Come on board!

As a manufacturer of battery electric vehicles, we have been dedicated to the further development, distribution and production of the pedal hybrid vehicle "TWIKE" for over 20 years. The TWIKE has been a niche product appreciated and used by a solvent and loyal group of customers. With increasing concern for an intact environment, a larger market has now emerged in which there is substantial demand for clean and healthy mobility solutions. It is for this market that we have developed the TWIKE 5 model.

It is aimed at a target group with a high affinity for technical innovations, sophisticated engineering and design, and environmentally conscious actions: The upcoming TWIKE 5 model weighs around 600 kg, offers space for two people, reaches speeds of up to 190 km/h and has a range of over 500 km.

The start of series production of TWIKE 5 will be in early 2023. We calculate annual sales of 500 units, corresponding to sales of around 20 million euros and an operating cash flow of around 2 million euros. To date, there are already 1,600 concrete prospective buyers and around €4.8 million in advance payments have been made.

The cost-optimized successor model TWIKE 6 is expected to be ready for series production in early 2024, with annual sales of 2,000 units planned. The Model 6 will be sold not only in Europe but also on the North American market.

While the whole world is talking about the energy transition and electromobility, we are creating facts - and have been since 1998. In 2002, we took over TWIKE production. This is how the German general importer based in Rosenthal in Hesse became the producer of this automotive stroke of genius. And so TWIKE combines Swiss perfection with inventiveness and German thoroughness.

As a pioneer of light e-mobility, we are committed to providing a durable, sporty and emission-free TWIKE as a valuable alternative and thus a pioneering contribution to combating climate change. The targeted funding of €6 million will be used for the final development and first series production of the TWIKE 5, as well as for investment in TWIKE studios and distribution centers. The predecessor TWIKE 3 has already been on the market for 27 years and helped build up significant experience. In the development of the TWIKE 5, the focus was on riding safety, maximized efficiency and high utility value for the user - and all this at production-ready costs.

The development processes are currently coordinated by a small core team and coordinated with external development partners. The comparison of the internal team's wealth of experience with the special features of the three-wheel concept and the approval regulations with experienced development partners in the automotive industry, e.g. EDAG in Fulda, proved to be of great advantage.

The entire team currently comprises twelve employees, consisting of five engineers, production staff, a TWIKE pilot trainer who is also responsible for internal logistics, two office managers, a graphic designer and an accountant/controller.

The internal team is complemented by an established network of external experts with whom we have a long-standing working relationship and who provide support in technical, business and legal matters as required.

For our future expansion we plan to hire additional qualified employees. Before the start of production of the TWIKE 5, a purchase & inventory specialist, a production manager and additional assembly workers are to be hired.

TWIKE has stood for technical innovation since the beginning. The new TWIKE models will continue this tradition as innovative vehicles with unique features such as high riding stability, pedal assistance, lightweight construction, durability and energy efficiency, combined in a unique design - but with a preference for standard components, which makes sourcing and maintenance easier and cheaper.

The pedal system integrated into the TWIKE concept and the ergonomics tailored to sporty pedaling allow fitness-promoting training on trips and everyday routes. The recyclability and durability of the materials used underscore the sustainability of the vehicle concept redefined with the TWIKE 5. The predecessor TWIKE 3 has already been on the market for 27 years and helped to build up essential experience.

The outstanding features of the TWIKE 5 required special solutions and creative development work. The focus was on driving safety, maximized efficiency and high utility value for the user at costs in line with series production.

Advantages of the Delta tricycle

Even the developers of the original TWIKE 3 decided on the configuration as a three-wheeled vehicle in delta arrangement (one wheel in the front, two wheels in the rear) due to its high lightweight potential.

Pedal generator

The pedal system of the TWIKE 5 has an integrated generator, which allows fitness training and at the same time energy generation for higher range. When not pedaling, the ergonomic seating position supports muscle relaxation. In contrast to a conventional passenger car, riding in a TWIKE promotes good health. Performance data from the pedal generator can be tracked and evaluated via the main display for training optimization.

Side-stick steering

The steering is controlled via two intuitive side steering levers. This solution offers generous space when entering the vehicle and allows casual operation with both hands or optionally with just one hand. The side sticks are connected mechanically, but move in opposite directions. For operation, the pilot intuitively recalls his learned knowledge from driving a car (steering to the left = the right arm moves forward, steering to the right = the left arm moves forward). Controls that are frequently needed while driving are integrated into the handles in an ergonomically optimized way.

Bidirectional charging electronics can feed stored energy back into the power grid

Charging of the either 18 kWh or optionally up to 36 kWh battery can happen via a regular AC household outlet or with high current at a fast charging DC pillar within one hour.

The Ambibox AC charger, which is already available in the basic version, works bidirectionally - i.e. it can exchange power in both directions, allowing the TWIKE to be used temporarily as a power storage device and helping to make the green power grid more stable.

If desired, a second charger can be installed to increase the AC charging power to 22 kW. Bidirectionality allows current to be drawn from the vehicle battery via sockets integrated in the vehicle with an output of up to 11 kW.

With its outstanding and unique design, the TWIKE 5 is an eye-catcher at first sight. Functionally, it combines mobility and sport at any time of the year and also for further distances.

Its high efficiency allows it to cover distances of 500 km without stopping to charge. As a true sports car, the TWIKE 5 shines with innovative chassis technology that combines impressively high agility with safe driving stability.

TWIKE focuses on vehicle development as well as marketing and sales. Maintenance and servicing of customer vehicles (also TWIKE 3) are also part of the field of activity.

In the TWIKE 5, standard components are preferably installed. Final assembly is carried out in-house or, if advantageous, by an external partner. Subcontracted parts are delivered as modules and the pre-assembled components are then assembled to form the complete vehicle. The TWIKE Studio then customizes the vehicle according to the customer's wishes.

With the average net price of a TWIKE 5 at 37,730 euros, the break-even point is reached with annual sales of 250 vehicles.

The targeted financing of 6 million euros will be used for the final development and the first series production of the TWIKE 5 as well as for the investment in TWIKE studios and distribution centers.

The target market for the TWIKE 5 is initially focused on Europe and in particular on the DACH and Benelux regions. For the TWIKE 6, marketing as a US motorcycle in the USA is also planned.

The core target group is the so-called "LOHAS". The acronym stands for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, a market segment of people whose lifestyles more strongly address the issues of health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living and social justice. Our customers belong to the well-educated upper and middle classes. They are sports-oriented and strive for a unique driving experience with a reduced environmental footprint. Our typical customer has no children or has grown up children by now.

The TWIKE 5 is designed as a high-end sports vehicle. As we are focusing on a niche market with planned annual sales of 500 units, development and manufacturing costs must be covered by a high selling price. Customers of the TWIKE 5 are not very price-sensitive - as evidenced by the high number of pre-orders and advance payments - but attach great importance to reliability, performance, a unique driving experience and an individual product with a high emotional factor.

A cost-optimized series of the follow-up model TWIKE 6 (market launch planned for 2024) is intended to address a larger market for the first time. A variant with a rated power of less than 15 kW would allow driving from the age of 16.

The targeted annual sales figures for the TWIKE 6 are 2,000 to 6,000 vehicles. The fact that the niche is already larger is shown by the approximately 1,600 reservations for the TWIKE 5 to date (as of July 2022).

Around 6 million euros will have to be raised for the final development and start-up of production of the TWIKE 5. The first part of the costs will be R&D expenses. Other costs include material costs, service costs of the manufacturing partner, delivery costs, labor costs, operating costs and administrative overheads.

The funds are to be raised through equity investments and/or debt capital (mezzanine). Current shareholders are willing to give up to 20% of the company's shares for equity financing.

For the next stage, the costs for the development and initial production of TWIKE 6 will be approximately €12 million. The funds are to be raised through debt or equity financing.

TWIKE already looks back on a long history of over three decades. The original TWIKE, a two-seater recumbent bicycle with a closed body, was powered by pure muscle power and developed for the 1986 World's Fair in Vancouver, Canada, by a group of Swiss students. It won the "Functionality Award" for best ergonomic design in the Innovative Vehicle Design Competition (IVDC) and a first prize in the International Human Powered Vehicle Speed Championship.

In 1998, FINE Mobile GmbH (now TWIKE GmbH) was founded as the German general importer and finally became the exclusive TWIKE manufacturer after taking over the rights of the Swiss LEM AG in 2002. Today, the TWIKE is produced in Rosenthal (Hesse).

In 2010, the TWIKE 4 prototype was developed and built specifically for an international competition - the Automotive X PRIZE in the USA. The competition provided an opportunity to redefine the TWIKE. With the support of external partners, a vehicle was designed whose driving dynamics are somewhere between a motorcycle and a car for outstanding driving stability.

The past five years have also seen a fundamental change in the acceptance of electric drives for two-wheelers and passenger cars. In the complete year 2010, only 309 electric bikes were registered in Germany; in 2021, the figure was around 356,000 - and 2 million e-bikes were sold, with even higher sales limited only by supply bottlenecks. A major factor for many buyers the move away from the internal combustion engine for environmental reasons.

To meet changing customer demand, a new model is now in development for series production: the TWIKE 5. The TWIKE 5 will be more efficient, more comfortable and more suitable for everyday use than previous models.

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TWIKE GmbH, Newsroom: Presse - PresseBox

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