Audi Worthersee e-bike: fast, fun and clever

The Gadget Show  Monday 14 May 2012

The concept of smartphones taking over the world is hardly a new one, but one gadget we never really saw getting along with the multi-talented mobile pocket wonder is the humble bicycle. Well, take a look at Audi’s Worthersee concept bike. Seems we were wrong.

Electric bikes have come a long way over the past decade or so, with improving technology, wider acceptance and their inclusion in urban bike-to-work schemes having brought power-assisted cycling to the fringes of the mainstream.

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But there’s still an image problem with power-assisted cycling, and it’s safe to say there’s been little sign of the electric bikes we’ve seen so far persuading hardcore road and mountain bikers to convert in their droves.

The carbon fibre frame weighs in at 1.6kg, and with a charge time of just two and a half hours it’s more than capable of coping with the day-to-day practicalities of commuting.

But the 2.3kW motor is not just efficient – it’s powerful too, capable of pushing you along at up to 31mph all on its own. Add some traditional pedal power to that and you’re looking at as much as 50mph.

Those are two of the five operating modes available, and these can be controlled on the bike computer itself, or via your smartphone, which communicates with the bike via Wi-Fi and is able to map and track your ride. From there you can upload video and other data to the web and share it with your e-biking mates to compare adventures.

Overall, it’s an impressive mix of what cutting edge engineering and technology can achieve when applied together, but like most prototype devices it would probably end up costing a ridiculous amount of money if it ever made it into production.

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Tags:

Audi, Worthersee, electric bike, Concept