A Korean automotive parts company, Mando, has created an electric bike, Mando Footloose IM, calling it an electric car with two wheels. The company has been making automative parts since 1962 and has now turned its attention to electric bikes (e-bikes) for "smart personal mobility."
"In some ways, we are creating a whole new category of personal urban transport," said TS Lee, Executive Director, Smart Personal Mobility Division, Mando. "We want to create new ways for people to move around, particularly in urban locations that face a variety of transportation challenges–traffic, pollution, parking, fuel costs, etc. We believe the next generation of transportation solutions will need to rethink how technology works in a car or bike in order to deliver new levels of efficiency and convenience for the consumer."
E-bikes have been in the making since the 1880s with the first known patent from 1895.
According to Navigant Research, 47 million e-bikes will be sold by 2018 globally, with China making up for 42 million of those bikes taking 89% of the market share. This makes e-bikes the most sold electric vehicles today. Their growth forecast is robust and expected to generate $11.9 billion by 2018. The top five countries in Europe for e-bike sales in 2013 were Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy with Germany making up more than half of that market alone. .
The primary difference between the Mando Footloose IM and the other e-bikes is its chainless design. E-bikes traditionally have a chain that transports the energy that powers the bike. With the Footloose, the pedaling of the rider charge's the bike's lithium-ion battery. The battery has an alternator in the crank which powers the 250-watt rear hub motor.
There's a removable LCD control unit on the handlebar the company calls the Human-Machine Interface which displays speed and battery charge information and gives riders an option to choose different levels of electric pedaling assistance. This is also the thing that keeps the bike secure, when the LCD is removed, the bike won't work.
Mando Footloose’s automotive-grade Electronic Control Unit serves as the brain of the bike and regulates the bike's functions like vehicle propulsion to self-diagnosis and tracking of the state of the vehicle.
In the looks department, it comes with a polished aluminum alloy frame with a protective plastic coating. And stepping away from the traditional black, you can get the Mando Footloose IM in four different colors.
"In some ways it’s not for bike, or even e-bike, purists. It’s more of an option for a car or public transport and addressing the drawbacks of those types of transportation," Lee said. "Unlike traditional bikes, the Mando Footloose allows you to get around in style, and not worry about showing up at your destination needing a shower and fresh set of clothes."
