PodRide

the 4 wheel e-bike that looks like a car

Design Progress Update

The 3D computerized model of PodRide is progressing well, but there are still many problems yet to solve. As mentioned in a previous communication, after the 3D model is finished we then need to prepare several hundred 2D drawings which the factories use to accurately manufacture the many components of PodRide.
 
The PodRide frame has been redesigned completely. The original PodRide was hand made with square steel tubing. The new frame is 100% aluminium, and primarily using round tubing. After designing the front section of the frame in round tube, we have changed that item again – the final design for that component is with rectangular tube. This was done to reduce complexity, welding, and simplify the attachment of the motor/crankset.
 
The original PodRide prototype was one large welded frame. The new design has a front and rear section of the frame, which bolt together. This design change was done to reduce the packing size and make it much more economical to ship PodRide.
 
Whilst there is still plenty of work to finalize on the 3D model, we have begun producing 2D drawings of the core frame components to allow our manufacturer to start producing a prototype sample of the new design.
 

This image is a 2D drawing of the front part of the frame, one of the most simple components.

 

 

PodRide appears on Norwegian TV

Anyone for PodRide racing on ice? It looks like awesome fun!

Before PodRide was shipped to Taiwan, a TV crew from the “Consumer Inspectors” program on Norway’s NRK TV, dropped by Ostersund in Sweden to checkout PodRide and put it through its paces.

Reporter Pia Rivelsrud had a lot of fun, and tried her best to tip PodRide over. As she explains, she has tipped a golf cart over before, so it wasn’t her first rodeo.

English subtitles are available if they don’t appear automatically.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel while you are there.

PodRide wins the internet

 

Apparently PodRide “WON THE INTERNET” yesterday.

We made the front page of reddit. Somebody posted the PodRide original video on reddit and it was up-voted by reddit users ending up on the coveted front page. Our video had around 500,000 new views in the last 24 hours from reddit users.

At the time of writing this article there are over 1800 comments on reddit about PodRide. Many people commented about how much they enjoyed the sound of Mikael’s voice and how they wanted him to read stories to them. Others wanted to protect Mikael from any internet haters with comments like, “I will fight anyone who hurts this man’s feelings.”

I read a few of the comments to Mikael and he blushed.  So we now have the option of having Mikael narrate some bedtime stories to raise funds for the PodRide project. 😉
https://redd.it/57d70v

 

Steep hills ahead

Mikael ran a test on the weekend to see how PodRide would do on some very steep hills. He has given me a big thumbs up. PodRide conquered a 25 degree incline (46.6% grade), which is quite steep indeed. The kind of steep that you have nightmares about.

Mikael went up the hill with the motor assist. He also tried to go up the same hill without the motor assist but was not able to do that.

To give you an idea of what that level of steepness looks like in real life, let’s take a look at a couple of streets in San Francisco.

Most people naturally describe steepness with an angle. However, road builders speak in grade, the ratio of vertical rise to horizontal run, expressed as a percentage. Angle and grade are not synonymous: for example, a slope that rises one foot per two feet of run is about 27 degrees from level, but has a grade of 50%.

Please Note: We are not recommending that you take on extremely steep hills with PodRide, as with such a steep hill there is a feeling like you might tip backwards. This was done as a test for us to understand the capabilities of PodRide and would be steeper than any recommendation that we might make.

(Images and some text from Google Maps and datapointed.net)

 

PodRide Security

Some people have expressed concern about security of PodRide. Please be assured that PodRide will come with a secure locking point similar to that shown in this photo on our prototype.