Peravez E-Tracer Heads to American Roads in 2011

Before your attention gets too caught up by the adjacent image, let us explain what it’s supposed to be. A concept, you’ll say, but this is much more than that. In fact, the new electric Peraves E-Tracer is ready to hit the US roads as early as next year.The E-Tracer finished first in the 2010 Automotive X-Prize Alternative Class, beating out 127 other innovative entries.

The 2-wheeled vehicle is fully-enclosed in a Kevlar fiberglass cocoon and tips the scales at a substantial 1,260 pounds (575 kg or the weight of about three regular bikes). Furthermore, it is also about twice as long as a full-sized cruiser.

The project’s chief executive, Roger Riedener, describes it this way: "It's not a hybrid. It's a hybrid, a snake, a serpent with two heads.” Scared yet?

A fully enclosed two-wheeled vehicle could have difficulties when staying upright at low speeds or when stopped. For that matter, it uses outriggers that are deployed via a toggle switch in the cockpit. The E-Tracer is equipped with bucket seats, while the fully-windowed shell provides for a quite interesting panoramic view.

Performance wise, the E-Tracer proved it can run for more than 100 miles (161 km) in the X-Prize competition. Power comes from a 150 kW electric-drive system and a 19.4 kWh lithium polymer battery system. The street-legal vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 6.6 seconds.

According to its creators, the Peraves E-Tracer will be available to "real men and women" and will cost less than $100,000. However, since it’s quite a new approach to personal mobility, there will only be about 100 of the units built each year.