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30 Iconic Velomobile Designs From ThePast 85 Years

A velomobile, for those who don’t know, is a human powered vehicle. Also known as a bicycle car,

these things are based off of the recumbent bikes and tricycles, and have a full, aerodynamic

outer shell that protects them from weather and crashes.

Most of these devices are three or four wheeled, though two wheeled versions exist. Bicycle car

really is the most accurate name for these things, since they are pedalled and steered like a

bicycle.

There are multiple kinds; hybrids that have both pedals and a motor, streamliners made for

racing, models both with the head of the rider exposed and with the head covered.

30 iconic velomobile designs

In the past 85 years, we’ve seen velomobiles pop up time and time again. So to celebrate the many

different models, we have a big graphic with 30 of the most iconic velomobile designs since the

1930’s.

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A closer look at the different designs

Aerorider SPORT Built by one of the world’s very few corporate entities to

produce velomobiles, Aerorider SPORT is the luxury version of

their flagship product, the Aerorider. It’s the classy 3-wheeled

convertible of the velomobile world.

Designed by Kjelt Wijma and Bart de Wert, the Aerorider

SPORT was released in 2000, and there are dealerships for it in

the Netherlands, USA and Germany. It comes equipped with

lights and storage compartments for luggage, and is known for

its low center of gravity and comfortable seating.

Alleweder If you’re starting to see a trend here, that’s because the

Netherlands is one of the biggest centers for human-powered

vehicles (HPVs) and clean transportation methods in the world.

And that includes the Alleweder KV4, a well-respected member

of the velomobile family.

The KV4 is known for its durability; its hard aluminium frame

and full suspension make it pretty resilient to just about

anything the world throws at it. The KV4 is manufactured by

Alligt, which produces all sorts of velomobile models and parts.

Trisled Aquila This velomobile looks like something you’d see flying around in

space. The sleek design is known for its style and fully enclosed

interior. The Aquila was made for racing; it’s aerodynamically

superior to many other velomobiles and in the hands of a good

rider it can easily win. However, owners can mod the Aquila

with mirrors and lights to make it more appropriate for casual

use.

The Aquila was designed and built by Trisled, an Australian

HPV production company, and sells for $8500 Australian

dollars.

Arion 1 Known as the world’s fastest bicycle, it’s equally well known for

its rather amusing shape. The mature and cultured fans of the

Arion have noted that the velomobile kind of looks like a giant

dildo (Literally the first headline when you google Arion 1

reads “the world’s fastest bike looks like a 90-MPH Space

Dildo”).

It’s hilarious design aside, the Arion 1 is very aerodynamic (stop

laughing), and potentially fast enough to exceed the current

world speed record of 83.13 MPH.

The Arion 1 was built by the University of Liverpool Velocipede

Team (ULV Team), which is made up of 16 students. Along with

the ULV Team, there are three professionals who have been

riding the Arion 1 (Ok guys, it’s not funny anymore) to attempt

to beat the world record.

DuoQuest Not all velomobiles look like a dick joke waiting to happen. In

fact, some of them look cool. Really cool. At first glance, the

DuoQuest looks like a high end sports car. It’s got a classy,

smooth design to it. The DuoQuest was made for style and for

cruising, there’s no doubt about that.

This two-seater is the perfect couple’s bike. It’s like a tandem

bike that’s comfortable. The downside is that the company

behind DuoQuest, Velomobiel, has only built one, and has no

current intentions of making more. For now, owning your own

DuoQuest is just a dream.

ELF 1.5/2FR The ELF 1.5 is the two-seater velomobile from US company

Organic Transport. ELF is a cute little three-wheeled

velomobile that looks sort of like a SMART car, with the

passenger seat behind the rider. It also comes with a storage

area for your cargo, as well as lights and even turn signals.

This velomobile is produced in a multitude of colours, and they

also have a “tactical” model available for police departments to

purchase. They aren’t cheap though; they cost between $5500

US Dollars and $6500 USD.

Fantom The Fantom was designed in Sweden by Kjall Andersson, but

not produced. The 1940’s velomobile was sold in the form of

drawings, which were intended to be used as a guide to help

people build their own versions of the Fantom. The four

wheeled velomobile definitely has the feel of a 1940’s car to it.

Over the years, many hobbyists have built their own Fantoms,

so they crop up from time to time.

FAW+ This velomobile has a toy rocketship kind of style to it. It’s a

cool, interesting design with two front wheels and one rear.

FAW stands for Flevo Alleweder. The FAW+ is an improvement

on the original FAW from the 1990s, designed to be safer,

faster and stronger.

Aside from being very handy for casual use, the FAW+ is also

lightweight and is often used for racing. The FAW+ can be

found for sale in the USA and Europe.

Flevobike Orca Another of the Netherlands many innovations in the velomobile

community, the Flevobike Orca, released in 2011, has been

well-received by velomobile enthusiasts.

The Orca is known for having better handling and safety and

being more comfortable than its predecessor. It comes in a

range of different colours, and is praised for being low

maintenance. If you’re living outside of Europe and you want

one though, you’re out of luck. Currently, the Orca is only sold

in the European Union.

Go-One Evo-R- This futuristic space-pod looking velomobile hails from

Germany. It is the race-ready modified version of the high-

speed Go-One Evolution. The Evo-R- has two versions. The

“Top version” is the more expensive model, with a stiff chassis

and a slightly lighter weight.

It’s made with top quality interior parts, with comfort in mind.

The “Carbon version” is made with carbon fiber and weighs

about one kilogram more. Richard Dahne won the 2014 HPV

World Championships in an Evo-R-.

HEPAV I’m sure your bicycle is pretty alright. It’s fast, it gets you places.

But can it be used as a boat? No? Well the HEPAV velomobile

can. The amphibious velocar comes from the mind of inventor

David Buckwaldek. It’s a tricycle with an electric motor and a

water-proof shell.

While on land, it functions like most other velomobiles, but it

can seamlessly travel in water. While in water it moves similarly

to a kayak. The creator envisions it as the perfect companion to

people who frequently travel between islands. A video of the

HEPAV entering water can be found here.

Hornet The hornet is one of Canada’s very own velomobiles, created by

velomobile manufacturer BlueVelo. This one has a rectangular

shape with rounded edges (the yellow one kind of looks like a

banana, if that helps you visualize it) and three wheels.

The Hornet comes with an electric engine as well to combine

the power of electricity and pedaling, and is known for its

comfort, handling and its ability to tackle hills. This velocar

comes with full suspension, and can be upgraded to have lights,

turn signals and even a horn.

Leiba Classic If you choose a Leiba classic, you’re choosing to have options.

This German velomobile comes with all kinds of optional

features, like having an electric motor assist for example. The

Leiba is designed to handle any conditions you put it through; it

has slits in the canopy to prevent the windows from fogging and

it’s got a sturdy frame.

The Leiba Classic is comfortable, stylish and practical. The Leiba

Classic is also on the cheaper end of the velomobile price range,

starting at €5000.

Leitra Carl Georg Rasmussen made one of the first modern

velomobiles in 1980. It has a low centre of gravity and

combined with the positioning of the front wheels, the Leitra is

safe and has a very low risk of tipping or turning over.

It’s made to practically cover long distances without problems.

The frame is built strong and resilient to abrasion; the Leitra

was built for use anywhere by anyone.

LeMans The LeMans is a velomobile made for racing. Its design has

excellent aerodynamics, and it’s got a large capacity for speed.

The low ground clearance isn’t suited for harder conditions you

might find in casual use, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t

use the LeMans around the city.

Like most velomobiles, the LeMans is a tricycle. The design

came from Joel Vincent, from France, and the first completed

model was released in 2012.

Liberty SUV When you hear the words Liberty SUV, what do you picture? A

big 7 seater dodge? Whatever image popped in your head, I can

guarantee it was wrong. The Liberty SUV is a velomobile that is

built to look like a tiny SUV car.

See, SUV in the velomobile world doesn’t stand for Sports

Utility Vehicle. It stands for Sustainable Utility Velomobile. This

velocar is the flagship product from the US company Liberty

Velomobiles. The Liberty SUV comes with many of the comforts

of a car; lots of storage, stability, lights and turn signals.

Lightning F-40 The lightning F-40 is one of the fastest produced bicycles in the

world, setting a record for clearing a 4800 kilometre journey in

just over 5 days. The US-made bike is an excellent choice for

racing; it stands up against many custom one of a kind

velomobiles, and has great versatility. It has also been noted for

being a great choice for casual riders.

This bike’s body fairing is mostly spandex, however, so while it is

extremely lightweight, it’s also lacking in some of the safety

features standard in other velomobiles.

Mango Sport From the Netherlands’ Sinner Bikes comes the Mango Sport, a

classy hot-rod looking recumbent velomobile with 3 wheels. Its

design is reminiscent of sports cars.

However, this velomobile doesn’t just look good, it’s also a fast

one, capable of holding its own in a race setting. It has a wide

wheel base and low centre of gravity, making it hard to tip over,

and it’s known for having excellent handling. Riders have the

option of fitting it with an electric assist.

Marvelo SKR Canada’s Marvelo SKR is a relatively new addition to the world

of velomobiles, having just been released in 2013, but it’s

definitely a good one. The idea behind the SKR was to make a

fast but comfortable addition to the velomobile world.

The SKR is built with a large cockpit for riders of all shapes and

sizes. The design team, headed by Jon Reinsch, took inspiration

from the German and Dutch velomobiles, and it shows in the

design and shape.

Milan MK2 The Milan MK2 and its brother, the MK1, are speed demons.

Their aerodynamic shell and electric assist allows them to get

up to speeds reaching 60 km/h. The MK2 is a little larger than

the MK1, and uses a little more energy. It’s made for a wider

variety of riders.

Mulsanne The Mulsanne is CyclesJV-Fenioux’s second velomobile to hit

the market. The Mulsanne was designed to be used in every

kind of setting; it works well for casual and urban use, however

it also has incredible speed and aerodynamic superiority over

many other velomobiles. It can tackle hills without too much

trouble and is incredibly comfortable, but it’s also made to leave

other velomobiles in its dust on tracks.

Quest The Quest, a product of Velomobiel (who have a previous spot

on our list) is the fast, casual-use velomobile for all types of

riders. The Quest is popular because of its versatility; while it’s

no boat-bike, it can handle hills, it can handle the elements, and

it can handle itself.

The steering and controls on the Quest are loved and well-

received. Like other casual velomobiles, the Quest is designed

to limit the possibility of tipping over and reduce the damage

sustained in accidents.

Radius TT With its unique back end, the Radius TT, especially in hot-rod

red, looks like a mini rocket ship. Only instead of navigating the

vastness of space, you’ll be cruising around the city or the track

with this thing.

Built in the USA by self-proclaimed tinker Dave Langkamp, the

Radius TT was made to help Dave get around town. This “show

stopper”, as he put it, was Dave’s personal project that got a lot

of attention from the velomobile community for the excellent

craftsmanship and design.

Rotovelo The Rotovelo comes to us from Trisled, who proudly proclaim

that it is the strongest velomobile on the market. The fairing is

made to be extremely durable and resistance, and it has to be

since that is one of the Rotovelo’s main selling features.

Designed by Ben Goodall, the Rotovelo is a good companion for

casual riders, with good amounts of luggage space and

lights/mirrors on it. You can get versions with a top and without.

Strada The Strada, which hails from the Netherlands, has a similar look

to the Rotovelo, as well as its fellow Dutch velomobiles. This

one also comes from Velomobiel, and is built with a small

turning radius and excellent handling and maneuverability.

Do not expect a bumpy ride when you get in a Strada. This

velomobile was made for comfort. It also has a good resistance

to the weather and elements, and is a safe ride.

Sunrider II Sunrider II is the baby of Sunrider Cycles. Their first Sunrider

was a huge success, so the designers were shooting for the

stars with this follow-up. Designed to have a sports-car vibe to

it, the Sunrider II is the definition of classy cycling.

It’s got style, it’s comfortable, its speed is impressive and it can

handle whatever you plan to do with it. Fans of the original

Sunrider can be nothing but thrilled to see this incredible

successor.

Velocar Type H The Type H is a French velomobile from the 30’s, which now sits

in the Microcar Museum in Madison, Georgia. The velomobile

itself was recovered after World War 2, but the original

designer was Charles Mochet.

The Type H was highly sought after especially during Nazi

occupation, as fuel was a scarce commodity and riding a Type H

was free (getting one, on the other hand, cost a pretty penny).

Velocity Velo Basic The three-wheeled Velocity Velo Basic comes from the USA

company Velocity Velos. This velomobile has a strong, sturdy

fiberglass body, and is lauded for its safe design and stability.

The Basic comes as a part of Velocity Velos’ new initiative to

make velomobiles more affordable, and thus expand the market

for them. While most Velomobiles cost from $5000 USD to

$10,000 and beyond, the Basic has a relatively small price tag:

$3399.00 USD.

Velotilt I’ve said it before about other velomobiles on this list, but

seriously, the Velotilt looks like a space ship! But even when it’s

cruising Earth-side, it’s a really cool futuristic looking machine.

You see, it’s called the Velotilt because the wheels actually tilt

while turning. Designed for maximized maneuverability at high

speeds, the Velotilt is an attempt at revolutionizing

velomobiles. Velotilt comes from the mind of Will Schermer and

the blood sweat and tears of his team.

WAW The WAW velomobile caught all kinds of attention when it was

first designed, for being among the lightest velomobiles in the

world. Its total weight is only 27 kilograms, and combined with

its aerodynamic fairing this velomobile is one of the fastest out

Why choose a velomobile

There are three good reasons for choosing a velomobile instead of a normal bike:

First of all, velomobiles are more comfortable than normal bikes. No matter how far you go,

you can’t get uncomfortable since your weight is carried by a long seat instead of a small saddle.

You also don’t experience any pressure on your wrists and arms, which means that there is less

change of stress related injuries.

Most velomobilists also think it’s very nice that the outer shell protects them from rain and bad

wheather (I definitely thought so when I tried a Leitra while it was raining a lot. It was very

enjoyable to sit protected from the rain – and the feeling didn’t decrease when I looked out and

saw all the normal cyclists get more and more wet).

Velomobiles are also safer than normal bikes. In a velomobile, you sit protected by the shell

and the frame of the bike, which means that they will get hit before you if a car clown drives into

you.

Finally, velomobiles are faster than normal bikes. Almost all the fastest bike records are set

using velomobiles.

If you thread with a 100 watt, you will go around 13 mph (21 km/h) on a normal bike. Are you

threading the same 100 watt in a velomobile, you will go around 21 mph (34 km/h).

there. In the velomobile community, there’s a lot of

appreciation and demand for the WAW.

It is now produced by the Czech Republic company Katanga,

but it was originally made by Belgium’s own Frederik Van De

Walle. Its specs are some of the best on the market.

Why there aren’t more velomobiles

Considering the advantages, it might seem strange that there aren’t more velomobiles. In most

places they are a very rare sight.

The reasons velomobiles are so rare are:

Velomobiles are rather big and take up a lot of space on the bike lanes. They are therefore

rather unpractical in the cities and best used if you are going long distances outside cities with

lots of traffic and narrow bike lanes.

Velomobiles are heavier than other bikes, so they can be difficult to get started when the light

turns green. They can also be difficult to bike uphill. These difficulties are the main reason that

some velomobiles are equipped with an engine.

Another problem is the price. Velomobiles are rare and there aren’t any companies that

mass-produce lots of these bikes. Even the cheapest models cost around $5,000 USD – or

around 6 times as much as a nice normal bike.

Velomobiles vs. electric bikes

As much as I like velomobiles, I don’t think they will ever become mainstream. Instead, I think we

will see more and more electric bikes since they offer some of the same advantages:

First of all, electric bikes also allows you to go faster than on a normal bike. And because you

use less energy, you can also go longer distances on an electric bike than on a normal bike (just

like you can in a velomobile).

Electric bikes aren’t as heavy as most velomobiles and they always have an engine, so they

are easier to get started when the light turns green and they are also easier to bike uphill with

(actually it is easier to do both things on an electric bike than on a normal bike).

Most electric bikes are also cheaper than the average velomobile. Because there are several

companies mass-producing electric bikes, you can find several good models for around $2,000

USD.

For most people it makes more sense to invest in an electric bike than a velomobile, but that

doesn’t mean I don’t like velomobiles. I really do like them a lot and if we didn’t live in the middle

of Copenhagen, I would definitely consider buying one.

62 Comments

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October 22, 2014 at 6:58 pmCarl Georg Rasmussen

Impressive graphic !

The first book about velomobiles (1982) also had nice graphics.

It was published in Russian and German and the author was the lithuanian professor Vytas

Dovydenas. He also introduced the term Velomobile.

http://www.icebike.org continues the tradition in an exemplary way.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 3:09 pmFlemming Møller

Nice overview.

We must hope that someone starts a serial production of some of the models, it doesn’t make

sense that they cost more than a small car without taxes.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 3:49 pmMads Phikamphon

Agree. It doesn’t feel right that they are so expensive while being so much better for

the environment, our health, etc. than more and more cars.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 5:10 pmEric N. Winn

You should talk to Frans van der Merwe about his Pterovelo and include it in your graphic.

See:

http://pterovelo.com/

http://pterovelo.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pterov%C3%A9lo/175166235876194

Reply

June 30, 2015 at 8:50 pmMads Phikamphon

Nice bike. I have never seen it before. Thanks for the tip.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 5:48 pmJimm Pratt

On the contrary, it makes very reasonable sense that these velomobiles are so expensive right now.

They are predominantly built by hand in shops where there are a handful of skilled employees at

best, or in the case of C.G. Rasmussen of Leitra just himself. So the time and effort to produce these

vehicles is translated into a higher cost-per-build. It would be nice if we could mass-produce them,

but the market is still relatively new (anywhere from 2-40 years old, depending on which

velomobile you cite), and investors are too much into the quick return so are rarely going to jump

on this market anytime soon until a major manufacturer like Toyota or BMW gets involved. Plus,

the world in general does not have the cycling-infrastructure – nor the political will to provide it –

to have the roads filled with velomobiles. It’s still a highly car-centric world, and for those places

like Copenhagen who have better cycling infrastructure than 95% of the world, current cycling

roads/lanes are *still* not optimum for a velomobile – either too narrow, poor surface, or too filled

with regular cyclists. I know this personally because I live in Copenhagen, and have been

commuting by velomobile for about 6 years here (currently with a Leitra Wildcat – new design

actually).

I think the biggest problem is getting people to understand that yes, the velomobile is expensive,

*but* compared to a motor vehicle that would travel the same comparable route for commuting (5-

6 km city driving average, for example) or the school-run with the kids, or shopping at the nearby

mall, a velomobile is cheaper to run and maintain yet provides the same benefits (and a few

advantages).

It’s easier and cheaper to repair – it’s basically a bicycle at it’s heart. The velomobile pays for itself

within the first year of use – if not earlier. A motor vehicle depreciates in value the moment it

leaves the salesman lot. A velomobile tends to hold onto much of it’s value, and often outlives it’s

owners (The Leitra is a case in point- over the last 14 years I’ve seen about 6-7 velomobiles out-live

their owners, return to the Leitra shop in Denmark, and after a little tune up are often resold for

2/3 of it’s original price in a condition that is – aside from some cosmetic blemishes – nearly brand

new). It typically provides more room for carrying things, better weather protection, and better

safety than a bicycle. These things well offset it’s initial high cost.

When local Danish people cry to me ‘but that velomobile costs 40,000 DKK, compared to my used

Toyota Corolla that I only paid 20,000 DKK for!’, I reply with ‘but you forget that you will pay

another 3000-4000 kroner in gas per year, 4000-5000 kroner in insurance per year (average),

change your oil every 5000-8000 km at 300-500 DKK per change if you pay a shop to do it, new

tires every 50,000-100,000 km, cost of car repair or brake replacement/repair, etc. etc. etc. so now

your 20,000 kroner car costs at least 8,000-10,000 kroner per year to use. Where-as my running

costs are less than a 1000 kroner per year *for the same usage*: commuting 12 km roundtrip to

work, plus shopping distance. Oh and I don’t have to pay for a health club – I’m staying healthy by

cycling everywhere – so my medical expenses are lower, I’m fitter, and I am just as fast – usually

faster – crossing through the city than a car or public transport.’

People don’t realize that a velomobile is an investment that will *save* them more money in the

long run. They might have to adjust their lifestyle a little bit (perhaps shop a little more often to

offset the smaller cargo capacity compared to a Toyota Corolla for example), but that benefits

them more.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 8:51 pm

Mads Phikamphon

Good thinking. I agree that most people forget how much

it cost to keep a car running and that it’s almost free to keep a bike or velomobile

running (+ all the health benefits, environment benefits, etc.)

Where and how far do you commute in Copenhagen? (you might also want to check

out our graphic about Copenhagen, http://www.cykelvalg.dk/bike-city-copenhagen/)

Reply

November 22, 2014 at 11:59 amJimm Pratt

I live in Islands Brygge, just past Langebrø. My commute takes me across

the city to Nørrebro, about 5 to 6 km one way depending on the route I

take, or easily 15-20 km if I am not in a hurry and take a more scenic route

home. C.G. wants me to remind people that there is a Leitra with BIONX

motor available for rent at the Bicycle Innovation Lab’s Bicycle Library in

Amager, where people can also rent all sorts of strange bikes, from

recumbents, to cargo bikes, to tall bikes, to social bikes to folding bikes, to

e-bikes. It’s a great way to test out the Leitra before investing in one.

http://www.bicycleinnovationlab.dk/cykelbiblioteket

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 5:59 pmJimm Pratt

“…kabinecykler er nogle store sataner, der fylder godt op på cykelstien…” Hahaha! For me it is the

other way around. I’m constantly ringing my cycle bell to get cyclists to move out of my way – they

take up too much space because they often ride 2-3 side-by-side on the cycle roads, preventing me

from going at a higher average speed during the morning commute – especially over bridges like

Langebrø.

Reply

October 24, 2014 at 8:51 pmMads Phikamphon

And I take a up a lot of space in our Christiania bike

Reply

October 25, 2014 at 9:32 pmJohn (Joern)

I am in Winnipeg, Canada. Born on Bornholm, but raised in Canada. I ride a Rans long wheelbase

recumbent her. We have I person on a Quest Velomobile. Yes, it takes up a lot of space on bike lanes

(which we have few of). But sure is nice to see. I have often considered buying 1, but cost is a factor

with our long winters. A velomobile would lengthen the riding season, but our snowfalls will greatly

impact riding!! Thanks for the blog info. Hilsen fra Winnipg!

Reply

October 31, 2014 at 2:52 pmSimon

Hi Mad, thanks for this very nice overview.

I have a few comments though: I guess you calculated the achieved speeds and power with

Kreuzotter? The results for the strong head wind do not seem logical to me: why is a racing bicycle

faster than a standard velomobile in such conditions? According to Kreuzotter, even a triathlon

bicycle is almost 3 km/h slower than an Alleweder velomobile!

Also, it looks like a strong headwind means for you a wind speed of 70 km/h. These are not very

common riding conditions!

By the way, the Velocar was originating from France and not from Germany

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocar)!

Reply

November 1, 2014 at 12:02 amMads Phikamphon

Thanks. Speed and power we found here:

http://users.telenet.be/fietser/fotos/VM4SD-FVDWsm.pdf

I have noted that the country is wrong for the Velocar Type H. It will be fixed in the

next version of the graphic.

Reply

October 31, 2014 at 9:14 pmCazalis

Hi, I am surprised to see that the Vélolcar Type H designed by Mochet in 1930 is seen as a German

design on your website. It was designed and built in Puteaux, 5 km west of Paris as this website

stats: http://www.svvs.org/Mochet-Velocar.shtml

Best regards

Reply

November 1, 2014 at 12:05 amMads Phikamphon

Thanks a lot for the great link, never seen that page before. The Velocar Type H

country will be fixed in the next version of the graphic.

Reply

November 1, 2014 at 8:38 amRobert

Very nice Overview!

The missing Designer of the Leiba is Vasili Gess.

http://www.leiba.de

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November 1, 2014 at 11:37 pmMads Phikamphon

Thanks a lot for that info.

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January 4, 2015 at 1:14 pmHorace

How is the turning circle measured? Outer diameter of the turn?

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January 4, 2015 at 8:03 pmMads Phikamphon

Good question. I emailed a lot of people/companies to get the information, but I never

thought about asking exactly how the turning circles were measured. Guess I just

thought they were all using the outer diameter of the turn (i.e. how much space would

be required to turn).

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February 11, 2015 at 9:14 pmMarc

The Milan velomobile was designed by Jens Bückebusch and Eggert Bülk. http://www.milan-

velomobil.de/index_en.htm

The DF and DF XL, designed by Daniel Fenn are missing: https://www.intercitybike.nl/en

The Leiba Classic is made by http://www.leiba.de

Like the Leiba X-Stream and the new Leiba Record

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March 6, 2015 at 8:22 amPatsyGarett

Nice collection work ! Bravo

One detail : the Velocar Type H (Charles Mochet) is a french design and build. Not german…

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June 30, 2015 at 8:53 pmMads Phikamphon

Agree. It has been fixed.

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April 11, 2015 at 3:19 pmMorten

Very nice work! The lightning f40 is not a Velomobile. It is a two wheel recumbent bicycle…

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June 30, 2015 at 8:55 pmMads Phikamphon

Can’t a velomobile have two wheels?

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August 14, 2015 at 9:19 pmJimm Pratt

I would say yes to that, Mads. A velomobile is basically classed as a

recumbent with a body that provides aerodynamic improvements and

weather protection. The F40 should fit in that category nicely. The

defining caveat might be whether or not it is something that could be

used on a daily basis, or only for racing.

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August 14, 2015 at 11:13 pmMads Phikamphon

Thanks. Guess categorizing velomobiles in exact categories is

impossible, just like it’s impossible to do so for normal bikes

(when is a a road bike instead a cyclocross bike etc.)

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June 29, 2015 at 1:18 pmjens

Turning Circle.

How to to measure. Is it the wheels circle or the bodywork requirements of space between 2 walls?

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June 30, 2015 at 8:56 pmMads Phikamphon

Good question. I emailed a lot of people/companies to get the information, but I never

thought about asking exactly how the turning circles were measured. Guess I just

thought they were all using the outer diameter of the turn (i.e. how much space would

be required to turn).

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July 1, 2015 at 7:45 pmCarl Georg Rasmussen

Blue Velo’s Hornet is a modified version of the German Cab Bike. The bike itself is a Cab Bike. It’s

only the top that is special since Blue Velo have removed the original canopy and made it into a

cabrio version.

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July 3, 2015 at 3:50 pmGionata Scrofani

Hi SIe,

I would love to require the insert of Zephyrus Velomobiles among the enlisted products. If you

need further information regarding the vehicle, you can contact me at my e-mail address.

Thank you very much.

Best regards.

Reply

July 3, 2015 at 7:40 pmMads Phikamphon

Your velomobile looks very nice, but for now the infographic is done (i.e. I cannot offer

to edit it and add new velomobiles to it).

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July 4, 2015 at 2:17 amWilliam White

I don’t know why you included the ELF as it is considered in many US states a moped/motorcycle.

You should of included the TWIKE as it too is a human/electric hybrid.

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July 4, 2015 at 2:40 amMads Phikamphon

The TWIKE is very nice too, although it doesn’t have a “tactical model” 😉

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July 6, 2015 at 11:05 amArto Joutsimäki

My Arcus from Finland is also on the market. Velmobiles sold this year to USA, Germany and

Austria.

A different design, more info at the website.

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July 6, 2015 at 11:07 amMads Phikamphon

Looks nice and very comfortable.

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July 6, 2015 at 11:39 amlighans

As mentioned on Twitter there is one which is missing and was part of a very important moment in

history of velomobiles where bike like flevo alleweder are born. It was called M5 Kalisvaart. M5

was the producer and Alexander Kalisvaart the designer of the hood. Bram Moens designed the

internal frame.

more information: https://questeen.wordpress.com/ligfiets/de-oude-doos/kali/kali-leven/

or for some pictures:

https://questeen.wordpress.com/ligfiets/de-oude-doos/kali/kali-foto-album-2/

And yes. I consider this one as iconic. First because it was fast and won a lot of races. Second

because the designer Moens was riding it (and hated it). Third because although Bram Moens

refuses to make any velomobiles or trikes in the future, he made a fantastic bike with great

aerodynamics.

And I know, because I owned one. 😉

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July 6, 2015 at 11:52 amMads Phikamphon

Thanks a lot for the tip. Must confess that I have never seen the M5 before.

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July 10, 2015 at 7:16 pmDavid M. Eggleston

Congratulations on your infographic. The graphics are very good, and you have tried to give

positive comments even when you have hardly any information.

Your work is appreciated. To be current, you should include the DF velomobile by intercity bike.

since it has been in production for a year or more. Soon you should add the QuattroVelo of

velomobiel.nl.

It is a lot of work to maintain such an infographic, and many, such as Mary Arneson, have tried and

given up. It became a life’s work! I hope you can maintain your project for a long time, as that would

be a considerable benefit to the velomobile promotion cause. Perhaps you could recruit volunteers.

As to the FAW+, it is a considerable update to the FAW, which was a particular design adopted by

Flevobike. I am not sure how much of the design was done by Bart Verhees and how much by Johan

Vrielink and his employees.

The FAW is an aluminum velo with a monocoque body similar to the fuselage of a small airplane.

The FAW+ is lighter, stronger, and much easier to build than the original FAW.

It’s other advantages are that it is more easily maintained, and quickly, easily, and inexpensively

repaired after a fender bender. Repairs to a velo made of composite materials can take a long time,

cost over $1000, and are similar to those done by an auto body shop.

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July 10, 2015 at 7:17 pmMads Phikamphon

Thanks a lot for your comment, lots of good points here.

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July 15, 2015 at 1:59 pmRob Cotter

Love the info graphic and the wide range of vehicles in one place.

It’s clear that velomobiles, like boats, planes and cars, come in a variety of shapes and sizes to serve

different purposes. As time goes on there is a continual evolution taking place as new materials,

building techniques, price points and environmental concerns are addressed.

After decades of building recumbents, small boats, aircraft, motorcycles and velomobiles we’ve

introduced the ELF as another step in that evolution. A velomobile specifically for speeds under 30

mph, comfortable in traffic, easy ingress and egress and significant cargo carrying capability.

A few of the ELF’s innovations include:

* Standard brushless motor, Li-ion battery and built in solar panel

* Full lighting including brake lights and turn signals

* Two passenger

* 26″ wheels for lower rolling resistance, easy replacement and increased ride height

* 550 lb payload

* Height of 5′ stands out in traffic

* No paint on frame & body, all stainless steel hardware

Thanks again for including Organic Transit’s ELF in the collection and we’ll have more purpose built

vehicles coming out filling the space between a bicycle and a car.

*

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July 15, 2015 at 11:19 pmMarc

Rob,

the ELF is somewhere between a cycle and a car, but actually NOT a velomobile.

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July 16, 2015 at 4:58 amWilliam White

Agreed, especially since in those US states that consider the ELF a

moped/motorcycle (weight issue) you can’t legally use the bike lanes like

velomobiles as per this article.

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July 16, 2015 at 6:57 amMads Phikamphon

True, it is quite heavy compared with most velomobiles.

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July 16, 2015 at 7:35 amJimm Pratt

…and none of those things listed above are “innovations”…cycles of all sorts have been doing all of that for *years*.

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July 17, 2015 at 7:39 amJimm Pratt

agreed. it is more in line with a pedal-assisted electric vehicle, than a

electric-assisted cycle.

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August 11, 2015 at 7:39 pmKlaus-Michael Bull

Thanks for the impressive graphic!

I’ve found one little mistake, I think. CyclesJV-Fenioux writes on their homepage about the

velomobile Mulsanne: rayon de braquage – 4m. That means in my opinion that the turning circle is

about 8m, because “rayon de braquage” means turning radius.

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August 12, 2015 at 1:05 amMads Phikamphon

It could be a mistake. When we made the graphic, I emailed a lot of people/companies

to get the information, but I never thought about asking exactly how the turning

circles were measured.

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August 12, 2015 at 2:51 amRob Cotter

Currently there is no other velomobile or bicycle offering this combination of innovations.

Although it may be heavier than other units, add the motor, solar panel, wiring harness, 100 mile

battery pack and cargo carrying capacity and their weight will also increase. But the real fact is in

two years of production there are over 1 million ELFs miles on the road. That is the real difference.

BTW: there are only 3 states in the US that define the ELF as a moped but that is true for many

conventional electric bikes.

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August 12, 2015 at 7:47 pmMads Phikamphon

How many ELFs have been produced so far?

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August 14, 2015 at 8:46 amJimm Pratt

Actually, Rob, there are quite a few velomobiles on the market in Europe that offer

many, if not all, of those ‘innovations’…although as I mentioned before, these are not

‘innovations’ – cycles of all kinds have been using the various features in various

combinations for years. The Leitra has better cargo space, possibly even the Quest is

better. Without a solar panel many models of e-motors get the rider well over 100

miles on a ‘tank full’ because the modern velomobile is generally so efficient and

aerodynamic you only need the motor on extreme hills.

The Quest/Mango/Strada velomobiles from Velomobiel.nl and Sinner Bikes currently

lead the world in production of velomobiles *and* in distance travelled for *over* ten

years- For the Quest/Strada family there are currently 1261 registered riders and

over 1200 velos from Velomobiel.nl on the road with more than 25 customers waiting

on back orders, putting your “1 million ELF miles” in stark perspective since it is such a

young company. Quest #97 has over 250,000 km *on it’s own* since it first rolled out

onto the roads in 2004, and the first Quest over 150,000 km since it was made in

2000. Many Quests built in the last year are already over 10,000 km on the road

because the riders use them in every day commuting as well as long touring.

Many of the riders set up their velos just as well, if not better, than the full-spec’d ELF.

An ELF in it’s current best form will *never* beat a Carbon Quest for weight, speed,

distance covered with e-assist (when needed), cargo capacity and weather protection.

About the only place where it might excel is in being able to carry a second passenger.

But with the Dutch Quattrovelo coming out this year, I suspect a passenger extension

is around the corner.

While I applaud the effort of the ELF team to produce a velomobile for it’s local market

(USA), it unfortunately still represents a step backward in many areas. So touting it as

“there is no other velomobile…offering this combination of innovations” and lauding

it’s meager start of a million miles on the road is rather premature and basically

inaccurate. Let’s talk again when it is still in mass production in ten years. Hopefully it

will still be around.

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August 14, 2015 at 8:50 amJimm Pratt

oh nearly forgot.. supporting evidence for my above rant:

http://en.velomobiel.nl/rijderslijst/ (rider’s list)

http://en.velomobiel.nl/orderboek/index.php (orders waiting to be filled)

And currently there are over 12 million miles done on just this company

alone.

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August 14, 2015 at 10:34 amMarc

Thanks for putting things into perspective, Jimm.

@Rob from Organic Transit:

While I applaud your team to bring the ELF on the street and wish you all

the best, I unfortunately find only sparse information about the technical

details of the ELF scattered around your website. Lots and lots of

marketing speak, though.

Looks like you use a common, relativly cheap, heavy and low efficient

(best case about 82%) direct drive hub motor (9Continent?) and a equally

efficiency restricted Nuvinci i360 hub (tested at 80-86%). There are way

more efficient electric motors available (92-95%) as well as more efficient

IGH (the Rohloff Speedhub was tested at 92-97%).

A range of 15+ (20?) miles at 20mph on the flat, with a 48V/11Ah battery

is pretty pedestrian and not particularly efficient (eg. something every

recumbent trike with a similar setup will archive). I couldn’t find a ‘100

mile battery pack’ on your site.

‘The most efficiant vehicle on the planet’ is a gross overstatement. A ‘real’

velomobile with a similar setup would have easily twice the range (ev.

twice as efficient) at that speed, even without pedalling. 😉

My comments come not totally out of the blue, though. I ride my

electrified ICE Sprint recumbent trike every day. I use a similar low

efficient hub motor, a 72V/22Ah battery, got about 120+ miles range at

20mph (65+ miles range at 30mph) on the flat without pedalling.

I commute every day about 20 miles to work (20,000+ miles in 4 years)

and when putting the weather in Northern Germany into account, I

actually fall sqarely into your potential customer range.

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August 14, 2015 at 4:23 pmWilliam White

Marc & Jim

Thanks for putting the ELF in it’s proper perspective and correcting Rob’s” jingoistic” like defense

of this creation. I bought one under false pretenses perpetrated by virtually everyone in the

company as well in the numerous uncritical articles written about he ELF. I was told repeatedly that

it was a “bicycle,” only to be issued a warning by an LEO for riding the behmouth in a bike lane. It

was then that I did my homework and found out the applicable classification for it in our state.

To Rob’s credit the new web page, while not spelling it out specifically, warns the potential

consumer of the ELF’s legality in “certain” jurisdictions. The marketing/legal strategy to shift the

question onto the consumer. “Buyer beware.”

But my criticism of the ELF doesn’t stop there. After one year of ownership, I sold it after realizing

the early adoptees’ were basically going to be left high and dry after functioning as the companies

R&D for a product that wasn’t ready for the prime time. Retrofitting it to function as a safe and

reliable moped would have cost me perhaps as much as buying it in the first place, foremost of

which was strengthening the shell to take the road beating it receives, since their is no “real”

suspension system. Besides an interior roll cage, if I was to compete with traffic on the road, I was

going to need a new motor (DaVinci suggested a twin motor drive drawing 28,000 peak amps and

2000 amps at cruising speed) and a stronger more efficient hub. Since the Nuvinci can only handle

about 200 watts it would have to go too; Rohloff-another $1500. Finally reverse engineering a

useful suspension system was virtually impossible.

And then the kicker: On the Facebook ELF user group, Rob unfairly and falsely maligned the

TWIKE, citing an article that was close to 20 years old in describing an old battery technology they

used before the LIPO switch. To me that sounded like desperation-why- they’ve only sold slightly

more than 500 units.

I loved (and still do) love the ELF concept-too bad their product don’t hold up. Oh and the “million”

mile BS Rob spouts…………..

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August 14, 2015 at 5:32 pmJimm Pratt

To be fair, Marc, 1 million miles is not that hard to achieve across 20-35 built vehicles –

that’s only about 25,000-40,000 miles per ELF – less if they’ve sold more than that. Of

course we don’t know how many R&D miles that includes, nor over how long a period

of time to get to that number of miles.

As with the Segway, the ELF is a product looking for a customer, not a product that

customers are looking for. It is, at it’s core, about 10 years behind European

velomobiles in terms of development and “innovation”. Even the Danish Leitra, still

mostly hand-built after 30 years, is more practical for day-to-day use when set-up with

e-motor.

Now then, while we are critical of the ELF, you could say we do it out of love for the

class of vehicle – the production velomobile – which is the focus of Mads infographic.

Personally, I don’t think it fits on the graphic, but this is Mads graphic, not mine, and

what is there is a useful and varied representation of the velomobile market and

history as it stands. The market has matured over 30+ years into a series of models

and manufacturers that achieve a certain level of usefulness or utility as a Human-

Powered-Vehicle. The ELF will need to make some serious adjustments to not only

appeal to the up-coming velomobile user, but to survive as a business too, and

maintain it’s place in the history books of velomobiles.

I wish the ELF team luck in their efforts and hope they learn from existing experience

and history, and do not repeat the mistakes of those before them from the last 75

years of velomobile history.

Two points that need seriously need fixing: full suspension, and full weather

protection to appeal to more users.

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August 14, 2015 at 11:05 pmMarc

I said nothing about the 1mio miles… 😉

Jimm, since you mention the Leitra again:

Carl Georg Rasmussen, the inventor of the Leitra, posted here in this very

thread and was totally ignored by Mads. Thats quite a shame.

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August 15, 2015 at 7:18 amJimm Pratt

Whoops – I meant William!

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August 14, 2015 at 11:19 pmMarc

William, I think you got some of your numbers a bit wrong.

Matt Shumakers twin motor DaVinci drive setup has something like 28 kW peak

power and you need about 2 kW continious power at (a pretty high!) cruising speed.

That drive system would definately create a ‘ELF from Hell’! 😀

I might be wrong (thanks the rather slim technical infos of the ELF again), but by the

image it looks like the electric motor doesn’t drive the Nuvinci 360.

Reply

August 14, 2015 at 11:35 pmWilliam White

Yes you are more than correct, my bad and thanks for the correction (I’d change it if I could but it

doesn’t seem to allow that.) Mind you it was going to get tricked out with a internal aluminum

frame and a better windshield, so the vehicle weight alone would be around 200 lbs, plus 220

pounds of me-Matt suggested those motors for “keeping up with traffic,” not screaming by them.

The new ELFs have the DaVinci in a different configuration. Mine was in the rear hub with both the

motor and chain capable of driving it-redundacy. They’ve modified it and nothing for the consumer,

who was assured up-dates would be readily available, a service manual produced, instructional

videos and bicycle mechanics just dying to work on it. Never materialized for me and I had to start

wrenching, welding and pop riveting it back together myself. The front and rear panels are plastic

for crying out loud. With vibration they brake-3 months for me. I replaced them with diamond

decking. OT offers carbon fiber at 5 hundred a pop. It cost me $25 and maybe 3 hours and some

rivets and SS nuts and bolts.

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August 14, 2015 at 11:43 pmMads Phikamphon

297SHARES 270 27 0 0×297SHARES

You are right, it’s not possible to edit old comments.

Reply

August 14, 2015 at 11:56 pmMarc

William,

Well, that doesn’t sound anywhere near the usual customer service in the recumbent

world. For instance, I had some frame and rack failures with my ICE trike and every

time it just cost me taking a picture and sending an email to get relacements ASAP by

FedEx. The German Importer offers equally great service.

Guess the brand of my second trike…

Reply

October 7, 2015 at 1:24 pmCarlos Dewerchin

Its a nice job you have done Mads ! However the mix is going from the very basic equipped and

finished velomobiles to the top state of the art of the European velomobile production.

The spoiled customer is looking after a velomobile finished like a high class glider or high tuned

sportscar. Others are more looking for a rock bottomed priced one, equipped with the bare

necessities just enough to name it a velomobile.

Perhaps a more refined classification is more than a welcomed reference.

100% Weatherprotection and e-assistance with a good looking and well finished fairing remains a

must.

scorpion

Reply

October 7, 2015 at 3:03 pmMads Phikamphon

Thanks. Good point that people are looking for different things, so a more refined

classification would definitely be a good reference to have.

Reply

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