Last January, we said that the Robrady-designed db0 was one of the best folding electric bikes we'd seen. The Swiss entry into the market has turned its back on this traditional bicycle-with-motor design in favor of a folding pedal-electric assist scooter. Users are said to be able to fold or unfold the Voltitude bike in about one second, and with one hand, thanks to its unique EasyFold system. Swiss and EU legislation limits the electric assist to 15.5 mph (25 kph), although some frantic footwork could see it achieve faster speeds if required, and the onboard battery is good for between 12 and 25 miles (20 to 40 km) between charges.
Looking at the Voltitude bike, you can't help thinking of a Swiss Army knife and as a last mile transport solution, it could prove just as useful. Unlike the YikeBike, it's not designed to be lifted and carried. Once folded using the unique mechanism, a special button on the handlebar activates the motor to trundle the bike along at walking pace – which is probably just as well as the bike can weigh up to 48 pounds (22 kg) before a battery even enters the equation.
Its 43-inch (1087 mm) wheelbase and seat height/handlebar position make it comparable to a standard bicycle, but you won't find many bikes with the wide scooter wheels and low center of gravity. Onboard sensors determine how much electric assist the rider gets from the rear wheel 250W electric motor – the more you give to the pedals, the more power will be added to the wheel. The onboard 9.5Ah/36v lithium-polymer battery, which is said to take just four hours to fully recharge, also provides juice for the integrated front and rear LED lighting.
The Voltitude bike benefits from strong-but-lightweight aluminum frame and wheels, hydraulic disk brakes, and can be equipped with front or rear luggage racks. Other options include sequential 3, 5 or 8 speed gearboxes.
Although this may vary from country to country, the Voltitude bike is considered a normal bicycle in the EU and Switzerland, so there's no need for a driving license or registration plate. A helmet is also not a legal requirement, but is recommended.
The creation of Eric and André-Marcel Collombin was shown off recently at the Geneva Motor Show, and is currently being manufactured in small numbers for a limited number of Swiss customers. International pre-orders for the Voltitude are now being accepted, but final specs and price are yet to be announced. The first non-Swiss shipments will likely be made towards the end of 2011.
I currently have an electric bike that has 3 batteries. I use it not because I\'m \"lazy\" but because as a photographer, I sometimes need to get somewhere quickly to get a shot. Tomorrow I am covering the Tico Air Show in Titusville, Florida. I just attended another airshow and found that I could not get to the other end of the air strip quick enough to get shots of the pilots doing autographs and planes flying low over the airstrip.
The drawback on this particular bike is, it\'s heavy and difficult to lift into my car, even with the handlebar dismantled. The seat no longer comes off...I had a nice big cushy seat put on and I had it welded. I\'m 57, a female, and it\'s a job just getting it into the back of my SUV by myself. Getting it out is easier than getting it in.
Bottom line is, I can cover more ground with this bike than I can on foot and I don\'t tire as easily. Once I get tired of walking, I can\'t do all that I want to do, so this bike is SO helpful and a joy to have.
@mharo-I think that people should have to score above 100 on an I.Q. test before they can comment. I read Gizmag because they publish material that is at the forefront of scientific and technological discovery. When something is new, there isn\'t much information about it. When something is really new, you can\'t buy it.
What really confuses me is the purpose of your comment. Tkj obviously felt the need to berate the author while displaying his overarching scientific knowledge about gyroscopic stability. You, on the other hand, start out the same as Tkj but then write a customer review about your own electric bicycle.
The Segway also comes with tons of \"storage\" options, and you do not need to lift it up into the back of your SUV - there is a Trailer Hitch Attachment that allows you to simply park the Segway at the back of your vehicle, and with the flip of a couple levers, it\'s off the ground and secured for vehicular travel.
Segways, if stolen, cannot be used by thieves without your distinctive BlueTooth Key, and the only way to get a \"new\" key is to request it from Segway Corp, who knows how to handle these brazen \"requests\" for keys to stolen Segways.
Check them out - most States allow Segways on public roads/sidewalks/pathways. Oh, and they are a heck of a lot more maneuvourable than any \"bike\", and possibly has a better range than your electric bike has.
Unfortunately, no one has come up with a reasonable, sensible, LEGAL electric bicycle that tickles my fancy - probably why I lean on my Segway and keep looking at these articles in the hope that one day, perhaps just one day, someone will invent an electric bike that makes me do a double-take.