The Footlose from Mando takes a very unique approach when it comes to creating an electric bike. While most of these type of bikes simply have a basic battery that dies and then requires you to revert to pedaling, the Footlose thinks differently. Yes, it still has pedals. Sure, the battery still dies. What is so different? Once you start pedaling, it starts charging up the battery so you can use it again. It also manages to do away with a traditional chain and gear system.

This Mando bike is also extremely light and can fold down into a very small form factor for easy storing. The bike is expected to arrive in the European market next year. There is no news of a North American launch– this isn’t surprising, as these kinds of bikes aren’t all that popular here, though they aren’t entirely unseen.

The Footloose not only can charge up through pedal power but it can also go up to 19 miles on single charge. This is a really unique idea, and I wish something similar to this would come to the United States. This would be great for short commutes around town.

What do you think?

[ source ]

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The FBike is a collaborative effort between several Czech companies and enthusiasts. The propellers will be electrically-driven, but it looks like there are pedals there for added assistance, not unlike the ground-bound ped-elec bicycles we have today. The design is inspired by the stories of Jules Verne and Jaroslav Foglar, the latter of whom authored a trilogy of books that featured a flying bike.

And this isn’t just some geeks dreaming inside of a 3D rendering program either. They plan to have their first prototype ready for test flights this August. They’ve worked out the calculations and four 10kW compact brushless electric motors should be enough to power the large 1300mm (51-inch) twin propellers in the front and back. Add in a couple of 3.5kW stabilized motors for the 650mm (25.5-inch) side blades and you’re in the air for three to five minutes at a time.

At least, that’s the idea. I wish them the best of luck, but at least put a helmet on that guy!

[Source]

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Urban commuters don’t really need a car, since a bicycle is so much more compact and can more easily weave its way through traffic. Even though you may know BMW better for its cars, it has now unveiled a pedal-electric bicycle that it calls the i Pedelec.

Aside from having a three-speed 42-volt electric hub motor that’ll help push you along, the more unique feature about the iPedelec is that it can fold up. This makes it much easier to transport between locations; two of them can reportedly fit in the back of the BMW i3 Concept EV. Even when folded up, the wheels can maintain contact with the ground. This means that you can push it along when you’re in a subway car, for example.

You get a motor assist of up to 16mph using the 14.75 ft-lbs of torque. There’s an effective range of 16 to 25 miles per charge with a full charge taking about four hours. If you use a quick charge station, a full recharge can take as little as 90 minutes. The 44-pound bike was announced in celebration of BMW open its first iStore on July 25, opening next door to its BMW and MIni stores on Park Lane in London.

There’s no word on pricing or availability on the i Pedelec folding pedal-electric bicycle, but being a BMW product, I can’t imagine it being terribly cheap.

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First, the futuristic-looking frame (3.53 pounds) is made from carbon fiber and it houses a touchscreen-equipped computer with WiFi, plus the necessary lithium-ion battery pack to power it. The wheels (1.32 pounds each) are made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together, this keeps the weight down to just 46.3 pounds including the swappable battery and, thus, helps to make the e-bike more efficient. The motor peaks at 2.3kW for 250 Nm of torque.

Second, there are five “travel” modes on this e-bike. They range from getting you to rely on your pedal power alone to allowing you to cruise on electric power alone, the latter of which has a top speed of about 31mph. There are also two “wheelie” modes where the power is controlled to help you keep that front wheel in the air, offering better stability and balance.  No word on price or release date.

[Source]

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Most electric motorcycles make use of a direct-drive systems, but that’s not the case with the two newest additions to the Brammo line. Both the Brammo Engage and the Brammo Encite are six-speed speedsters with something to prove.

We’ve already seen that electric cars need not be slow and boring, and the same thing is happening with bikes too. These are mostly designed for the motocross circuit, complete with uneven terrain and all kinds of jumps. No numbers are released, but Brammo promises that these two-wheelers have plenty of oomph to get you into the race.

By working to maximize an engine’s leverage over its wheels to increase acceleration or reduce the speed at which the engine needs to spin to boost efficiency, gearboxes have enabled gas-powered vehicles to be both faster and more efficient. Those are advantages single-speed electric vehicles haven’t yet enjoyed. Conventional wisdom stated they didn’t need to; the large torque outputs and flat power delivery of electric motors enabled reasonable performance without multiple speeds.

Starting with the Brammo Engage, you get a full-sized dirtbike. You can get the motocross version for off-roading or the supermoto version for on-road, both of which start at $9,995. Step it up to the SMS Super Moto for $11,995 for some street legal action. The Encite MMX Pro wasn’t announced with a price, but it’ll be the most hardcore racing version of the bunch.

Can the electric bikes compete with their petrol-fueled counterparts? There’s the Vegas Mini Moto SX this Friday, which should provide a suitable platform for Brammo to make an electrified statement.

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There are several folks who boot around Vancouver here in electric scooters. They’re compact, they’re efficient, they’re quite as hell and they get the job done. They’re also as slow as molasses and just about as interesting. The Lito Sora from Montreal is of a completely different breed.

Yes, it is just an electric motorcycle, but it’ll keep you going for days without having to plug back in. That’s because the 12kWh lithium-ion batteries keep the Sora swerving through traffic for up to 300km (185 miles) at a time. A full recharge does take eight hours though.

So, it has to be slow to achieve that kind of range, right? Not exactly. In fact, it’ll probably outrace many a Prius and Smart Car with its top speed of 200 km/h (125mph). Lito has tossed in an integrated GPS (that calculates the amount of power needed to get to your destination too), regen brakes, CVT, and electronically adjustable ergonomics for good measure. The seat has a vertical range of four inches, providing you with the right comfort (and aerodynamics).

For some strange reason, I can envision Captain America battling bad guys while riding this beast of an electrobike. Does that make me weird? In any case, there’s no price, but we know the Lito Sora can’t be cheap.

[Read]

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As much as we would like to believe otherwise, the conventional gas-powered car is going to be the primary mode of transport for the foreseeable future. That doesn’t mean, though, that we can’t innovate when it comes to secondary vehicles, as is the case with the E-3POD Antistatic.

Designed by Royal College of Art student Heikki Juvonen, the E3-POD Antistatic is the winning entry in a Double Challenge sponsored by Citroen. The goal was to create an ultra-compact electric vehicle and the E3-POD is exactly that.

It has two slightly angled wheels in the front and a giant wheel in the back. In this way, it’s kind of similar to something like the T-Rex, but it’s also completely different. For starters, the large back wheel is hubless and it houses the cabin where the single passenger will be seated. It’s also fully electric, using all kinds of lightweight construction to allow for a smaller battery pack and more efficient design.

Since the cabin is domed, you get more of a “personal space” that is separated from the rest of the world, quite unlike a regular bicycle. This also shields you from the elements. I imagine there could be some serious vision problems, though, as it looks like there’s a giant bar blocking the center of your windshield. That can’t be safe, can it?

[CarSession via Royal College of Art]

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Sure, electric bikes are nothing new, but nothing on the market quite looks like the Agility Global Saietta. That giant hump in the front apparently houses the bigger battery necessary for this electric bad boy. You’ll also notice the offset steering linkage and single damper design in the front suspension. You’ll also notice that isn’t your grandma’s electric scooter; it’s fast.

The Saietta S (about $16,200) gets a range of about 50 miles, but it’ll propel you from a stop to 60mph in under four seconds. That’s faster than several supercars (this is a bike, but it’s an electric bike).

If you want the 100 mile range of the Saietta R (about $22,650), you need about five seconds to get to 60mph. They weren’t forthcoming with horsepower counts, but we’re told that you get a power to weight ratio of 675hp per ton. By comparison, the Bugatti Veyron has a power to weight ratio of 446hp per ton.

Personally? I’m not a fan of that unsightly hump in the front. I don’t care how fast it goes. It doesn’t look all that comfortable to ride either, don’t you think?

[Engadget]

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