These no-ped bikes are getting more and more present everywhere, and I'm sure they will be a "revolution"! I personally made one myself from a fatbike, and I can tell you it's a blast to ride. And it's so light, you can stow it anywhere a bike would fit. Note that with fat tires, you don't need a suspension, which reduces complexity and cost. Another thing that differentiates it from a motorcycle is that there is no transmission, so they are very simple to operate. I totally agree with the author's suggestion that there should be a new, very low-cost, separate class of registration for these no-ped bikes. They are the future of urban eco-mobility.

The only reasonable paint job for this thing would be to make the main tube look like a Duracell battery.

They sure compromised a LOT of practicality in order to get the mono-tube look... another sad example of form trouncing any practical function... can't the two work together guys? Perhaps put a practical luggage rack in the lower "triangle" area (great for lower CoG) rather than just empty space? How about a removable battery pack up in the tube (maybe it does... tl;dr) so I can plug it in at my desk while at work?

@kwalispecial, that's a super-cool idea - love it!

"Break out of the gasoline age?" Where do you think electrons come from? Thin air? Natural gas fired turbines, diesel spewing generators, dams that block fish runs, etc., etc. I believe in the Tesla rumors. Our own FBI (I believe) scurried over to where Mr. Tesla died, rather rapidly, to confiscate all his documents. Then have not been seen since. Our government, that we actually have little control over, has been working on his principals for the past almost 100 years. They have the ability to extract electrons out of the "ether" or thin air, as well as the ability to manipulate gravity. Believe it or not. I have seen one in action and don't mind if you call me nuts. If it wasn't ours, it was somebody else's.

No mention made of the brakes? Personally I no longer ride bikes that don’t have ABS as an option. Professional stunt riders might not want it but most other riders benefit from ABS. Low powered with good brakes should be it’s own class for safety ratings.

I like it but I think all of these new "commuter" solutions are missing the mark a bit. Not everyone lives close to work and those that don't generally have a freeway or motorway where they need to do 100 kph or get run over by some trades person or delivery van in a hurry. When an affordable bike with a top speed of 110 kph and an minimum of range 70 k's becomes available I'll start getting interested.

So I can purchase a 4kW Vespa Elettrica with 100km range for US$7350. The PocketRocket seems way overpriced given its minimalist features.

I can see the first customization kits coming out now. Add an extension with 4 fins to the back with the afterburner taillight and a clear cone headlight cover would give a new interpretation of "pocket rocket".

That wheelie photo is a keeper for sure. Love it.