This electric bike collaboration is almost impossibly easy to use
Electric bikes don?t need to be dorky, or look like something you borrowed from grandma. In fact, if it wasn?t for the down-tube bulge that holds the battery, this electric bike concept could pass for a pretty cool-looking mountain bike.
The concept is a team-up between Bosch (the electrics), NuVinci (the rear hub) and Gates (the belt-drive), and was built for the Taipei bike show in Taiwan. It is designed to be an almost maintenance-free commuter bike, aimed at those who want to ditch their cars to save money.
While Bosch?s electrical system powers the bike ? and puts all the controls and readouts in a console up on the handlebars ? the real meat is in the drive system. The motor is of the pedal-assist kind, which provides a a boost to the rider?s own power instead of opening up like a motorbike throttle. This power is sent to the rear wheel via the Gates Carbon Drive, which needs no lubrication and therefore never leaves oily stains on pants cuffs.
Finally, we reach the NuVinci hub. This hub uses planetary gearing for infinitely variable ratios (between its high and low limits, obviously). This lets you get just the gear just right, whatever slope you?re on.
The bike will never be made in numbers, and exists only as a way to show manufacturers what electric bikes could look like. I?m of a mind that says people should just ride a real bike and burn a few extra calories already, but for the terminally lazy, as well as those who just can?t ride due to age or infirmity, electric is still way better than taking the car.
If this ?collabo? bike were ever actually sold, it would go for around ?3,000, or $4,200. Yet another reason to use pedal power.
Sneak Peak: Belt Drive E-Bike with NuVinci and Bosch Technology Provides Glimpse of Electric Bike of the Future [Carbon Drive blog. Thanks, Paul!]
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