Our vision
Our vision was to design a car that was built around the needs of urban citizens.
A car that would elevate all those everyday affairs like commuting, shopping, or dropping the children off at school into an adventure. A car that’s friendly to the community and the environment.
This vision soon became personal. We’ve always admired classic gentleman-style cars, but currently these aren’t seen on city streets in the EU at all.
That inspired us to develop a microcar that would be ultimately attractive, compact, suitable for the city, practical, and fun - all wrapped in a timeless design.
Our team
We are the team of car lovers and designers with more than 100 years of experience in the automotive industry and mechanic industries combined.
Most of us come from Slovakia, the country with the largest production of cars per capita in the world, where the automotive industry accounts to 13% of GDP and 54% of our industry production. We might say cars are deeply embodied in our DNA.
Andrej Hulala is our idea maker, key constructor and team leader. With the history of car racer, designing a superb car is his child dream coming true.
Michal Vršek is experienced in design engineering and manufacturing. He used to work for clients VW/Porsche, Nissan, Volvo, Renault, Peugeot and Citroën. Norbert Klement is our head constructor. He has designed and constructed vehicles for Rally Paris Dakar and for big German production plants, just to name a few. On the design, we have paired with world renowned EVEKTOR design studio, on power train for electric vehicle, we have worked with Czech Technical University in Prague, but there are many more experts involved.
Why a microcar is the solution
We have decided to design a L7ea2 class, 2 - seater microcar, because we believe it serves the city citizens the best.
● Microcars are advantageous: Urban areas are approaching car-saturation, so city authorities are starting to impose restrictions on large vehicles. In Tubingen (Germany), cars over 1.8 tons face parking fees six-times higher than smaller cars.
● Microcars are efficient: The average distance we drive daily is 35 km, carrying on average only 1.2 people.
● Microcars are environmentally-friendly: Small cars require fewer raw materials in production, so less material needs to be eventually recycled. Being lighter, they also have lower fuel consumption.
● Electric microcars are sustainable: Electric cars have zero local CO2 emissions and need far less energy.
● Microcars are more suitable than motorcycles: Motorcycles have limitations in bad weather and helmets and protective clothing are needed.
November 2020
Basic design
So we have decided to design a L7eA2 class, 2 - seater microcar, because we believe it can serve the city citizens the best.
A vehicle that would have compact dimensions suitable for the city, great technical parameters, and impeccable design. A vehicle that would bring the joy and adventure of driving back. We believe getting from A to B can be fun even at lower speeds.
From the very beginning, we planned 2 versions: an electric car with long range and the combustion engine version.
And a really small vehicle (L 3,360 x H 1,360 x W 1,395 mm).
July 2021
Gasoline prototype
A prototype vehicle with an internal combustion engine was built to verify our project feasibility. The required mechanical properties combined with the retro design had to be tested. When creating the 3D design and construction, we designed the rear axle drive with the engine mounted at the rear for a weight distribution of 42:58. This met our aim to achieve stable, comfortable, and fun driving conditions. We were also confident that the legislative limitation of 15 kW of power would not hinder our goal. We want the vehicle to buck all the trends in today’s motoring world. Anyone who loves driving knows that the time when driving was a pleasure are long gone. I don't get the feeling of driving in a modern car, I don't know what to focus on with all the electronic functions. Today's car producers aim to market increasingly autonomous cars where the sensation of speed is dulled. We aim to reverse this trend. We want getting from A to B to stimulate emotion and fun, even at lower speeds.
August 2021
Prototype testing
The best way to verify a design is to practically test. The design process lacked the necessary 3D data to convey the real driving sensation. So we built a prototype. This enabled us to refine the driving characteristics towards a combination of fun and comfort. Testing showed that up to 450 kg, the Rodster has sufficient flexibility and surprisingly dynamic performance despite its 15 kW output. The biggest challenge was to devise front suspension with chassis-concealed shock absorbers to retain comfort and a great look. The other two conflicting requirements were for the urban car to be fun outside the city, and to function as a recreational car. Check out the testinghere.Initial cornering, cone slalom, uphill speed, and maximum speed confirmed the project’s feasibility. Watch the first test video on this website, and the airport speed test will open for youhere. We needed to reconcile the city vehicle’s smallest possible external proportions with a sufficient two-seater interior, so we enlarged the vehicle to a final 1,395 mm wide and 3,335 mm long.
October 2021
Modification of design and construction based on testing
The results of the test-drives, which we used to verify the mechanical construction (tubular frame), propelled us forward and we worked to complete the chassis design. We applied findings from testing to a 3D model, so that the second prototype served as a pre-production version and saved us valuable development time. This second prototype will have a chassis comprised of composite materials. Our team does everything to ensure that the project moves forward in terms of design, technology, and legislation. Our work receives the first positive results, we have a pre-approved 3D vehicle model that meets homologation requirements in the L7e A2 category. We cooperate with TUV Czech on the vehicle’s homologation – working through details to minimise the unexpected. Some technical parameters will change for sure, since we can incorporate advances in the sector’s development and production processes. Yet we can already state that the stylish design is final.
December 2021
Pre-sale launch
To gather information about potential customer interest in reserving and subsequently purchasing a vehicle, we are launching the PATAK Rodster on the website. The main objective is to probe the real interest in this small urban retro vehicle since, in dynamic times like today's, it is very difficult to predict. Based on the number of bookings, we adjust the investment size in the production process, or we opt for other more expensive materials that are more affordable for larger batches. This will ensure higher quality products, faster production and, as a result, faster satisfied customers with our product. Our team collaborates with the experts in the development and subsequent production phase. The standard versions of the bodywork will be made of stamped sheet metal.
June 2022
Electric version testing
To achieve optimal results, we’re testing three types of low-voltage e-motors with similar parameters, tuning range, dynamics, and reliability. The resulting technical data parameters may still slightly change, as the PATAK MOTORS team is constantly working on developments with the aim to optimize and improve the vehicle’s technical parameters. The batteries will be located below-floor, and an electric motor will drive the rear axle. No gearbox is required for the given engine type, which saves weight. This is our goal in all vehicle versions. Lower vehicle weight extends usable range, increases dynamics, and improves handling. We’re working on differential tuning with various settings and gear ratios. We aim to achieve higher maximum speed while maintaining sufficient acceleration. We are still testing battery reliability, charging cycles, and seeking to reduce charging times. For the basic battery version (Stage 1), we also plan to enable the use of classic 230 V domestic connection instead of special charging stations. This will enable vehicle charging anywhere.
August 2023
Homologation
The primary goal of PATAK MOTORS is to combine the benefits of a motorcycle with the comfort of a car. The vehicle’s in the L7e-A2 category as the only design to be homologated. Homologation provider TUV Czech has already given the green light to our retro Rodster vehicle design. Rodster safety is our priority.
September 2023
Preparation for production
An experienced team of experts has been working on the project from the outset. We are preparing for production with the support of EVEKTOR, which has numerous successful international projects related to the serial production of aircraft and car design. For the design we also drew on EVEKTOR’s know-how and experience – as also leveraged by major car manufacturers. We continue to welcome cooperation with other successful development and production companies. We plan to start the Rodster’s production process in Slovakia.
December 2023
Detailed configurator
In accordance with reservation orders, our customers will be contacted to specify the detailed configuration before the vehicle enters the production process. We want to enable all our customers to fit-out their dream vehicle as they wish, so we offer several options in the configurator. In addition to drive type, battery size, colour, and body type, we also want to offer exterior accessories in chrome, gloss or matte black. All exterior accessories can be combined individually. These include headlights, rear-view mirrors, handles, grille trim, windscreen trim, and window profiles. Wheel arches and front grille will be glossy or matte black. Various stylish wheels, design tyres, steering wheels, and clocks will be available. The interior colour can also be configured.
August 2024
Start of production
After configuring individual vehicles, series production will commence. PATAK MOTORS’ quality department will oversee the whole production process. A condition of the homologation process is ensuring reliable and repeatable production that meets TUV Czech requirements.
August 2024
Delivery of vehicles
You will be informed about your Rodster’s exact date of delivery through your local partner or directly from us. We’re creating a convenient local network of reliable sales and service centres HERE. You can view and test drive vehicles with them.