Pitt Engineering Students Design PEVO

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Desoto Street in Oakland, better known as Cardiac Hill, is no match for the PEVO.

A pair of blue, electric-powered bicycles easily makes the uphill climb to the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.

Pitt senior Micah toll teamed up with a classmate and a recent graduate to form a business called Pulse Motors

"Our goal from the beginning," Toll says, "was to provide a new form of transportation for people living in urban centers just like Pittsburgh. PEVO stands for 'Personal Electric Vehicle Zero.' It's our first model. "

At Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, the Pulse team built five prototypes of a bike designed to conquer the hills of Oakland.

"We've gone with a motor and drive train that are much more powerful. So we've tried to aim for torque, and that way people can get up hills. They can travel with better acceleration and better speed, and have a much more effective vehicle."

One battery charge is good for 30 miles.

"We put a charger inside the vehicle, and that turns every outlet into a charging station. Anywhere you can charge a cell phone, you can charge this PEVO."

The new company seeks $100,000 in angel funding for research and development on their next generation vehicle, which they hope to sell on the international market by 2014.

The co-inventor sums it up: "It's like a bicycle meets a Prius."

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