Urban Transport

Triggo tilting electric quadricycle pulls its wheels in for parking

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The Triggo in cruise mode (left) and parking/maneuverability mode (right)
Triggo
The passenger sits behind the driver
Triggo
Even with the front wheels in cruise mode, the Triggo has ample room in a parking space
Triggo
The Triggo is powered along by two brushless Dc motors at the rear
Triggo
The driver steps into the Triggo via single door, which pops out and slides back at the push of a button
Triggo
The cheerful face of the Triggo electric quadricycle
Triggo
The front wheels can be pulled in for parking in tight spots
Triggo
Triggo's latest pre-production prototype is affectionately named Blue
Triggo
The latest Triggo prototype is set to undergo intensive testing on public roads
Triggo
Triggo's Blue prototype appears to ride a little lower in parking mode than previous iterations
Triggo
The Triggo has a 20-degree leaning angle
Triggo
The Triggo has a top speed of 90 km/h and a per-charge range of up to 140 km
Triggo
The Triggo in cruise mode (left) and parking/maneuverability mode (right)
Triggo
View gallery - 12 images

It looks a bit like it's a Twizy family member, but Poland's Triggo EV has a few neat tricks that Renault's city roller doesn't. It leans into the corners, at higher speeds its front wheels are spread out for stability, but slow down and they can be pulled in for easier parking, and the batteries can be removed and exchanged for fresh ones.

Being developed for car sharing and package delivery, the Triggo EV has a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph). In cruise driving mode, the Triggo measures 148 cm (58 in) wide, but at speeds of up to 35 km/h (21.7 mph) a mechanism draws in the front wheels towards the chassis for a width of 86 cm (34 cm) and a turning radius of 3.5 m (11.5 ft) – great for parking or maneuvering. All in, the cute electric four wheeler weighs in at 530 kg (1,168.5 lb), and has a total permissible mass of 750 kg (1,653.5 lb).

The wide or narrow modes are activated from the flat U-shaped steering control, which is flanked by screens displaying views from the left and right side cameras, and there's a digital instrument cluster above. A physical control console sits to the right for activating other driving functions.

The Polish four-wheeler also features a tilting mechanism that leans the all-electric city runabout into corners by up to 20 degrees for a motorcycle-like feel, cemented by the passenger sitting behind the driver in pillion formation. The driver and passenger climb aboard via a single door that pops out and slides back at the push of a button.

Triggo's Blue prototype appears to ride a little lower in parking mode than previous iterations
Triggo

The vehicle is powered along by two brushless DC motors at the rear, while the current battery configuration comprises four 3.5-kWh scooter batteries for a per-charge range of up to 140 km (87 mi), and can be removed in five minutes. Its drive-by-wire steering makes use of a proprietary, computer-controlled servo system and is reported to make the Triggo ready for autonomous driving.

Triggo has this month unveiled a new prototype in its pre-production series, which is heading for testing on public roads. The company is looking to make the vehicle available to fleet operators, ride-hailing and car-sharing businesses from 2022, followed by autonomous taxi services the year after – and testing of remote operation of the vehicle has already started, on the road to full Robo Taxi operation. Key target markets include China, India and Russia. You can see a recent prototype in the video below.

Source: Triggo

View gallery - 12 images
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13 comments
Username
Since you need to be able to open the door I don't see the use of bringing in the wheels to save space.
gettodacessna
@Username It took me a second to get what you were saying, and now I see your point. Maybe it's light enough that you can get out and push it into a tight spot?
fen
@username the door actually slides instead of opening like a normal door.
Derek Howe
I love that it leans into the turns, hopefully they bring this to the US, could give Arcimoto a run for their money. It's still not as cool as the Lit Motors C-1...which I think went under...but their concept was awesome.
Daishi
@Username You aren't wrong and in the video when he is just about to open the door it quickly cuts to him appearing inside of the car. In the photo with the black and blue cars you wouldn't be able to enter either vehicle without first remotely backing up the vehicle. You also couldn't easily retract the wheels while stopped so you would have to retract them before pulling into the parking space which means you could only move in a straight line into the space without being able to turn the wheels. It doesn't seem super practical.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is neat. It reminds me of an older three wheel vehicle that does something similar. One pulled up the front to bring the two front wheels together.
Simon Blake
This vehicle gives me hope for a change in the trend towards ever larger personal transport. In its narrow mode, and speed limited to 25 kmph, the Triggo would be fully compatible with bicycles and this mode could be initiated automatically using GPS. It could then share cycle lanes and other inner city cycle infrastructure whilst still being able to operate on the open road when necessary.
Aross
Interesting. However, the video , like most commercials today does little to provide any useful information but a lot of implied fun. Many questions remain unanswered. How does it perform in the rain, snow and cold weather? Did not see any wipers. Does it have heating and defrosting capabilities? How much room is there for the passenger?
Arthur
It's an interresting concept and we definitely need more of these kind of cars. However, I wonder how stable it is at low speeds, bc you can't put your feets on the ground like with a traditionnal motorcycle.
Kim Scholer
The similar, but delightfully named French microcar Reyonnah also seats two in tandem, and narrows the front wheel width for easier parking. That was 70 years ago. Info here: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/reyonnah/1951/1953/203594