This is a short post from our few days in Diano Marina during which we – as in Hyères – didn’t do much else than read books at the beach, eat good food and explore the surrounding area. Most of what i loved 7 years ago is still here. This is why reading my last post on Diano Marina will give you a full picture of what to expect here. Ever so often, we head into town and park our TWIKE for the public to see. The Italians are very vocal about their love for special vehicles and we usually […]
TDF2023 – Day 6 – Côte D’Azur
After our very relaxing few days in Hyères we were ready to enjoy a short and easy drive to Diano Marina, a place I had visited previously on an other trip across Europe with TW560. The Côte D’Azur is particularly well suited to TWIKE’s as the road surfaces are typically good and large parts are limited to 50km/h – ensuring full relaxation whilst enjoying many stunning views. Today’s entry will have many photos of just this – us marvelling at the scenery and enjoying ourselves whilst driving in the ultimate vehicle for this environment save, of course, the old Citroën […]
TDF2023 – Day 3-5 – R&R in Hyères
This will be a super short entry as we didn’t take any pictures at all during our stay in Hyères. (The banner picture comes from Pansard’s website) It was a period of complete digital detox with us leaving our mobile phones at our bungalow, going to the beach, eating well and short daily easy runs along the sea and in and around the old salines just besides our campsite, discovering the natural beauty of this place. We both started reading our physical books and just relaxed with lots of lovely French rosé wine every evening. The days fly by and […]
TDF2023 – Day 2: Grenoble to Hyères, beautiful Southern France
We wake up to be greeted by a very gray and chilly morning – a quick check of various weather websites forecast a happy mix of sun, wind and rain for today. As always, there is nothing to complain about as long as the TWIKE is fully charged and there is the sea and chilled rosé wine waiting for us at the other end! This entry will be more about the photos than the text – it was a super relaxing drive across southern France with not much to report other than: do it yourself! Early morning traffic is dense […]
TDE2023 – Day 1: Across Switzerland to Grenoble
This year’s TWIKE adventure was planned at very short notice – our initial plans would have seen us hiking across Switzerland’s beautiful landscapes and mountains. (and I would have a 10-day trip sometime later this year.) One evening, around two weeks before the departure date, we noticed that the various challenges during the last 3 months had taken its toll and how tired we both were. Over a glass of very nice red wine we discussed how nice it would be to just relax somewhere at the sea, complete with good food and recharging by just doing nothing somewhere in […]
TDF2023 – this year’s TWIKE adventure
This year’s long-distance trip with TW560 was planned at a rather short notice – TDF2023 a two week break with our TWIKE. The date is finally set and the general direction chosen: Southern France. During last year’s trip, whilst returning, I drove along the southern coast of France and enjoyed it tremendously. This is essentially, what we’re going to do with much more time than last year. Unlike other years, we will not be traveling with our kids – they are going to stay at home as they need to study and finish other things – which will give me […]
Repairs: Charging cable
Whilst I was dismantling the AK Rail for my recent yearly battery pack balancing, I noticed a grave problem that needed attention immediately. The main cable via which the TWIKE is charged 98% of the time showed grave signs of wear. I really don’t understand how this could have happened – I’m just very glad that I caught it in time. It puzzles me that both ends were without insulation, not only the cable but also close to the crimped connector. The phase cable was partially burnt… but not where the cable was already weakened? Queue the music and lets […]
2023 Battery Pack Balancing
As every year, when the first warm days of pre-summer beckon, I feel the itch of taking TW560 on a long one-day-trip. Part of such an one-day-trip is typically charging the pack to the maximum 4.22V per cell, unlike the usual 3.8V for everyday use, and then drive the pack to the self-imposed minimum cell cut-off voltage of 3.0V. This works very well and is no issue if the pack’s many cells are all well balanced and at the same voltage. Since my TWIKE does not have any active cell balancing or thermal management (for weight and full-pack cut off […]
Repairs: Wood console restoration
It’s time to tackle a new project: last year’s display restoration entry hinted at me wanting to start the process of restoring the main console and other wooden parts in my TWIKE. Using wood as the main working material for all the visible console and control surfaces and casings seems like a good and sustainable idea. 23 years later, the wood is showing the strains of being exposed to bitter Swiss winters at -26°C and scorching heat. The wood is splintering and breaking and all my attempts to keep the wood clean and in oread about the repairne piece were […]
ChatGPT x TWIKE: What have you learnt?
I was interested to learn what ChatGPT thought about emissionless.ch and what the main takeaways for the model were – here we go: Tell me what you’ve learned from looking at emissionless.ch After reviewing emissionless.ch, I’ve learned a lot about the TWIKE electric vehicle and its history, design, and performance. The website provides comprehensive information about the TWIKE’s features, including its lightweight construction, low energy consumption, and high efficiency. It also highlights the vehicle’s impressive track record, including numerous awards and records for its performance and energy efficiency. One of the most interesting things I learned about the TWIKE is […]