Pedicar

The Pedicar was a pedal-powered, four-wheeled velomobile developed in the United States in the early 1970s by the Environmental Trans-Port Corporation of Windsor, Connecticut. It was conceived as a weather-protected alternative to a conventional automobile at a time when fuel shortages and the oil crisis encouraged interest in low-energy transportation. Rather than being an open bicycle or tricycle, the vehicle used an enclosed body, a single seat, and one door, giving it a more car-like appearance and providing protection from rain and other weather. The vehicle was designed in 1972 by Robert L. Bundschuh, a former Gyrodyne aircraft engineer, and his coworker Lionel Martin. Bundschuh was reported to be 38 years old during the development period. The Pedicar used four standard bicycle wheels and a distinctive linear cable drivetrain. This mechanism provided five forward gears and one reverse gear, allowing the vehicle to be propelled by the driver through a pedal-operated system rather than by an internal-combustion engine or electric motor. Environmental Trans-Port produced approximately 20 examples, which were sold for about $500 each in 1973. Promotional flyers and television commercials supported the launch, and the company presented the Pedicar as a possible substitute for an automobile for short-distance transportation. Its enclosed body and automobile-oriented equipment were intended to make pedal power more practical for everyday use. Features reported in descriptions of the vehicle include a single forward headlight with a cyclops-like appearance, door locks, pneumatic bicycle tires, protective beltline molding, windshield wipers, and a rear-view mirror; available documentation does not establish that every such feature was standard on every example. The Pedicar attracted attention as an inventive response to energy concerns but did not achieve significant commercial success. It was less successful in the marketplace than the contemporary People Powered Vehicle, another human-powered transportation project. Manufacturing difficulties also prevented the completion of a proposed contract with the United States Army. With only a small production run and no sustained manufacturing program, the Pedicar remained a short-lived experimental or niche vehicle rather than an established transportation brand. Its historical importance lies in its attempt to combine the enclosure and controls associated with an automobile with human-powered propulsion, anticipating later interest in velomobiles, efficient personal mobility, and alternatives to fossil-fuel transportation.

The Pedicar emerged from the early-1970s search for alternatives to gasoline-powered transportation. The project was undertaken by the Environmental Trans-Port Corporation in Windsor, Connecticut, during a period when the oil crisis made fuel consumption and dependence on conventional automobiles prominent public concerns. The company sought to make pedal power more usable for ordinary transportation by enclosing the rider and presenting the vehicle in a form closer to a small automobile than to an exposed bicycle. Design work took place in 1972. Robert L. Bundschuh, a former Gyrodyne aircraft engineer, and his coworker Lionel Martin developed the vehicle. The resulting design was a four-wheeled quadricycle with a single seat, an enclosed body, and one door. It used standard bicycle wheels rather than specialized automotive wheels. Propulsion came from a linear cable drivetrain, an unusual mechanical arrangement that offered five forward gears and one reverse gear. The drivetrain was intended to give the rider useful flexibility across different riding conditions while retaining entirely human-powered operation. Descriptions of the Pedicar identify several automobile-like or weather-oriented features. These include an enclosed cabin, a headlight, door locks, pneumatic bicycle tires, protective body molding, windshield wipers, and a rear-view mirror. Available accounts do not clearly establish whether all of these features were fitted as standard equipment or whether some were associated with particular examples or descriptions. The overall concept nevertheless emphasized practical commuting and weather protection rather than recreational cycling alone. The Environmental Trans-Port Corporation built about 20 models. The vehicles were sold in 1973 for a reported $500 each, and the company supported the introduction with printed flyers and television commercials. Marketing positioned the Pedicar as a possible replacement for an automobile, particularly for local journeys. This proposition combined the low operating energy of a bicycle with an enclosed body intended to make human-powered travel more acceptable to drivers accustomed to cars. The commercial experiment did not develop into a substantial vehicle business. The Pedicar was not as commercially successful as the contemporary People Powered Vehicle, another human-powered transportation project. In addition, manufacturing issues prevented the completion of a proposed United States Army contract, limiting the possibility of institutional or government-backed production. The small number of completed vehicles and the absence of a continuing manufacturing program left the Pedicar as a short-lived historical example rather than a sustained brand. The Pedicar is remembered for its attempt to bridge the gap between bicycles and automobiles. Its enclosed form, multiple-speed cable drive, reverse gear, and automotive-style equipment anticipated questions later addressed by velomobiles and other efficient personal-transportation designs. Although it did not achieve mass adoption, it illustrates how the energy anxieties of the 1970s encouraged experimentation with human-powered vehicles that were more enclosed, practical, and car-like than conventional bicycles.

• 1973

  Limited production and marketing

  [1]Pedicaren.wikipedia.org

  Approximately 20 Pedicar vehicles are produced and offered for sale in the United States at a reported price of $500 each. Flyers and television commercials are used for promotion.

• 1972

  Pedicar design work begins

  [1]Pedicaren.wikipedia.org

  Robert L. Bundschuh and Lionel Martin develop the Pedicar concept for the Environmental Trans-Port Corporation.

• Proposed US Army contract fails to reach completion

  [1]Pedicaren.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing difficulties prevent completion of a proposed contract with the United States Army.

A weather-enclosed, automobile-inspired human-powered vehicle intended to provide an energy-efficient alternative to short-distance automobile travel.

• Velomobile · 1973

  Pedicar

  The Pedicar was an enclosed, single-seat, pedal-powered quadricycle with four bicycle wheels and one door. Its distinctive linear cable drivetrain provided five forward gears and one reverse gear. The vehicle was promoted as an automobile alternative for short-distance travel, especially during the 1970s energy crisis. Reported equipment included weather-protection and automobile-style details such as a headlight, windshield wipers, door locks, protective molding, and a rear-view mirror, although the available historical account does not confirm that all features were standard on every example.

• 1973Pedicar launch promotion

  United States

  The Environmental Trans-Port Corporation promoted the Pedicar through flyers and television commercials, presenting the enclosed pedal-powered vehicle as a possible replacement for an automobile.

  Outcome. The campaign did not produce sustained commercial success, and production remained limited to approximately 20 vehicles.

  Source

• 1973

  Position the Pedicar as an automobile alternativeStrategy

  Background

  The vehicle's enclosed body and automobile-like features were intended to broaden the appeal of pedal-powered transportation beyond conventional cycling.

  Action taken

  The company marketed the Pedicar for everyday short-distance transport and supported it with flyers and television advertising.

  Aftermath

  Commercial uptake remained limited, and manufacturing difficulties also prevented completion of a proposed US Army contract.

  Source

• 1972

  Develop an enclosed human-powered vehicleProduct launch

  Background

  The company pursued a practical transportation design during a period of heightened concern about gasoline use and the oil crisis.

  Action taken

  Environmental Trans-Port Corporation developed a four-wheeled, enclosed pedal vehicle with a multi-speed linear cable drivetrain.

  Aftermath

  The design reached limited production and was marketed in 1973, but it did not become a commercially successful automobile substitute.

  Source

1. 1Pedicaren.wikipedia.org