Outrider USA, based in North Carolina, has developed what it claims is “the world’s lightest production 4×4. The Coyote is a single-seat, off-road, all-electric vehicle designed to bring outdoor adventures to people with limited mobility.
Paraplegic test driver Daylan Carver expressed his thoughts on the Coyote 4×4:
“The only thing that would be better than this would be walking.”
A primary design goal was portability. It folds to fit in a small hatchback if the back seats are folded down, and it is the lightest vehicle in its class, with the base model starting at 59 kg (130 lb). The control system consists of two hand levers that may be tilted to adjust power and braking or pushed backward and forward to control steering and doesn’t require much upper body strength.
The highest powertrain option combines a 5-kW 4WD system with independent, adjustable suspension and a 6-kWh battery pack to offer a range of 130-225 km (80-140 miles). Meanwhile, seven inches (18 cm) of ground clearance is provided by big, knobby tires mounted on 20-inch rims.
According to Outrider, the Coyote 4×4 is particularly suitable for fishing and hunting due to its relatively quiet motors and lack of scent. It’s also made for off-roading, with a 45 km/h (28 mph) top speed that can be programmed for “different speeds to comply with local regulations.”
It lacks the unique suspension configuration of France’s strange Swincar, and it has a relatively narrow track, so riders must be careful not to aim it at crazy slopes or turn it hard enough to flip it over. However, the weight of the waterproof, low-slung battery packs will keep the center of the mass low. Furthermore, even if it isn’t an extreme terrain vehicle, the company does not doubt that it will let disabled people “go back out there.” That is an admirable goal that could significantly impact people’s lives.
Last year we saw a similar vehicle that allows disabled people to enjoy the outdoors. A paralyzed woman and her husband started mass-producing a vehicle dubbed” The Rig” or” Not-a-Wheelchair”, after taking it out on test runs in Hawaii and throughout the mountains and hiking trails near their home. Her husband originally built her The Rig because he wanted to take her camping and on other excursions. So, he merged two electric bikes with a seat in the middle to create an off-road wheelchair. Now, Cambry experiences a new level of freedom and can overcome off-road obstacles that seemed impossible before.
The Coyote costs more than your average quad bike. The base model starts at US$13,985 (€13,306), but adding 4WD and long-range batteries will set you back more than US$20,000(€19,029). Still, $20k doesn’t seem so bad when considering what this means to people who enjoy the outdoors and have watched their family and friends go out without them.
Watch the Coyote in action in the video below.
