The Kairos is a proposed two-passenger electric three-wheeler whose outer front element is designed to act as a counterweight in a turn. A matching inner element is meant to stay clear of the road during ordinary cornering, then contact it to help prop up the vehicle if it starts to tip. Those are design intentions, not demonstrated safety results: New Atlas described the Kairos as pre-prototype in June 2024, and the article reported no handling tests or crash-test findings.
How the counterweight system is supposed to work
Kairos was conceived by French transport designer Mathieu L’Hopitault through the SIREMS Association. Unlike a conventional tadpole three-wheeler, which has two wheels at the front, it is described with one front wheel and two rear wheels. The rear wheels lean with the body into a turn, while two wedge-shaped Mobile Lateral Elements (MLEs) sit on either side of the front wheel and tilt with the vehicle.
- In a corner: The inside MLE is designed to avoid hitting the road. The outside MLE is intended to act as a counterweight as the vehicle leans.
- If a tip begins: The inside MLE is intended to touch the road and help prop the vehicle up.
That describes the proposed mechanism, not proof that the elements prevent a rollover. The June 2024 report provides no Kairos test results or measured safety benefit.
What else the design is intended to do
New Atlas also attributed other aims to the MLEs, including energy absorption in a collision, aerodynamic shaping, a lower center of gravity and cargo capacity. These are project goals described in the report; it does not establish that they have been measured or achieved.
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The proposed seating position is semi-reclined and feet-forward, which the report says is intended to place more rider weight over the driven rear wheels. The rear wheels are described as tilting relative to the body during cornering.
The cockpit restraint is another proposed safety feature
The Programmed Restraint Device (PRD) is described as a hinged support in front of the rider’s chest, mounted near the handlebars and secured by an electric lock. Its intended function is to flex and absorb some energy in a frontal impact. In a forward-flip scenario, the lock is meant to disengage so the support can pivot away. The report supplies no crash-test findings or safety certification for the PRD, so it should not be treated as a proven restraint or a substitute for established safety equipment.
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How far the Kairos had progressed
New Atlas reported on June 1, 2024, that the Kairos was still in pre-prototype form. SIREMS founder Philippe Girardi said the group planned to have a rolling demonstrator ready for testing by the end of the first quarter of 2025 and hoped to bring the vehicle to market by 2028. Those were plans reported in 2024, not confirmation that either milestone happened. The same article said availability and pricing were difficult to gauge and mentioned an aspirational maximum price of €30,000—not a confirmed price or MSRP.
Girardi described the project’s aims this way: “Although safety is the backdrop to this project, we don’t want to offer a boring product.” He also said the team wanted its safety features to provide visible customer benefits, including storage, aerodynamics and new driving characteristics. These are a project representative’s descriptions of goals, not independent evidence of performance.
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Related projects show different approaches, not proof for Kairos
Other engineering projects provide context for active tilting and mass movement, but they are not direct comparisons and do not establish that Kairos works or offers equivalent safety.
| Project | What moves or tilts | What the source establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Kairos | Rear wheels and front MLEs are described as leaning with the vehicle; the outer MLE is intended to counterbalance in a turn. | New Atlas reported it as pre-prototype in June 2024; no Kairos performance results are reported. New Atlas |
| University of Minnesota narrow-vehicle project | A prototype used Steering Tilt Control. | The university project page documents a separate narrow-vehicle tilt-control research effort, not Kairos testing. Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota |
| Yamaha MOTOROiD | Yamaha describes active movement of internal mass, including the battery, through its Active Mass CEnter Control System. | Yamaha labels MOTOROiD an experimental proof of concept and describes balance while stationary as an intended capability. It is a separate experimental motorcycle. Yamaha Motor |
| 2025 active-tilt research | The paper abstract discusses a different active tilt-control strategy for narrow electric vehicles. | The abstract concerns another research effort and does not report a Kairos test. SAGE |
What is and is not established
The available account explains how Kairos’s designers intend the MLEs to help during cornering and a developing tip. It does not establish rollover prevention, crash protection, certification, current development status, a confirmed launch date or a final price. A design concept and a working, validated safety system are different things.
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