A new device has been developed to fit into the bike wheel of most bikes giving it over 350w of power, the unique factor about this device is that it recharges as you ride too!
This design has all of the hardware e.g. motor control, batteries all squeezed into one device which fits between the forks of your bike. Another amazing feature of this device is it pairs up with your phone and allows you to track the energy it has while the device can also detect when you want that extra speed by sensing increases and decreases in pedal movement, helping you get faster!
Tech specs:
Motor: 350W, EU: 250W
Size: 26 inches or 700c rim
Battery: 48V lithium
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
Range: Up to 31 miles (50 km)
Battery life: 1000 cycles
Charge time: 4 hours
Smartphone OS: iOS, Android
Compatibility: Single speed or 7/8/9/10 speed-free hub
Top speed US: 20 mph, EU: 25 km/h
Brake type: Rim brake and regenerative braking (downhill and back pedal)
Weight: 13 pounds (5.9 kg)
Dropout: 120mm (single speed, 135mm (single and multi-speed)
Looking at the techspecs of this device you can see strait away it isn’t a monster in power, but it does have a lot of features. With the upcoming SDK which will allow some customization, as once us hackers put a slave wheel on the front wheel to get that extra power, this concept is amazing! As the speeds you can get from having two of these wheels would be e force to be reckoned with, however this has some drawbacks as mentioned blow.
The final hurdle for this design is getting the consumer to buy with a whopping $1000 dollar price tag it’s not cheap, with the add-on of the legal constituent for when does it become a limit that a bike needs a license to drive?