Hand trucks, wagons and mover's dollies are all handy tools with their own uses. Unless you have a regular need for each one, you probably don't want to devote the money and storage space needed to own all three, though. With the Erovr, you don't have to. This multifunctional gear hauler folds and snaps into all those tools and more, giving you numerous ways of rolling belongings around the home, driveway and beyond.
We're used to "e" standing for "electric" when it comes to wheeled vehicles of all sizes, but the Erovr has no electric motor power. Instead, the "E" stands for "Earth," the vision of the Erovr being a rover designed to help you explore Earth the way the Mars Rover explores Mars. While you'll have to provide all the muscle power, the Erovr still offers plenty of help in lugging heavy stuff around.
There are other multifunctional gear haulers out there that switch between multiple configurations like flat cart and upright hand truck. Erovr's designers attempt to step up the game, giving their wheeled tool a claimed total of 10 different functions. Some of those individual functions are a stretch. For instance "hand truck" and "hand truck with side panels" are two separate bullet points. But the Erovr does offer some serious versatility in transforming from a compact mover's dolly, to a flat, handled cart, to a wagon, to an upright hand truck and beyond.
In place of the tubular steel construction of more traditional hand trucks, the Erovr has a series of handles, pivot points and folding panels mounted to a hinged, two-sided aircraft-grade aluminum chassis. The folding handles and panels nest inside the ABS plastic inserts to create a flat floor. The front and rear elastomeric wheels are mounted to 360-degree rotating arms with preset stops, and the rear wheels include quick releases for easy removal and swapping. The user simply presses the release buttons to unlock the parts, then sets the Erovr up in whatever configuration is needed. No tools required.
In its most compact "storage" configuration, the Erovr measures 23 x 21 x 7 in (58 x 53 x 18 cm) and is designed to store easily in small spaces like an apartment closet, under the bed or in a car trunk. So instead of needing a large chunk of garage to store your hand truck, cart, etc., you can store your transforming Erovr in a bedroom, apartment, office or other small area.
Erovr's designers are also developing a few accessories to give the Erovr even more utility. The beach kit includes floaty, 10-in-wide rear wheels to help the cart roll over sand and snow, along with two retractable side arms for holding things like folding umbrellas and chairs. The bike trailer hitch kit secures the Erovr to the rear of a bike and, with the included 16-in wheels, makes the Erovr a functional bike trailer with 125-lb (56.7-kg) capacity. The available 11,000 mAh power bank stores neatly in the Erovr's accessories compartment and offers gadget charging and music playback via the included Bluetooth speaker.
The Erovr weighs 25 lb (11.3 kg) without accessories like the power bank or beach kit and has a load capacity of 250 lb (113.4 kg). Its designers imagine it being used for everything from moving boxes into storage, to shopping, to rolling supplies around the office and more. It looks like a handy, all-in-one roller, but we're wondering if all that folding hardware won't make it more rickety than standard hand trucks and carts. Only a test would tell for sure.
Erovr's designers have developed a prototype and are currently running an Indiegogo campaign to raise the money they need to bring the Erovr to market. Pledges start at US$195 for the standard multipurpose cart, 50 percent off the planned retail price. Accessories like the power bank/Bluetooth speaker kit and bike hitch are listed as individual pledge levels or as a complete $399 kit packaged with the Erovr.
If all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in December. The items can ship all over the world, and shipping costs vary by item and country. The video below highlights the Erovr's multiple uses and transformation process.