Charge your iPhone in this Filipino-designed futuristic pedicab

These features, however, are only part of the pedicab's deluxe edition. According to Cobonpue's team in Cebu, where their headquarters is situated, no local orders have been placed for the design's luxury model. 

 

The local government of Ilocos Norte has supposedly purchased units of Eclipse's standard version in 2011 to boost their tourism industry. Another client purchased a unit for a wedding, though their identity was not disclosed for privacy.

Called a "more civilized version of the humble three-wheeler" by Cobonpue, the new pedicab was designed with urban centers in mind. Such foot-powered vehicles are known as "rickshaws" in US cities where their drivers usually ferry around tourists, a far cry from the common commuter conveyance in the Philippines.

The pedicab makeover has been featured in Fast Company and the Washington Post, among other publications. The latter noted that unlike rickshaws, Cobonpue's contraption placed the driver on the side, as if that was an innovation. But that's how it's always been in the Philippines.

 

“The most challenging aspect is getting people to rethink their traditional modes of transportation," Cobonpue told Co. Design.