Tilting electric three-wheelers may be fun and agile, but they're generally still not as safe to drive as good ol' four-wheeled cars. The Kairos EV could change that, as it features not one but two unique safety systems.
Presently in pre-prototype form, the two-passenger Kairos was conceived by French transport designer Mathieu L'Hopitault. It is being developed via the SIREMS Association, a French nonprofit electric mobility group.
Unlike most three-wheeled EVs, which put the two wheels in front for better stability when cornering, the Kairos puts them in the rear. This layout, combined with a semi-reclined feet-forward riding position, is intended to place most of the rider's weight over the rear wheels for optimized traction – after all, they are the wheels that deliver all the torque.
What's more, the rear wheels tilt relative to the main body of the Kairos when cornering, allowing it to lean into turns. Further reducing the likelihood of turn-induced tip-overs are a couple of doo-hickeys known as the Mobile Lateral Elements (MLEs).
Located to either side of the front wheel, these wedge-shaped appendages tilt as the vehicle leans into turns, just like the rear wheels. This arrangement keeps the MLE on the inside of the turn from hitting the road, while supposedly allowing the MLE on the outside to act as a counterweight that helps keep the Kairos from tipping.
That said, in some emergency situations, the vehicle may start to tip over anyway. The idea is that when this happens, the MLE on the inside will contact the road, keeping the EV from tipping all the way over by propping it up.
Both MLEs are additionally intended to absorb impact energy in frontal and side collisions (like a car's crumple zones), to boost aerodynamics by diverting airflow around the vehicle's rear end, and to help keep its center of gravity low. Oh yes, and the rider can also carry cargo items inside of the things – a larger cargo compartment is located between the rear wheels.
The Kairos' other safety feature is called the Programmed Restraint Device (PRD).
It's also wedge-shaped – triangular when viewed from the side – and is mounted in the cockpit so that the seated rider's chest rests lightly against it. The device is connected to the vehicle via a hinge at the front (by the bars), and an electric locking mechanism in the rear (by the rider).
In the event of a frontal impact, the PRD will supposedly flex to absorb much of the inertial energy that is carrying the rider forward, while also serving as a physical barrier that keeps them from being launched over the handlebars and onto the road.
That said, if the vehicle is traveling fast enough that the crash causes it to flip over forward, the rider won't want to be crushed beneath it when that happens. With such a scenario in mind, the PRD's lock automatically disengages when the Kairos' rear wheels start leaving the ground. This allows the PRD to pivot forward, in turn allowing the rider to be thrown clear over the bars – but still not as violently as they would be if the PRD hadn't been there to absorb some of the energy.
SIREMS Association founder Philippe Girardi informs New Atlas that he plans on having a rolling demonstrator vehicle ready for testing by the end of the first quarter of next year. Availability and pricing are difficult to gauge at this point, although he hopes to have something on the market by 2028, priced at no more than €30,000 (about US$32,539).
"Although safety is the backdrop to this project, we don't want to offer a boring product," he tells us. "We've tried to ensure that each of the safety features also provides a visible benefit for the customer: more storage space, improved aerodynamics, a cool design, new dynamic characteristics and a new driving experience."
You can see an early version of the Kairos' tilting mechanism in action, in the following 1991 video of SIREM's gas-powered Pulsar prototype.
Source: SIREMS Association
