It’s a boat! It’s a camper! It’s a… beTRITON bicycle?

BeTRITON has actually combined a boat, a camper, and a bicycle into a single, surreal-looking vehicle. The startup is based in Latvia and has already received nearly 200 pre-orders for its amphibious e-bike. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to pedal a powerboat from launch to launch, BeTRITON has made that dream possible – for the not-completely-insane price of $14,600 US.

BeTRITON is the brainchild of Aigars Lauzis, an architect who spent four years riding a traditional touring bike from London to Tokyo. Stopped at multiple waterways, Lauzis imagined a bike that could double as a watercraft, making bridges and ferries unnecessary. He was already drawn to the “tiny house” movement, a concept that has always lent itself to mobile shelter.

Lauzis started designing the BeTRITON in earnest in 2018. After rigorous development, the retail version of BeTRITON is a 250-kilogram, beetle-shaped machine with a retractable ebike in front and a modest cockpit in the middle. Inflatable pontoons help keep the craft upright while motoring across the water. The interior provides about one by two meters for sleeping; BeTRITON is designed to house and transport up to two people.

The BeTRITON isn’t fast for an ebike, maxing out at 25 kmh, but the company promises a range of around 100 km on a full charge. On his prolific vlog, Lauzis has filmed himself pedaling the BeTRITON over a steep pass through the Swiss Alps, showcasing the robust motor.

Most cyclists won’t be able to afford such a machine, and many will find it too bizarre to take seriously. But BeTRITON is completing a secondary line of DIY models, which can be assembled at home. Several units should be available for rent in locations across Europe – where most of BeTRITON’s early customers reside.

“Indeed, we’re focusing on Europe first,” wrote Lauzis in an email to Momentum, “but we fully acknowledge huge interest coming from North America and we’re eager to address the market as soon as possible – as soon as we test the product closer to home and are confident that everything works. Deliveries to the US should start from 2025 at the very latest.”