Trikelet, which is being billed as the world’s smallest electric vehicle, is probably not going to suffice for your morning commute if you’re coming in from the suburbs. But to get you from wherever you park your car to your desk, it sure beats having to fight the rat race on foot.
With three wheels there’s no need to balance the Trikelet, so you can go as slow as you want without any risk of it toppling. And with the throttle opened up, you can hit a decent top speed of twelve miles per hour. Not quite fast enough to race traffic, but more than enough speed to beat your co-workers to Starbucks at lunch.
But what makes the Trikelet most appealing is its clever folding mechanism that turns the scooter into a compact trolley that’s easier to drag onto the subway than a baby carriage. Its design even ensures that wet or snow-covered wheels are contained so they won’t drip all over the floor, so you can park it next to your desk at work without making a mess.
The Trikelet isn’t available just yet; its creators are still looking to secure funding to take it from a functional prototype to a production-ready electric scooter for consumers. But they’re optimistic that when available it will sell for between $US1400 to $US2000. Putting it on par with a nice bike, but minus all the pedalling that could have you arriving at work a little on the sweaty side. [Trikelet via Gizmag]