What do you get when you cross the eco-friendliness and fitness value of an ebike with the stability and weather protection of a small car? Well, you get an e-quadracycle, such as the funky new Orion and Ilos from Greek startup Gloubos.
Designed for commuting in urban environments, the four-wheeled Orion features an open-sided composite body over a metal frame, along with a single bucket seat for its rider/driver. That person's pedaling power is augmented by a 250-watt mid-mount motor which takes the vehicle up to a top assisted speed of 25 km/h (16 mph).
One charge of the 20-Ah lithium-ion battery pack is claimed to be good for a range of up to 50 km (31 miles), depending on the level of electric assistance selected. An optional solar panel can be installed on the roof to help boost that figure.
Suspension mountain bike forks on the front wheels help absorb bumps in the road, while hydraulic disc brakes provide stopping power to all four of the 20-inch wheels. And instead of protruding side mirrors, the Orion utilizes small external cameras linked to interior smartphone-sized screens.
Some of the vehicle's other features include a 5-speed automatic drivetrain, a full LED lighting system (which includes turn indicators), an LCD screen that displays information such as current speed and battery level, plus one particularly thoughtful touch … a padded dashboard to keep riders from whacking their shins while pedaling. The whole thing reportedly tips the scales at 105 kg (231 lb).
While the Orion does have a small rear rack for items such as groceries, the Ilos takes the whole cargo-hauling thing a lot more seriously.
It has a full-on 107-cm-long by 80-cm-wide (42.1 by 31.5 in) cargo bed which can be swapped for an enclosed cargo box, and that can manage loads weighing up to 180 kg (397 lb). The vehicle's specs are otherwise much like those of the Orion, with the exceptions being dual batteries, actual side-view mirrors instead of cameras, and a heavier weight of 155 kg (342 lb).
Both the Orion and the Ilos are available now via the Gloubos website, priced at €7,799 and €11,599 (about US$8,360 and $12,433), respectively.
You can see the Ilos in action, in the following video.
Source: Gloubos
