For all those who wished they could paddle their dinghies or kayaks to the grocery store, or pedal their bikes across a lake, river or bay, a Czech inventor named David Buchwaldek has just come up with a solution. He has designed an electric hybrid tricycle that can travel on water! Called the HEPAV (Human-Electric Powered Amphibious Vehicle), Buchwald envisions the trike/boat being used as an environmentally friendly way for people to travel between adjacent islands, and even dreams one day of his HEPAV being used to cross the English Channel.

The HEPAV is basically an electric assisted trike, encapsulated in a buoyant, waterproof, aerodynamic shell with a propeller, which allows the operator to power-pedal his or her way across a body of water. As you can see in the video, the HEPAV won’t win any speed records on the water, but as an occasional eco-boat that you can use for transportation on land, the design shows real promise. David Buchwaldek says he designed the bike/boat to be similar to a kayak, to perform well on the road, and to be easily transported by car. The idea being that it can be used as sustainable personal transportation in a variety of situations.

This isn’t the first design by Buchwaldek, as the somewhat eccentric Czech is already known for his human powered vehicles and human-electric hybrid designs – which seem to mix his love for sci-fi with his attraction to sustainable living. “I’m a romantic and environmentalist,” he says, “and I like the sea.” Unfortunately, due to the high cost of production, the HEPAV isn’t likely to be for sale at your local boat or bike store any time soon. But as a concept vehicle, there is little doubt that this admitted lover of Jules Verne’s novels is onto a hot – make that cool – idea.

From Yachtpals.com