Selected issues related to the research on a hybrid three-wheeler for the disabled

The article concerns the performing of selected experimental and simulation tests carried out when engineering a motor vehicle for the disabled, provisionally named PIMOTEK. The project was subsidized by the State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PFRON) within a Research and Analysis Programme. The vehicle, engineered at the Automotive Industry Institute, has a threewheeled running gear and a load-bearing structure that enables tilting of the vehicle together with its driver in relation to the road surface and rear vehicle axle. The solution that enables the tilting of vehicle body is well known from the Gyro series of Honda scooters. However, it was modified with respect to the needs of users with impaired body balance abilities. A unique solution incorporated in PIMOTEK is a hybrid internal combustion and electric powertrain mounted on the rear vehicle axle.