http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/innovation/2015/06/autopods-bringing-microtransport-to-pittsburgh.html Autopods bringing micro transport to Pittsburgh Jun 9, 2015 Justine Coyne
[images / Autopods http://media.bizj.us/view/img/6111591/img0246jpg*750xx4096-2304-0-214.jpg Autopods' electric pedicabs are custom designed and manufactured in order to operate on U.S. streets http://media.bizj.us/view/img/6111611/img0249jpg*180xx3643-2732-227-0.jpg Autopods operate on a flat rate of $5 per one-mile trip and $8 per two-mile trip ] Pittsburgh's latest transportation option is the first of its kind in the city, and potentially the U.S., according to the company's CEO. Meet Autopods Inc., a zero-emission electric pedicab service that provides flat-rate, short-distance trips. "What we're trying to do is introduce micro transport to Pittsburgh," said Tanuj Apte, CEO of Autopods. While the concept of the electric pedicab has become more popular in Europe, it hasn't seen the same traction in the U.S., according to Apte. One reason is that the vehicles being used in Europe aren't street legal in the U.S. to provide commercial rides, he said. Last year, while studying at Carnegie Mellon University, Apte and the Autopods team worked to reengineer the vehicles from the ground up, adding a stronger fiberglass frame and turn signals in order to qualify for operation on U.S. streets. The company, which has performed beta testing over the last year around the CMU campus, introduced 11 vehicles to its fleet at the start of June, according to Apte. Currently operating as a ride hail service, Autopods offers rides within one-mile for $5 and within two-miles for $8. The vehicles, which operate using an electric assist, can travel at up to 20-miles-per-hour. [© bizjournals.com] For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Autopods-nEVs-bring-micro-transport-to-Pittsburgh-PA-tp4676308.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)