Off-road go-kart: Swincar E-Spider

The Swincar E-Spider is the construction of inventor Pascal Rambaud. The vehicle is produced by the French company Swincar Mecanroc, which Pascal Rambaud founded. More of a toy in appearance, the Swincar has all the qualities that enable it to take on an off-road vehicle á la Land Rover Defender or an off-road buggy. It is suitable for agriculture and is also intended to help people with physical disabilities to get around. What is special about the Swincar are its spider-like ‘legs’, and it can also move sideways.

Swincar E-Spider: Spider

The driver sits in the Swincar E-Spider with his legs slightly bent on a narrow seat a few centimeters above the ground. The front and rear axles are located approximately at the level of the navel and can be moved crossed over each other. Curved rods are attached to the axes, which can be swiveled almost 180 degrees. And the wheels are almost free-spinning. Each wheel has an electric motor with an output of up to 1.5 kilowatts. If you get into steep hairpin bends, the seat swings far out. Braking and accelerating is done with paddles on the steering wheel. The Swincar E-Spider reaches a top speed of 45 km/h. This off-road go-kart with spider legs can spread its wheels wide and bounce serenely over a rock.

Alpengazelle: designed for mountaineering

The Swincar E-Spider is coming also sideways along a slope – without tipping over, of course, because the mountains are his home, after all he was invented in the mountains. Company founder Rambaud and his employees developed the basic structure on a whim when they wanted to transport boxes from a mountain hut down into the valley. The E-Spider went down very quickly, but towing it up didn’t go with the plan, so it got electric motors built into the wheels. After almost four hours of driving, the E-Spider has to be plugged in again.

Area of ​​application: in agriculture and as a vehicle for physically handicapped people

The body including the electric drive consists of around 400 parts and weighs around 120 kilos According to Jammes, another 15 to 45 kilos depending on the size of the battery. On request, the Swincar E-Spider can be made roadworthy: it is equipped with headlights and indicators, among other things. In this way, the E-Spider not only makes sense as a fun vehicle, it is also equipped for use in agriculture. The manufacturer is also considering military use. A version for people with physical disabilities is also planned. For this purpose, the E-Spider should be able to be controlled via a joystick.

price and availability

Current the Swincar E-Spider is in production. The first orders for delivery in May 2016 have already been received. It is available from a recommended retail price of 8,500 to 11,900 euros – depending on equipment and skills. The roadworthy variant as well as a two-seater will be available in German-speaking countries “early 2016”, according to information from Swincar Mecanroc. chk

Contact: > Swincar Mecanroc