Veemo Can Be the Next Stage in North America's Transition Toward Green Mobility

Folks, velomobiles are nothing new. However, current trends have been seeing a jump in this sort of vehicle design. Why? Well, they fit darn well in the urban landscape and where city streets are too tight for our traditional four-wheelers. All that leads us to Envodrive's Veemo SE, the Consumer Edition, or the first that's available for me and you to own.

If the name Envodrive, or Envo for short, sounds familiar, it's because we've covered this crew before, in particular, their do-it-all platform, the Flex. I've added a few images in the gallery so you can see what I'm talking about.

However, recent times have seen this Canadian crew going outside their comfort zone and even crafting an e-bike earlier this year. Well, their growth in the e-mobility sector is clearly growing because here we are, faced with yet another EV aimed at clean and green trips from point A to point B.

Now, the Veemo is a rather simple machine, and we all know that simplicity is best. Everything starts off with two wheels at the front and one at the rear, all held together by a frame of unknown material. Considering the day and age we live in, it's probably aluminum.

On top of that is thrown a cabin or enclosure shaped, again, out of an unknown material, but it's probably some sort of composite. If not fiberglass, then some recycled plastics or other green materials are popping up across countless industries. However, the main attraction point of the way Veemo is designed and looks is the fact that it's bike-lane friendly. You can still call yourself a cyclist and stay safe from traffic with our dedicated lanes.

Further exploring the pod that Envo has created, I couldn't help but spot an empty space behind the rider. Envo currently advertises this area as being suitable for an array of goods, such as a purse, backpack, and groceries, all together in one place. I wonder if the future will find another seat here. Heck, a child seat already looks like it could fit.

As for the experience inside the cabin, you'll be pedaling along while sitting down on a rather comfy-looking seat with hands placed on the handlebar in a sort of cruiser position. But this is a cycle we're talking about, so of course, your legs will be kicking along all the while, helping you move the blood around and sending a signal to the motor to work its magic.

Speaking of the motor, we're not told much about how it's built, but the top speed is limited in accordance with US, Canadian, and EU laws, capable of reaching a peak of 20 mph (32 kph) for North America, and 15.5 mph (25 kph) for the EU, and that all we know so far. We are told, however, that the e-drive "combines high-quality materials with high-end sensors," which doesn't tell me a whole lot.

Regarding range, I was rather pleased to find that this amalgam of metal, rubber, and composite materials can achieve a peak distance of 43 mi (66 km). Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but it's already a few miles more than the 37-39 mi (59-61 km) the average American drives each day. However, once your juice box is empty, it'll take up to five hours to fully recharge.

Now, all that sounds promising, and for an array of reasons. The first is the cost of moving around your city, and if you're tapping into your home's grid to fill Veemo up, you'll understand the magic behind making countless trips around town for pennies on the dollar.

Next up is this vehicle's ability to maneuver through tight spaces. Like any single-occupancy machine out there, Veemo is relatively narrow. After all, so are bike lanes. This also means it should be much easier to maneuver around tight streets.

But, the real attraction is that enclosure Envo builds for you to be shielded from bugs smashing against your face, debris, and even rainfall, as long as it's not some storm. If you're dressed well enough, you might even be able to take this bugger out for a spin during winter.

Wrap all that up in an $8,000 (€7,400 at current exchange rates) package, and that's the Veemo. It's not the most affordable mobility alternative to getting around town. But then again, if we think about it, the Veemo is something between a bicycle and a car, so it makes sense for its pricing to reflect this.

Now, we've been seeing more and more of these velomobiles around the globe, so the question is, are we all going to be driving around in EVs such as these? That's a story for another time.