The HumanCar puts your passengers to good use: pedaling

Yeah, it's not going to replace your Hummer any time soon, but the HumanCar is a fun new way coast around town and burn off a few calories while your at it. Of course, pedal-powered cars are not a new idea, but the mix of an electric motor and some clever engineering allow this thing a bit more pep than your average Flinstones-mobile. The car is completely symmetrical, so two passengers can pedal while two passengers steer (yes, we said two), and then trade off once the former get tired. The whole contraption can hit speeds in excess of 60 mph on the downhill, and is steered by "body angulation of the two front operators," which sounds entirely unresponsive for speeds like that. HumanCar Company is marketing the vehicle both as a mode of low-speed transportation and as a team builder for corporations, and it's already been implemented by Intel and the US Army. We don't know the price, but we're pretty sure the cost involved in bribing a few close friends to pedal this thing for us would put it well out of our price range.

[Via AutoblogGreen; thanks Nik]

[Gil @ Aug 25th 2006 6:30AM]

Fred Flintstone eat your heart out

[bermuDa @ Aug 25th 2006 6:37AM]

Four office workers barrelling down a hill at 60mph in what looks like a giant push mower, while the two in the front fight for control. Stay tuned for the full court report.

[John @ Aug 25th 2006 6:49AM]

Sadly wouldn't meet European saftey regs.

Looks like fun though! :o)

[DemiGod @ Aug 25th 2006 5:55PM]

Just look at the face of the guy in the left. Do you really want to be in his place ?

[Stu (uk) @ Aug 25th 2006 7:09AM]

What does 60mph downhill tell you?
They found a very large steep hill?

Better a speed on the flat surely?

[teo @ Aug 25th 2006 7:19AM]

I'm not very impressed with the speed claims. Skateboarders downhill get up to speeds around (and even above) 60MPH without any pedal power. Want to compare some land speed records? Go to the salt flats and see how fast they can go.

[Armie @ Aug 25th 2006 7:24AM]

If this had more safety I could see this type of stuff as a totally viable means of commuting short distances... AND it looks like a world of fun.

I must say that I am glad that we as a society are taking great steps in alternative fuels that don't erode our environment any further. Maybe the global warming, all these hurricanes and wars for oil were a necessary evil to make us go the alt fuel route. :-P

[blah @ Aug 25th 2006 7:27AM]

Hee-haw?

[Steven Clarkson @ Aug 25th 2006 7:33AM]

$5k - $17k depending on options; I can buy 4 nice bikes for that...

[Lucas @ Aug 25th 2006 8:35AM]

actually i can think of one really good use for this...

replace golf carts! It would be more enviromentally friendly however for one peroson idk how it would work.

[georget @ Aug 25th 2006 8:43AM]

There's a place in town that rents these to tourists http://www.allearsnet.com/btp/bwbikes.jpg

They're an unbelievable hazard -- too wide for the sidewalk, too slow for the roads full of rubber-necking lost visitors, and invariably driven by mom and dad with the kids whining they're too tired to pedal anymore.

[Rick @ Aug 25th 2006 8:44AM]

Flintstones, Meet the Flintstones
They're a modern stone age family
From the, town of Bedrock
They're a page right out of history
Let's ride, with the family down the street
Through the, courtesy of Fred's two feet
When you're, with the Flintstones
Have a yabba, dabba, doo time
A dabba doo time
We'll have a gay, old time!

[OMG.Im.Dying.LOL @ Aug 25th 2006 8:45AM]

Where are the brakes?

& Looks like getting up hills would be a pain in the arse.

[Seth Brundle @ Aug 25th 2006 8:55AM]

I love these companies which develop low/no-fuel hobby cars and market them as appropriate for everyday transportation just because they roll.

It isnt a step forward in car design its a step back from a bicycle in practicality and (especially) affordability.

Its cool, its environmentally friendly, and it looks like fun, but it is not practical.

[Kip HT @ Aug 25th 2006 8:57AM]

www.FUH2.com!

[xzavier @ Aug 25th 2006 9:03AM]

I am trying to figure out what that 3rd guy is doing in the back facing the opposite direction... I hope he is not STEARING!!! WFT!

[Biggsaw @ Aug 25th 2006 10:50AM]

I for one welcome our some facing backwards cooperatively bicycle riding overlords.

[paix247 @ Aug 25th 2006 11:49AM]

www.cycleseven.com is much better & I've been on it.

[David @ Aug 25th 2006 11:52AM]

Great... ONE MORE THING for me to watch out for, after last call. That thing better come with glow sticks.

[John @ Aug 25th 2006 12:18PM]

First, it's not pedal poweered, It's a row-cycle with a lot of trick features - click the 'read' link.

Second, it's very much a race car chassis, fully capable of going very much faster than the 60mph and, of course, stopping with equal forethought.

Third, pricing is expected to be about half of what Clarkson opined.

[TIMMAH! @ Aug 25th 2006 12:26PM]

I'm waiting for the HumanBus...

[cg @ Sep 17th 2006 11:07PM]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4877597114726040003

Indeed, as John nailed it on the head. The public is reading into the material and understanding just what a supercar machine the FM-4 really is. We don't even mind the confusion about bicycles (re: http://www.humancar.com/faq.htm).

We love bikes just as much. The HumanCar is about new solutions.