This three-wheeled vehicle is blowing our minds
Imagine if all the vehicles at a mobility show went to a swingers party; this is the baby that would result.
This thing is so baffling that it’s induced college flashbacks of studying John Locke’s ideational theory of meaning. Because, looking at it, words have no meaning. It’s not a bicycle/tricycle or a car or a scooter; it’s all of those things and none of those things.
Whatever it IS, though, it’s definitely interesting.
This vehicle - that’s a safe definition, I think - is called the VIGOX. Created by French company CIXI, it’s capable of hitting speeds of 75 mph and boasts a range of up to 100 miles from its 22kWh battery.
“Aha,” I hear you say. “So it’s an EV!”
That’s mostly correct, yes. But a very weird kind of EV - one that defies easy definition.
Along with clearly disliking the use of lowercase letters, CIXI says it is rebelling against the idea of “passive mobility.” So you have to pedal the VIGOX to make it go. Apparently, the bike speeds up and slows down in accordance with your rate of pedalling. Want to go in reverse? Pedal backward.
“Transform every journey into a healthy, active experience,” declares CIXI on its website. “Intuitive design and connected features make VIGOZ friendly to use, every day.”
The pilot (there is also space for a passenger) is enclosed in a very car-like space, complete with seat belts and an air-conditioning system. But seating and under-seat steering are similar to that of a recumbent bike. The leaning three-wheel set-up, meanwhile, is similar to the sort of thing found on the Piaggio MP3 scooter.
In a lot of ways, this is like a Mochet Velocar of the 1920s. But one that leans. And has air conditioning. And can hit speeds up to 75 mph. And probably doesn’t actually need to be pedalled.
Obviously, the vehicle’s electric motor is doing most, if not all, of the work of moving the VIGOZ about. CIXI says that “regenerative braking and pedaling input” help to extend the battery’s range, but you probably know that pedalling a bicycle doesn’t actually generate all that much energy - about 100 Watts an hour at a moderate pace. You’d have to pedal for a very, very, very long time to juice a 22kWh battery. So, for the most part, it feels that the pedals are a bit of a gimmick.
To that end, you do not have to pedal furiously to hit those 75 mph claimed speeds. CIXI says the VIGOZ “adapts to your mood and the organization of your day” with adjustable levels of intensity.
It’s uncertain what sort of license you’d need to ride/drive one of these things, but that’s not a pressing concern because - as you can probably guess with a vehicle this odd - the VIGOZ is not yet available for purchase. CIXI says that it has yet to develop a fully functional prototype.
When and if the VIGOZ ever becomes reality, we’ll be very keen to test it out, even though we won’t know what to call it.
For more motorcycle (and whatever this thing is) news, stick with Visordown.
Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
