Posted on 12/06/2023 5:03:35 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
What’s better than a cargo e-bike for hauling goods around the city with zero emissions? A cargo e-bike that can pull an electrified trailer or two behind it, capable of hauling up to 1000 pounds of payload cleanly and silently. For dense urban areas, factories, and campus-based businesses and organizations, the Pelican Train looks to be a next level option for getting a lot of stuff where it needs to go, without the noise and pollution of an internal combustion engine.
The French startup Pelican now offers a unique take on the electric cargo bike — not so much the e-bike itself as it is the modular and electrified cargo trailers that can be pulled behind it. The Pelican Platform Train’s 3-wheeled trailers have a built-in electric drive system and battery which provide propulsion to the trailer in concert with the e-bike. The Pelican cargo e-bike isn’t that different in configuration from many of the other electric cargo bikes on the market, except that it is built to be able to pull a trailer or two, and the trailer motors and brakes synchronize with it so that it accelerates and brakes at the same rate as the e-bike. According to Pelican, the combination of motors in the bike and trailer will allow a rider to go up an 18% slope with a full load — which is impressive, considering the payload capacity on the Pelican Platform Train.
(Excerpt) Read more at cleantechnica.com ...
According to Pelican, the system “includes parking brakes which are activated when the bike stops and which are deactivated when the pedals are pressed. Finally, a safety brake immobilizes the trailer in the event of disconnection with the bicycle.”
This looks like something that would be popular in Thailand or Vietnam.
This looks like a zany idea that enable “Smart Cities” to limit our travel to 24 miles from our homes.
One thing I learned about transporting things on a bike, is that you should not be carrying a load on the bike itself. So, I would never own a cargo bike of any kind.
Attach a trailer on your bike and you won’t really notice the weight. However if you put the weight on the bike, it becomes inertia force when you stop or have to make turns.
Barely managed to dodge a couple of Mormon cult bikers on a narrow 2 lane and few days ago. Morons
Looks like something you would see in the villains lair in a James Bond movie.
Based on my own e-bike experience, I’m sure this actually works quite well, and am surprised it hasn’t appeared sooner.
That said: it ain’t holding up to “all day” work with current battery technology.
And,
“zero emissions” is of course horsesh*t, when you take into account where the power to recharge it comes from (burn that coal, baby! / don’t forget to give your African child minor/miner 5 cents for mining that lithium!)...
...not that it matters, since “climate change” is a lie anyway. I just find it interesting that they’re targeting “progressives”, yet lying to them anyway.
The perfect thing to transport insect meal from factory to campus cafeteria.
You’re right. Once I was riding in a bike trail with my son in a trailer. I was cruising along at 15-20 mph and caught up to two girls riding about the same speed. I drafted them for a couple miles till we came to a cross street and had to stop.
They looked shocked when they saw the trailer. One said “we knew you were drafting us but had no idea you were pulling a trailer at that speed.”
Bit of a proud cycling moment.
Entrepreneur Amazon contract and other delivery folks in Manhattan have already created the same version of these E-bikes - neccessity is the mother of invention.
Traffic conditions in Manhattan make these cargo E-bikes (and some are not “E” bikes, just regular bikes) needed. Large loads can be parked where parking is possible and the load distributed to cargo E-bike carriers. You see them all over Manhattan. No French startup company was needed.
In most major cities, stealing stuff is no longer illegal. So having everything right out in the open like that is a kindness to needy criminals.
Stolen from an old EV discussion thread: Is there a little compartment on the driver’s console for his testicles? ;-)
I keep seeing these schemes presented as if the entire country is as flat as Poland and has a Mediterranean climate.
If they had any viability at all, the market would already have them running and making money. Entrepreneurs have tried similar ideas using gasoline engines going back to the beginning of the 20th century. Remember the Harley Servicar? They always fail.
“a kindness to needy criminals”
LOLOL!
That’s why I said it would be popular in Thailand or Vietnam.
thankfully the examples don’t try using batteries.
This is a neat merging of two examples; trucks hauling trailers caravan style in Australia and North Vietnamese hauling supplies down the “trail” on modified bicycles. NV didn’t ride their bikes, they guided them while walking alongside.
I have towed horse trailers for over 38 years.
Need serious horse power to pull them forward-—
Need correct brakes to STOP that load & turning corners with trailers of any size isn’t something you do without lots of attention.
BACKING UP IS EVEN TRICKIER
Thats why i ride horses.
LOL...what a mess.
When I worked in China in the mid 70s (for seven months), that was the scene in Beijing, Chengdu and Harbin...only there was ONE city bus, a couple of big black limos for the communist overlords, and all the rest were bicycles. Not a single gasoline moped to be seen anywhere.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.