Running alternative life scenarios is fun. In one reality I did well in high school and used my experience in FFA (Future Farmers of America) to major in agricultural science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In that timeline, I move to Hawaii and use...
Being the age I am, the kind of wheeled toys I had as a child never involved much more than a flimsy plastic trike with a big wheel up front; you know the ones, straight from the 80’s golden years. Man, what I wouldn’t have given to get my hands on the Jeep Revolution BFR-3 Go-kart.
The Jeep® Revolution BFR-3 is a sturdy go-kart with no fewer than three gears, back-pedal brake and a unique system that allows you to pedal both forwards and backwards! Thanks to the double ball bearings steering is extremely light, making you very manoeuvrable in every curve. The go-kart can be extended with a second seat, for instance, so your friend can join the ride. And if you do want to take a break, you can simply put it upright in the shed!
Optional equipment includes a sport steering wheel, heavy duty brake pads, a spare tire, and even a ‘board computer’. So not only is the BFR-3 already pretty badass, you can actually upgrade the darn thing? It’s awesome… but come to think of it, even if it would have exited in my childhood, I never would have driven one: it’s $1,000!
Most plug-in hybrid vehicles are better-suited to the streets than mud and rocks, but Volkswagen thinks it can make an exception. Its just-unveiled Tiguan GTE Active Concept mates a 148HP gas engine with two electric motors to provide an environmenta...
To call it a skateboard is really stretching the definition, but you are technically looking at a “vehicle” on which you’re meant to stand, and it does have what the makers are calling a “skateboard deck”, so we’re going with it. It’s called the DTV Shredder and is the most badass means of locomotion we’ve come across in recent memory. Sporting two massive tracks and a 4-stroke, 196cc, 14hp engine, the Shredder is capable of 25mph+ speeds in pretty much any terrain. Steering is accomplished through leaning left or right, giving the rider the sensation of carving turns that’s familiar to any skate or snowboarders. And the best part is that the company, BPG Werks, is developing a 48hp model that will be capable of traveling at 60mph+. It already has a working prototype that was brought to Travis Patrana’s house and ended up doing backflips, Can Cans and Madonnas by the end of the evening.
The regular DTV Shredder costs $2,599 and is available now.
Have you ever wanted to feel like Emperor Palpatine, or Davros, the creator of the Daleks? Well, now you can get closer to that sensation, thanks to this off-road machine. It looks like the ultimate wheelchair, putting all other wheelchairs to shame.
Der Zeisel, which means “the seat” in German, looks like a combination of a tank and a mobility scooter. However, it’s able to handle snow, grass, mud, and sand. A racing seat was bolted onto a tube steel frame and its two off-road tracks are powered by electric disk motors, which produce 21 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque. The included battery pack will operate the seat for up to five hours, driving at a maximum speed of 22 mph.
Der Zeisel is controlled by a one-handed joystick, and the vehicle is fitted with wooden armrests, metal mudguards, and comes in a variety of awesome paint jobs. You’ll have to shell out about $30,000(USD) to get yours.
Instant torque feels delicious on the highway, but it could be an even bigger asset in an offroader. Land Rover has been experimenting with electric versions of its Defender 110 for a while now, and claims its latest prototypes benefit from a reduction in wheel spin due to the single-speed motor, making them more adept at climbing and less likely to churn up the environment. The prototypes don't necessarily stand out in terms of raw specs: they're 25 percent heavier than turbodiesel models, with lower horsepower and torque ratings, and with a range of just 50 miles. They try to make up for it in other ways, however, with the ability to deliver up to eight hours of slow, grueling off-road time, where range is secondary to staying upright, and by exploiting Land Rover's Hill Descent Control feature for faster recharging through regenerative braking. There's no plan to bring an EV Defender to market any time soon, or to run the Dakar gauntlet like some rivals have, but the prototypes are due to make appearance at the Geneva Motor Show before being tested for painful-sounding "specialist applications" later in the year.
Running alternative life scenarios is fun. In one reality I did well in high school and used my experience in FFA (Future Farmers of America) to major in agricultural science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In that timeline, I move to Hawaii and use...
Most plug-in hybrid vehicles are better-suited to the streets than mud and rocks, but Volkswagen thinks it can make an exception. Its just-unveiled Tiguan GTE Active Concept mates a 148HP gas engine with two electric motors to provide an environmenta...
