A beautiful day greets me as I open the window of my hotel room. My TWIKE spent the night charging and is now fully ready for whatever the day has in store for us. I had planned to enjoy a relaxed breakfast by getting up slightly earlier than stricly necessary…this extra time came in very handy as I got a text from the ferry operator warning of longer boarding times due to high passenger volumes. So instead of a long, leisurely meal, it’s just a quick bite – some very flaky croissants, nevertheless – before hitting the road. My TWIKE […]
TDGB2025: Day2 – Lots of rain and bad roads
Being of a certain age has its advantages—especially when it comes to getting up early. Today, I set my alarm for 5:15 am and, true to form, I woke up at 5:13 am, full of energy and excited for another day of exploring Europe with my TWIKE. TW560 was waiting patiently just outside my window, fully charged and ready to go. After yesterday’s ride, complete with hills, headwinds and plenty of rain, I thought it wise to double-check today’s weather and elevation profile. The outlook had me quickly adjusting the energy consumption estimate on my TWIKE’s computer. Gone was the […]
TDGB2025: Day 1 – Rain, Cold & hello Luxembourg!
I had really been looking forward to this trip and decided to start early to have plenty of time in Luxembourg — to drive around, get charging sorted, and meet up with a friend. Even though I went to bed early, the 4 a.m. alarm hit hard — and I definitely didn’t get enough sleep. Adrenaline, dopamine, and energy drinks would have to carry me through for now. I power up the TWIKE and punch in the PIN to wake up the computer. I’m pleased to see the open circuit voltage at 419V — better than the 415V I saw […]
TDGB2025 – Hurray! Finally: 100% discount for TW560!
I’ve written about my plan to TWIKE to the UK and that there had been some hiccups…and more hiccups. this has not dampened my enthusiasm and has been something I’ve looked forward to for months, but the admin side of things? As mentioned … Let’s just say it nearly derailed the whole thing before it even began. It all started when, as mentioned before, I realized that to enter London’s LEZ, ULEZ, and Congestion Charge (CC) zones with TW560, I’d have to register with Transport for London (TfL). Sounds simple. It wasn’t. First hurdle: actually getting an account set up […]
TDGB2025 – happening at all?
One week before leaving for the UK, something happened that nearly meant me cancelling the whole trip. I had to slam the brakes to avoid a pedestrian who stepped onto the road without looking. It was at low speed, and thankfully no one was hurt. But the TWIKE didn’t come out of it unscathed. After stopping, something felt off immediately. There was no resistance in the brakes, the rear brake didn’t provide any friction at all, and the whole front of the TWIKE would lift when I applied the front brake. I looked underneath, and the front assembly was moving […]
TDGB2025 – 8 days, 8 hours
In just over a week, I’ll be off to the UK… ready for some proper pub grub, good conversations, and exciting EV adventures! #ciderfan On my way, I’ll be making a long-overdue stop in Luxembourg and I’m thrilled to be meeting up with a long-time reader and fellow TWIKE fan. It’s been ages since I was last in the Grand Duchy, so I’m really looking forward to it. Over in the UK, things are shaping up nicely: I’ve been contacted by a light electric vehicle manufacturer who’s invited me to take a look at their latest prototype fleet. Very curious […]
TDGB2025 – ULEZ/LEZ/CC
As with Barcelona (and many other cities in Europe), London, the destination of TWIKE560’s adventure this year has introduced fees to enter certain parts of the city. London’s road charging zones are a patchwork of eco-driven bureaucracy: there’s the LEZ (Low Emission Zone), the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone), and adding to this, the Congestion Charge Zone in the middle: all designed to discourage high-emission vehicles from entering the innermost parts of the capital. As an EV enthusiast wanting to get my TWIKE right into the heart of London and wanting to get those must-have shots with Big Ben and […]
TDGB2025 – Planning Update
Not too much to report other than the planning stage is going forward as planned. I’m really looking forward to travelling to the UK this year in early August. My trip will include me visiting some friends – whilst I’m still sorting out the exact details. Also, I’ve ordered a vital part for my trip to the UK:The itinerary’s filling up fast! This will be my direct connection to the UK grid when I’m there. 🙂 My overall plan hasn’t changed – the map looks still the same! If you want to meet up or have ideas along the trip […]
2025 Q1 Pack Capacity Test
After more than 3 years since the last capacity test and a full balancing just 2 weeks earlier, I was now ready to combine pleasure with some research: how much capacity has the pack lost? I decided to drive to Strassbourg and back – like last time – to test this. Since this is an exercise in extreme hypermiling – not only do I want to know the pack’s capacity, but also how far I could, in theory, drive on a charge – I will have to start pretty early. I get up at 530 am and say hello to […]
2025 Q1 Battery SOH
It’s been a while since I’ve tested the full capacity of my pack – 3 years to be precise. I’m interested in how bad the pack has degraded since then. As I’ve been travelling a lot and my TWIKE has been in ‘daily’ mode since then and I noticed some weird drops during my last TWIKE adventure to Italy, I’ve been keen on testing how much exactly the pack has changed since the last test. For this I need to take out my balancing rig and start balancing all the cells before taking the TWIKE back out to a full […]