新奇：時速160公里的自行車

Now Minneapolis-based inventor Rich Kronfield has created an electric-assist 'Raht Racer' velomobile that he claims can travel at up to 100mph (160km/h).
現在美國明尼阿波利斯的發明家里奇?科倫菲爾德研制了電動“拉特賽車”（Raht Racer）人力躺車，聲稱其速度每小時能高達100英里（即每小時160公里）。

'The Raht Racer is a power biking vehicle that uses state of the art pedal-electric hybrid technology to amplify pedal power, enabling the rider's legs to propel the vehicle up to highway speeds, giving the rider the feeling of super strength,' Mr Kronfield says.
“拉特賽車是一種動力自行車，使用腳踏電動混合技術來增強腳踏的動力，使得騎行者的腿能夠推動自行車達到高速公路的速度，讓騎車人感受到超強力量，”科倫菲爾德如是說道。

'On a bicycle, your pedals are the accelerator. Same with the Raht Racer, only multiplied a hundred times.'
“在自行車上，踏板是加速器，拉特賽車也一樣，只不過拉特賽車的速度是它的百倍。”

The Raht Racer's pedals are connected to a unique flywheel generator rather than of directly driving the wheels, as in a traditional velomobile.
拉特賽車的腳踏板與獨一無二的飛輪發電機連接，而不是像傳統的自行車一樣直接與車輪連接。

The pedals power a 20-kWh electric motor, which sits in the rear wheel hub.
拉特賽車的腳踏板為處于后輪轂的20千瓦時的電動機提供動力。

The vehicle senses the torque being applied to the pedals, and then amplifies it so that most people can maintain a cruising speed of around 30 mph (48 km/h).
這種裝置能檢測到腳踏板上的扭矩，大幅提高了它的作用，所以大多數人能維持在每小時30英里（即每小時48公里）左右的行駛速度。

The body of the two-seater Raht Racer is made from carbon fiber and includes a roll cage, headlights, seat lights, air bags and a trunk.
兩人座的拉特賽車主體由碳素纖維制成，包括一個防滾架，車頭燈、座位燈、氣囊和一個后備箱。

During pedalling, a 2-kWh li-ion battery pack also gets charged to help extend the 570lb (259kg) velomobiles range.
踩踏過程還能為一個2千瓦時的鋰離子電池組充電，延長總重量570磅（即259公斤）的躺車在道路上行駛的時間。

When activated in throttle mode, using just battery power, it has a range of approximately 50 miles (80 km) and a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h).
啟動發動機油門控制模式時，也就是完全使用電池電源動力時，拉特賽車能跑50英里（即80公里），速度最高可達每小時100英里（即160公里）。

Mr Kronfield has created a prototype and is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to create a commercial mode.
科倫菲爾德創造出了一個模型，目前正在美國Kickstarter眾籌網上開展籌款活動來創造一個商業模式。

According to the Kickstarter campaign: 'The system provides variable resistance, based on programmable or pre-set workout profiles, and GPS terrain-sensing virtual hills, all with torque amplified pedalling'.
據眾籌網上的信息顯示：該系統提供可變電阻，以可編程的或預設的訓練資料和GPS地形遙感虛擬山為基礎，這些都與扭矩增強踏板的功能有關。

It is estimated the price of the Raht Racer will start at $35,000 (￡22,800) if the campaign is successful.
如果這個項目成功的話，拉特賽車的價格預計約為3.5萬美金（約合2.28萬英鎊）。

Vocabulary

velomobile：三輪躺車
quirky：古怪的，離奇的
amplify：放大
torque：扭矩
throttle mode：發動機油門控制模式

（譯者：余妍琳scnu 編輯：馬文英）