Swincar May Be Nothing New, but It Still Throws You Into a World of Electric Off-Road Fun

Folks, Swincar is nothing new, but it is a company that deserves some attention in this age of electric vehicles. This company picked up momentum when Pascal Rambaud created the design of Swincar based on the functions of a pendulum. You know, the kind that swings to keep your wall clock moving. After years of research and design, the final version was unveiled in 2016, and since then, it has been helping adventure seekers smile from ear to ear.

To understand what this company has to offer the EV adventure world, we’re going to pretend we just bought the e-Spider, this crew’s base model or flagship. One way to get a feel for things as they are I invite you on a bit of a journey through imaginary French Alps or any off-road terrain you have in mind.

Now, let’s say you had the heart to drop €13,500 ($14,229 at current exchange rates) on a new e-Spider. When that happens, you’ll receive a quaint one-seater electric quad like the one you see here today. Quad? Yes, quad. Each wheel features an individual motor that propels you along at speeds upwards of 30 kph (18.6 mph).

Sure. It doesn’t sound like much, but look at the videos and imagine hitting rocks and bumps like those at faster speeds. Overall, 4 kW (5.4 HP) is the rated power output but peaks at 12 kW (16.1 HP), and if you’re worried about torque, 340 Nm (251 lb-ft) should be more than enough to keep you moving through the terrain you want.

Yet, my favorite aspect about having four independent motors is that if you’re out there riding along, something happens, and a motor is damaged, you should have no problems making it back to base. Sure, you won’t be taking the same wild journey back, but you’ll make it. I wonder if it can be done with just two working motors too.

With all of the above in mind, it’s time to finally get in, buckle up, and turn this sucker on. Nope, you won’t hear a thing as you do, maybe the motors whining as you take off. You’ll quickly understand what this vehicle is all about as you start moving. Moving over a rock with your right wheel, your body won’t shift, and the crankarm, suspension, and wheel will be the only moving parts. When in motion, the wheels can extend for up to 50% of their vertical travel before things get rough.

Continuing along, you notice that this sucker is considerably powerful, allowing you to climb slopes upwards of 45 degrees. What!? Yeah, and it can do the same as it crosses banks; the 26 cm (10.3 in) of ground clearance should help too. All the while, keeping things as level as possible for the rider, a sort of swinging motion takes over and is possibly responsible for the name of this machine.

Just in case you’ve fallen in love with what you’ve seen below and in the gallery, guess what? There’s more magic in store. Being an EV, this puppy is powered by a battery pack, and with lithium-ion iron/phosphate batteries, you’ll be getting a range of up to four hours of riding, including covering 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) of climbing. With batteries, the e-Spider weighs around 230 kg (507 lbs). Best of all, once these suckers are drained of their juice, you’ll be back on your wheels and cruising the countryside in around two hours. Sounds like one heck of a tourism business.

What’s there to say, really? It looks like one heck of a fun ride, filled with ups and downs, and in the middle of it all, you, hovering like a falcon in mid-flight. Seems to be the sort of machine to have for adventuring and going a bit beyond your usual activities. Do consider that business idea I just mentioned, and maybe you can make a new lifestyle for yourself.