BMW unveils i pedelec foldable electric bike of the future

The Gadget Show  Monday 18 June 2012

It’ll be some time yet before we see electric bikes as commonly as the manual alternative, but not if they all looked like this. The BMW i pedelec (pictured) is a lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre folding bike designed to fit into the trunk a car, with a battery that also functions as a generator to prevent you running out of juice when you most need it. 



The BMW i pedelec (seen via designboom), with its modern design features a carbon fibre build that according to BMW, results in a lightweight ride. The 3-speed bicycle comes fitted with an electric motor to assist the rider with speeds of up to 16 miles per hour, with a range of around 16-25 miles – which should be enough for even the most ambitious of bike rides. 


Audi Worthersee e-bike is fast, fun, and clever

The BMW i pedelec is even more unique since it folds into itself for easy storage and transportation when not in use. Like electric cars, its battery can be charged. It has a a quick charge time of a minimum 1.5 hours from a wall socket, or the trunk of BMW’s i3 concept car.

Not that the i pedelec would be likely to run out of juice anytime soon. The bike has a generator that stores kinetic energy when going downhill. It could be a long time before we see the BMW i pedelec in shops anytime soon, but if there’s any bike likely to tempt us from the motor, it’s the BMW i pedelec.

Although car-maker Audio would have something to say about that. In May it revealed its Worthersee e-bike concept, with assisted pedaling, while Specialized launched its Turbo bike – the world’s fastest electric bike, capable of speeds up up to 28 miles per hour.

Would you swap your motor for any of the above? 


Specialized Turbo is world’s fastest electric bike