Many RVers do not choose to tow a vehicle behind their RV, or would rather not drive their huge fifth-wheel-towing pickup truck for simple trips to the store. A small company in Maine has come up with a middle-ground vehicle that can be used for limited sightseeing and trail exploring, or trips to the local farmers market.
The Screecher, an electric pedal car, might be just right for those purposes, reports Electrek.
The Screecher is built in Yarmouth, Maine, population 8,500. Besides the yearly Yarmouth Clam Festival, not a lot comes out of this quiet town. Except for the Screecher, that is.
This electric pedal car, or quadricycle, has four wheels and pedals, making it visually similar to a bicycle surrey you might rent on vacation.
But unlike most quadricycles, this one is electric. And solar powered. And affordable, at just $2,500. Oh, and it folds down to about half its size for storing.
Two 350W motors work in tandem to provide 700W of continuous electric assist (adjustable to 5 levels), and 1,000W of peak power during acceleration and hill climbing. It can work in electric-only mode, meaning you don’t have to pedal at all. Just twist the throttle and drive it like a normal car. “Normal” being relative.
If you only want to pedal, that’s an option too. A belt drive connects the front wheels to the user-supplied pedal power. And there’s cruise control if you’d like a constant level of assist.
The electrical power is provided by a 48V 12.8Ah lithium-ion battery. With just over 600 Wh of capacity, the Screecher has an electric-only range of up to 20 miles and a top electric speed of 15 mph, though the rider could presumably add some additional pedal power to go even faster. Acceleration won’t force your head back, with a 0-15 mph time of 5 seconds. However, that’s still better than a lot of cheap e-bikes.
According to Leslie Gillert, President and Head of Engineering at Screecher, “Our goal was to solve a particular problem: the lack of affordable, electric-powered, carbon-neutral transportation. We did not set out to build an expensive and over-engineered product, available to only a few. Our design is elegant, functional and simple, which offers greater stability, comfort and easier maintenance.”
The Screecher sports seating for two, or one person with room for cargo. It can also be used for towing, so you could drag your kayak down the trail and to the river, parking right by the bank.