BMW has revealed an electric folding bicycle at the opening on of its first showroom dedicated to the BMW i sub-brand. A near production-ready version of the BMW i3 concept was also shown.
The BMW i Pedelec concept’s name comes from a merging of the words pedal, electric and concept. It is a folding bicycle that uses an electric motor to boost pedaling forces, and once retracted two can fit in the boot of a BMW i3.
It has disc brakes at the front and rear and a three-speed gear hub is integrated in to the motor. The bike’s frame is made from aluminium and carbonfibre.
The electric motor assists the rider up to 16mph, removing the need for it to be insured or registered. It does not require a license or helmet to ride.
A full battery charge is estimated to last between 16 and 25 miles, and the hub motor acts as a generator under braking and when riding downhill. It takes four hours to charge from a domestic power source or from a power source in the i3’s boot.
The i Pedalec is part of BMW's Olympic sponsorship, which sees it heavily promoting its environmentally-friendly transport.
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