Electric Bicycle

When it comes to wheels, Polaris is already a well-recognized brand thanks to its line of off-roaders. Now the company is making the move into a new segment: electric bikes. Polaris has partnered with electric drive manufacturer EVantage in launching its own line of e-bikes. In fact, it dives into the market with lines for three different types of cyclists.  Read More

Folding electric bikes may not be a new thing, but they've come a long way since 2005, when a game of "spot the battery" was unlikely to provide any more than .6 of a second's entertainment. More recent models such as the VeloMini, Bik.e and db0 have benefited from advances in EV technology, and now the NEO VOLT comfortably continues the trend. At first or second glance, you mightn't spot that its an electric bike at all.  Read More

Bakfiets, the distinctive Dutch cargo bikes with the cargo bed located in front of the rider, are becoming increasingly popular outside of The Netherlands. Practical as they are for hauling things like groceries, however, they’re heavy. Their beds also tend to be rather hard and unyielding – not ideal for carting your kids around. The Dutch designers of the Urban Arrow took these things into consideration when creating their machine. It has a padded, rain-protected cargo box to keep the little ones comfy and dry, an electric motor to compensate for its 45-kg (99-lb) weight, and a few other clever features.  Read More

You know what one of the neat things about electric bicycles is? It’s the fact that because riders don’t have to rely solely on their own physical strength to propel the things, manufacturers have the freedom to explore designs that aren’t centered around keeping the weight down. Case in the point is the M-1 ebike from Anaheim-based Marrs Cycles – it probably has more in common with a custom Harley Davidson than with anything put out by Specialized or Trek.  Read More

The Faraday Porteur electric bicycle stole hearts when it won the Oregon Manifest bicycle competition last year for IDEO and Rock Lobster, but was never intended to be sold. However, lead IDEO designer Adam Vollmer was so enamored with the fruit of his labor that he founded Faraday Bicycles in order to bring the Porteur to market.  Read More

From the Jetsons to Back To The Future, hopping onto or into a personal flying vehicle has been on the engineering "To Do" list for a good many years. We've seen a number of noteworthy attempts at defying gravity and taking to the skies here at Gizmag (many of which are featured in this roundup from 2010) and now another possible addition to that growing collection has landed on our desk. Known simply as the Flying Bike (or FBike), this collaborative effort from a bunch of Czech companies and enthusiasts is still very much in the early stages of development, but the proposal is to fit a number of electrically-driven propellers to the custom frame of a two-wheeler that will allow the pilot to rise above the traffic for as long as the batteries hold out.  Read More

BMW has further strengthened its commitment to an electric mobility future by announcing the opening of its first i Store on July 25. To celebrate the event, the German auto giant has developed a new folding pedal-electric bike called the i Pedelec. Like the Voltitude, the new bike can be rolled along when folded to make getting on and off trains or buses, or in and out of elevators, a little less troublesome, and benefits from a geared electric hub motor, high performance batteries and disc braking at the front and rear. BMW also says that two folded i Pedelec bikes can be comfortably squeezed into the trunk space of its forthcoming i3 EV, and that their batteries can be charged while in there.  Read More

Audi has announced that it will debut a new performance e-bike prototype at next week's Wörthersee Tour car show in the picturesque village of Reifnitz, Austria. Described as a high-end pedelec for sport, fun and tricks, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee features a futuristic carbon fiber frame that houses an onboard computer and a Li-ion battery pack, and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels - both designed to keep the weight down. The prototype offers five travel modes, ranging from pedal-power to electric-only, and inclusive of two "Wheelie" modes where the power is automatically controlled to assist the rider while the front wheel grabs some air.  Read More

Details have now surfaced for the golf-specific, and fourth, Hanebrink electric bike we briefly mentioned a few days ago. The Links BRINK features many of the same specs as the bikes that have come before it, including those wonderful chunky 20-inch (50cm) diameter, 8-inch (20cm) wide tubeless tires, but has an easy mount and dismount frame and comes supplied with its own custom two-wheeled golf trolley.  Read More