Commute Sustainably with Virtue Pedalist

The Virtue Pedalist is a vehicle designed to combine the benefits of a bicycle and an electric car. The designers have taken an electric tricycle and encased it in an outer shell more reminiscent of a car.

Although the body is narrow enough to allow the Pedalist to use bicycle lanes and slip effortlessly through traffic, it has enough space to fit two adults and one small child. By toeing the line between bicycles and cars, the Pedalist is exempt from registration, licensing and insurance, making it a viable option for commuters who were previously discouraged from using a bicycle by the length of their journey, weather conditions or the amount of cargo they have to carry.

The Pedalist provides the convenience of a car without the sometimes crippling costs either to the user or the environment. An electric motor does not emit any carbon dioxide, and can either assist the rider or completely power the vehicle, allowing for a greater range than a traditional bicycle as well as the ability to tackle daunting hills. The tricycle provides greater stability than a bicycle and provides extra reassurance for new cyclists.

Get your hands on what the company calls a complete basic set up Pedalist for $4,499 from the Virtue website. It may seem like a large sum to pay for an electric bike with a roof, but Virtue prefers to market the vehicle as a cheaper version of a car rather than an expensive bike. Whether or not it sells in great quantities, the Pedalist provides further evidence of the popularization of electric bikes and their variants.