Triggo EV: Is It A Car, A Motorcycle, Or Both?
Polish startup Triggo has released a pre-production prototype of its first electric vehicle. It looks like a small car, but it can lane-split in traffic jams like a motorcycle. Truly, the Triggo EV is unlike any car or electric motorcycle we've ever seen. It offers an innovative solution that appeals to both automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts with none of the drawbacks.
You see, riding a motorcycle is huge fun, but there are drawbacks. Riders are constantly exposed to changing weather conditions, and motorcycles are not exactly the most comfortable steeds on those long road trips. On the safety front, the lack of crumple zones, airbags, and seatbelts are an issue, but Triggo has the solution.
The Triggo EV has four wheels like a car. It has an enclosed cabin which offers enough room for two full-grown adults, which means you can drive it like, well, a regular car. But when traffic slows down, the Triggo can retract its front wheels to reduce the vehicle's width, allowing you to split lanes like a motorcycle. This nifty feature is also a Godsend when it's time to park the thing.
In its motorcycle configuration, the Triggo has a maximum width of 33.8-inches along with an 11.4-foot turning radius. You can engage this mode at speeds up to 15.5 mph and drive it like a motorcycle. In fact, it can even lean into corners automatically to deliver the riding dynamics of a motorbike.
But at higher speeds (above 16 mph) the Triggo widens the front track up to 58.2-inches. With a wider front track in this configuration, you can drive more aggressively like in a regular car. According to Triggo, its latest creation is good for a top speed of 56 mph. It has a pair of 10kW electric motors but Triggo reduced the output to 15kW, which translates to roughly 20 horsepower. It also has an 8 kWh battery pack for an effective driving range of around 62 miles.
Triggo has yet to confirm if its latest creation is coming to America, but the startup said the vehicle is intended mostly for car-sharing or delivery services. Triggo EV is also equipped with a drive-by-wire control system and is ready to accommodate future autonomous driving software, according to the company.
"The next stage will be the expected legalization of the automatic rebuilding function of our vehicles and the launch of robo-taxi services, which will make a real revolution in the market," said Rafal Budweil, President of the Board and Founder of Triggo S.A.
"Of course, we don't know how the world economy will proceed, but after a pandemic, a lot can change in our daily lives, and Triggo has the potential to radically improve the profitability of the automatic rental service model already at this moment," concluded Budweil.