Quest Velomobile by Bluevelo.com
On Sept 19, 2009 the boys and I attended a gathering of the Human Powered Transportation Association (HPTA) at Reg Rodaro’s property near Niagara-on-the-Lake. Here we saw several velomobiles up-close, both hand-made and factory-built. The Toronto firm Bluevelo had an excellent showing of their wares. The crowd was extremely friendly and welcoming. We had to leave early but would have liked to have stuck around. In the brief time we were there I had several stimulating conversations, plus the barbecue scheduled later in the day looked very promising.
Velomobiles are fully enclosed bicycles, or more commonly tricycles. They solve two problems with cycling: getting wet and cold in bad weather, and falling over when you stop moving. Currently, they are still a bit of a fringe pursuit but I predict this will soon change, especially if they become a bit less expensive (they now cost about $7,500 CAD and up). Otherwise, they look and perform like something that many thousands would love to own. They are practical, green vehicles, especially in places with little snow and ice. Due to their aerodynamic shape, they make cycling much easier, especially at speeds over 25 kph. They require no license or insurance and are classified as bicycles in Canada.
The production costs of velomobiles would decrease if demand for them increased. If ten times as many people wanted them, then economies of scale would start to take over. Research and development in the human-powered transportation sector is important to giving this industry greater resources and industrial credibility. Governments should encourage such research. Another way to reduce costs is to support those interested in building kit bodies on top of factory-built recumbent trikes (which are more common than velomobiles).
Development of recumbent trikes (the inner workings of most velomobiles) is well advanced. It seems like it’s the bodies that need a bit of work (although the body on the Quest model by Velomobiel.nl is oh-so-gorgeous). Many of the technologies applicable in building kayaks are transferable to the building of bodies for velomobiles. Canada has a long history in the building of kayaks, and the velomobile market could conceivably be a larger market than that for kayaks. Kayak-building techniques such as molded fiberglass, Kevlar, skin-on-frame, and stitch-and-glue seem promising.
Possible business models for Velomobiles
- As mobile billboards: velomobiles generate considerable interest when driven around town: “Buy a velomobile. Lease out advertising on both sides <your web address here!> and cover the payments for the velomobile through advertising rents”
- As tourist attractions: “1 hour in a velomobile for only $25!”
- As amenities for green hotels: “Guests can ride our complimentary velomobile!”
- As attractions at street fairs: “See the amazing velomobile rodeo!”
- As basic, green transportation: “Carry all your groceries, laugh at the rain and smirk at the snow!”
- As an industry that might convince people that Canada actually has green aspirations: “Ontario, now with a velomobile industry second only to the Netherlands!”
