Folding electric bike – or art project? (via Impossible Technology)
If you live in the city, you probably already know that commuting sucks and companies have been working towards finding better, electric ways at getting us to our destination. As of late, there are tons of companies creating better electric skateboards to get you to the office, but what about the old fashioned bicycle?
There haven't been many innovations on the portable, traveler’s bike – especially not an electric one. Previously, the best portable bike is from 2006 (the A-Bike) and is still so bulky that it's the size of a luggage when you fold it up. Of course, it still serves its purpose, but it can still be a right pain in many different ways.
The "A-Bike" from 2006
Impossible Technology decided to create something that seems... well, impossible. Meet the new portable, electric bike that is so small, it can fit in your backpack – and you'll still have room for more stuff!
When the impossible bike is folded up, it looks about the shape and size of a tennis racket and fits inside of a hard plastic carrying case. This case also doubles as a seat for the bike, adding more mystery and quirkiness to the overall design.
As you can see by the picture above, when you unfold the bike for use it looks more like an artistic impression of a bike than an actual functioning bike. But, alas, if you watch the video below, you'll find the creator zooming around China on his intriguing invention. This product is actually a joint innovation between some Chinese and Canadian engineers and software designers.
The overall design is based on circles, and the miniature wheels drop down and lock into place, allowing you to pull out the handle and seat. The frame is supposed to be made of carbon fiber, but because the design is so compact, it can only hold up to 180 lbs.
The impossible bike is propelled by a brushless electric motor that the inventor is still developing for the next generation prototype. Hence, once you put the bike together and find a way to perch and find balance on its sparse frame, you can just zoom past pedestrians.
Due to the lack of suspension, you obviously won't be doing any road biking on this thing, but it should work just find for paved roads – well paved roads, I should emphasize.
This bike can actually go 15.6 miles at a moderate speed and comes equipped with 10 2,900mAh batteries. You can ride the impossible bike a full speed (12.4 mph) for up to 45 minutes.
Suffice to say, you should be prepared for a nice and breezy cruising speed and not whatever those crazy bike messengers pull. The project has been live on Kickstarter for a short time now and has already pledged over $212k Canadian dollars of its pledged goal of $55,000.
All of the early specials are gone, but you can still nab one of these at $530 Canadian, before they hit the market.
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