Throw Out the Spare Tire, Replace It With an Electric Bike?
Volkswagen has debuted its first electric bike that conveniently folds down to a disc that fits in the spare tire compartment of a trunk.
Before you start writing your comment about how an electric bike is no replacement for a spare tire if you have a flat or blowout, let me say, that's not really its purpose. Volkswagen calls the bike a "mobility enhancer" and they imagine a scenario where you can park your car on the perimeter of town and then use the bike to ride in and make all of your in-town stops.
And because of the collapsed bike's small size, you don't have to throw out the spare tire to fit it in your car, but apparently, it's an option.
The VW bik.e has a range of 12.5 miles, but if you need more range to complete your errands, the bike battery can be charged by a car's DC current and a typical AC plug. It has an official top speed of 12.5 mph, a speed that allows Germans to ride without a helmet, though it's rumored that the prototype goes faster than that.
The word at the Auto China 2010 show, where the bik.e debuted, was that Volkswagen is committed to getting this bike out on the streets. It may not be too long before we see this sleek, small bike in action.
via Autoblog Green