocated from Augsburg to Rosenthal. Since then, FINE Mobile GmbH from Rosenthal has been the rights holder and sole producer of the Twike worldwide. At the beginning of 2020, FINE Mobile GmbH changed its name to TWIKE GmbH.
The Twike 1 is a two-seater bicycle with a body. The ergonomic and aerodynamic experiment was developed by Swiss students at ETH Zurich. The idea was presented at the EXPO in Vancouver in 1986. The concept is based on a recumbent bike in which two people pedal side by side. The first Twike model was purely muscle-powered and not electrified. It weighed 50 kg and could be accelerated to a speed of up to 50 km/h. In 1986, it won an award for ergonomics at the World Expo in Vancouver.
The Twike 2 was introduced in 1991. It had a belt pedal drive with continuously variable mechanical transmission and a DC motor powered by NiCd batteries to drive the vehicle. With the support of an electric motor, the hybrid model's suitability for everyday use was significantly improved.