They say there’s no better test of a relationship than riding a tandem bike with your partner. But I propose that whoever penned that axiom never tried the go-kart equivalent. Who’s ready to step right up and pop a squat into this dual-steering wheel go-kart for some around-the-track fun with your better half?!
This fun little electric runabout sits a pair of riders side-by-side, each with their own steering wheel. And if there was ever a top contender for Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week, this is it!
Based on the slight size difference of the wheels though, I’m unfortunately forced to conclude that one of them might be just for show. But don’t worry, that won’t stop me from imagining a complicated system of drive-by-wire control that sees the two steering inputs battling each other for command of the machine. Perhaps a setup where whoever grips the wheel harder or screams louder gets temporary control. Yea, that sounds right.
Considering that each of the two rear wheels is powered by its own 750W (1 hp) electric motor, you could have some serious fun with this thing if you eventually win out the dominance display and regain power over the vehicle. Compared to those cute little 250W ride-on toys we’ve seen before, a full two-horsepower is almost a ludicrous amount of power for what looks like an overgrown child’s toy meant for driveway shenanigans.
Just make sure you get your cheap thrills in quickly. A rather small 24V and 14Ah battery means that this go-kart is here for a good time, not a long time. That 336 Wh pack is going to run dry fairly quickly, even at the fairly limited top speed of just 10 mph (16 km/h). But hey, when you’re battling for control with your better half (which in my case our graphics guy seems to think is my own alter ego), 10 mph may seem pretty zippy.
And in case things get a little out of hand, you can rest easy knowing that the go-kart comes with its own “front anti-collision beam”, which seems just to be the bumper. I’m not sure it’s anti-collision as much as collision-mitigation technology, but I guess it’s better than leaving yellow paint everywhere you go.
One of my favorite features though is the “drift button”, which I have no idea how it works but it just sounds too cool to pass up. My best guess is that they’re either referring to a hand brake lever or a temporary current over-limit button that gives you a burst of power to break the tires free. Both of those technologies seem a bit advanced for this plastic yellow affront to racing, so perhaps it’s something more benign than what I’m imagining.
The best part of this whole endeavor though, as it often is, proves to be the price. For just a measly $280, you could be piloting your own dual-steering go-kart. When you split that per person and realize it’s just $140 per head for you and your wife to get some high-banked track counseling sessions in, the deal certainly becomes hard to pass up.
But make no mistake, you should absolutely pass it up. As usual, these Alibaba finds are fun to look at but problematic to consider taking the plunge on. Do what I say and not what I do here folks, don’t try to order hilarious electric vehicles from China’s largest online shopping center. Instead, just imagine a little me and me time on the track as you drift this thing into the sunset in your dreams.
