Nico Jaras' Pedal Car Brings KERS Power to the People

Think pedal-cars are just big toys? They are – but this one, from Argentinian designer Nico Jara, promises to bring some real “big boy” tech to the game with lightweight composite construction and its very own take on kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS).

KERS, for the uninitiated, have become race-winning “must have” toys in Formula 1 and top-shelf endurance racing, and it seems like several companies – including Volvo and Porsche – are looking to bring some version of quick-discharge flywheel capacitors to the street. To his credit, Jara is taking the “racing tech for the road” a step beyond the norm, by trying to bring race car goodness to large city centers like New York, London, and other EU nations, which are turning away from automobiles altogether.

Jara’s pedal-car – the Potenza – is just a concept, at this stage, but its stylish design and pop-up rain canopy push this from the edge of vaporware and perilously close to “might actually be able to sell a few”. If the city planners get their way, a vehicle like this might just make sense for a few dedicated urbanites or recumbent bike enthusiasts who want a slice of the latest tech pie.

Time will tell.

Source: Inhabitat.

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Tags: alternate transportation, argentina, bicycle, bike, commute, commuting, ebike, economical, Environment, flywheel capacitor, Green, jara, KERS, kinetic energy, move away from the car, New Technology, no need for gas now, pedal car, potenza, racing tech, research, transportation, urban, urbanite, Zipcar

About the Author

Jo Borrás I've been involved in motorsports and tuning since 1997, and write for a number of blogs in the Important Media network. You can find me on Twitter, Skype (jo.borras) or Google+.