2023-11-23 06:30:00
An electric pedal car without chain or belt designed to drive both in the city and on the highway, all on three wheels. If it seems far-fetched, this concept straight out of the brain of Pierre Francis, the CEO of the Annecy company Cixi, must indeed see the light of day in 2026. The goal? “Propose a credible alternative to the car that is active», Explains the manager from the brand new 7,000 square meter factory that his company rents in Poisy (Haute-Savoie).
This cycling enthusiast deplores the fact that 95% of French people do not do enough physical activity according to theConsidered. So, since 2015, alongside the three other co-founders of the company, Pierre Francis has been developing his vehicle called Vigoz, which is powered by leg strength combined with an electric motor powered by a 15 kilowatt-hour battery with a range of 160 km. .
The Vigoz’s mechatronic front axle tilts when cornering © Cixi
A patented electronic pedal board
Quickly, the choice to design an electronic pedal board (Pers) became clear. “We didn’t want to put a big chain in the middle because it’s noisy, dirty and it has to be maintained», Lists Pierre Francis. And, above all, this vehicle traveling up to 120 km/h would have required a huge pinion to operate. Cixi has since decided to use this patented technology for electric bikes by introducing it to brands in the sector encountered in particular during events (Geneva Inventions Fair, Eurobike in Frankfurt, Pro-days in Paris, etc.). “This will then be used to finance Vigoz», specifies Pierre Francis. In total, his project required an investment of 12 million euros. It is expected that around fifteen million additional euros will be injected into the company over the next two years.
Cixi set up in August 2023 in a brand new factory in Poisy, near Annecy (Haute-Savoie) Elise Pontoizeau
Posted next to the first Vigoz prototype limited to 45 kilometers/hour and devoid of bodywork, Pierre Francis describes: “The energy that I generate with my legs will power the vehicle’s electrical circuit. At the same time, I control the vehicle, that is to say, the more power I send, the more the vehicle accelerates and vice versa.“. But, there is no need to go hard on the pedals to reach 120 km/h, the user, installed in the recumbent bike position and surrounded by arcuate handlebars, chooses the force he must use to reach 120 km/h. move forward.
Another particularity of the Vigoz is its mechatronic front axle which makes it tilt automatically when cornering. This capacity is notably controlled by the control laws developed by Philippe Mousset Vals and Blandine Caprais. On their computers, the two young engineers from the Ecole Centrale de Nantes and Estaca test their formulas before experimenting with the Vigoz. “We ensure that the algorithms in the electronic cards act and correctly control systems such as the pedals, the propulsion motor or the front axle which leans.», describes Philippe Mousset Vals. “Today, our prototypes work but it is not enough. They will have to be even safer to be able to enter the industrialization phase. The code must include a lot of redundancies so that, if an unforeseen event occurs, it knows how to react.», he adds.
The first Vigoz prototype limited to 45 km/h. Photo Cixi
First deliveries of Vigoz at the end of 2026
It must be recognized that such a vehicle does not necessarily inspire confidence at first glance. Currently undergoing approval, the Vigoz, which has already undergone 300 crash tests, would, according to Pierre Francis, offer motorists better visibility than a classic car thanks to its almost non-existent nose and low window. Another argument and not the least: the impossibility of an accident due to drowsiness occurring. “First of all, you have to be really tired to fall asleep while making an effort. But, if I fall asleep, I stop pedaling, and therefore the vehicle stops“, he says.
Philippe Nicolovici, electronic prototypist technician, designs and manufactures the electronic boards for the Vigoz and the Pers system. Elise Pontoizeau
If the production part of the Cixi site is practically empty – to the point that a Nordic ski club has temporarily set up there – it will fill up gradually, in order to accommodate the production of 10,000 electronic pedals in 2025 for electric bike manufacturers. In total, the factory is capable of producing up to 50 to 120,000 cranksets per year. “Electric bikes will no longer have chains within five years», assures Pierre Francis, very confident.
As for the Vigoz, Cixi initially plans to produce 2,000 of them and begin delivering them at the end of 2026. With all due respect to the curious and lovers of new sensations, the vehicle will only be available for rental for a monthly amount of “several hundred euros“. A way for the company not to absolve itself of responsibility for its vehicle, particularly its end of life.
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