Don’t be skeptical of magic just yet because an ELF just reappeared out of seemingly thin air and has the potential to (help) save the planet.
ELF—which stands for Electric, Light, and Fun—was the world’s first commercially available solar/pedal hybrid vehicle, all of which were hand-built in Durham between 2013 to 2019. Led by Founder and ELF inventor Rob Cotter, its parent company Organic Transit (OT) delivered over 850 vehicles nationally and globally, to countries including Germany and the Netherlands.
Then in 2019, the company filed for bankruptcy and was bought at auction by oil and gas company PetroSun a year later. However, PetroSun put the “ELF on the shelf” (in Cotter’s words) and didn’t produce any new vehicles.
In February, 2022, we wrote about Cotter and Organic Transit as part of a “Where Are They Now?” series in a story that is the third-most-read in GrepBeat history. It certainly seemed that the last chapter of the ELF story had been written, at least as it related to the Triangle.
Not so fast! In September, OT was quietly acquired from PetroSun by Environmental Transit Authority (ETA), a new holding company headed by Cotter himself. And they’re revving back up just in time for a surge in popularity for electric bicycles.
Cotter said that the ELF’s reemergence comes at a time where worries about climate change are steadily increasing. Recent studies have reported that 63% of Americans say that climate change will get worse in their lifetimes, on top of a majority two-thirds that say the country should prioritize developing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar.
Tiny carbon footprint
With an ELF vehicle, Cotter said that they can actually create a net positive in CO2 emissions, compared to gas-powered and even electric vehicles. He said that it takes about 40 tons of CO2 to manufacture a Tesla Model Three. To build an ELF takes less than 400 pounds of CO2, 80% of that primarily spent on shipping the vehicle to the customer. After customers receive it, the vehicle runs on human pedal power, solar and trickles of electricity, making for a tiny carbon footprint.
The ELF comes in three different models: solo (one person), 2FR (room for a passenger) and tactical, which comes in the form of either a solo or 2FR but equipped with features to support community policing, events management, corporate and academic campus maintenance and more. An ELF can be used like any other bike, but its electric motor can also give a boost of power whenever needed.
An ELF is designed for use under 30mph, and since it’s designed to fit bike lanes and abide by bike rules, it can really get around. Cotter said that an average ELF owner travels 2,300 miles a year, compared to 30 miles for the average owner of a regular bike. Historically, 80% of owners said they used the ELF to replace their second car.
What makes the ELF even more appealing, Cotter says, is that they are lightweight, have solar charging, are easy to ship and, most importantly, are safe. He said that they monitored about 25 accidents over 10 million miles, with cars and trucks hitting the ELF at significant speeds, and reported no deaths nor majorly significant injuries. ELFs also reported no battery fires, which are a common concern among electric vehicles and bicycles.
Then there’s the quirky and cool shape of the vehicle itself. Cotter recalls a time when a Lamborghini pulled up next to him while he was in his ELF. People paid more attention to his egg-shaped enclosed bike than the $200K sportscar, at least the way Cotter remembers it.
During its production height, the ELF was grabbing the attention of local and national news sites, some including The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch. The vehicle has also been recognized by the NC Department of Commerce as one of the most significant inventions to come out of NC, alongside the Wright Brothers’ first flight, and was recognized by NC TECH as one of its Top 10 Startups To Watch in 2014. (The NC TECH award is why Organic Transit was part of our “Where Are They Now?” series.)
Cotter co-founded ETA with Guy Primus, a former Durham resident who’s spent the last decade as a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur. Primus was first introduced to the ELF during a family reunion where he saw a good number of his family members who owned one. He said he’s even seen ELFs driven in California, including by some high-profile celebrities.
L.A. and, in general, California are notorious for their car-centric highways and roads. But as climate change becomes more of a prevalent issue, Primus said that California communities are starting to focus on becoming more bike-friendly.
“ELFs can bring better lifestyle and climate opportunities,” Primus said. “Sometimes I don’t get a chance to go to the gym, but if I could pedal my daughter to school, it keeps me healthier. I could actually take the entire family to the beach.”
Primus said a big opportunity where ELFs can be used are on film studio lots to replace golf carts. With his reach on the West Coast, he hopes to connect OT to studio heads and bigger audiences where ELFs can make the most impact.
Cotter said that OT has had a waitlist of about 10,000 potential customers since its initial launch. The team is currently working on prototypes of both “classic” and newer ELF models, with hopes to begin production within a year. He even teases the possibility of being able to take out new models’ battery packs that have been solar-charged and use them to power smaller houses.
“We are such a car culture compared to the rest of the world,” Cotter said. “But once that all becomes electric and solar, we could be looking at millions of vehicles that will generate less CO2 emissions. I’m not anti-car, but there is going to be this migration toward a bicycle world, but they need to be safer and accessible. And that’s where ELF can help.”
