Sunnyclist is an EV powered by the sun and your hard work

It's hard to describe the Sunncyclist, but let's put it this way: it's like a trike and a golf cart produced an environmentally conscious offspring. The electric vehicle's rotatable roof has a solar panel surface that can harness energy from the sun, which it then stores into a battery. In case the sun's hiding behind the clouds and the vehicle needs more power to get where you want to go, you can plug it in to recharge for a bit. But, if you have the optional pedal generators installed for the driver and the two passengers in the back, you can call around and ask your friends if they want a fun workout. You wouldn't exactly pedal the EV as you would a bike; you're merely feeding the battery energy it can use.

The Greek startup behind Sunncyclist is running a flexible goal crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo right now. That means no matter how much it raises, the team's taking the money and going forward with the production of its Standard model. However, if it manages to reach its EUR100,000 ($110,000) goal, the team will also start manufacturing its street-legal City and Traveler models. Both City and Traveler can go as fast as 31 mph and are equipped with 540Wp (watt peak capacity) and 680Wp photovoltaic generators, respectively, while the Standard model can only inch along at 15 mph. If you're interested, you'd have to put quite a bit of trust on the startup, as the smallest amount you'd have to pledge to reserve a Standard edition (priced at EUR6,500 or $7,000) is EUR1,000 ($1,100). Plus, you'll have to have an address in the European Union, because the team will only ship a full vehicle to one of the member states.

This article by Mariella Moon originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life.

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