Electric Bike That Fits Into A Bag–Impossible

It probably shouldn’t exist, but a group of engineers have built a prototype electric bicycle with a bizarre design that folds up into a tiny form.

Bicycles tend to be big. Even the most compact of folding bicycles still end of being the size of a suitcase when collapsed down. Electric bikes typically add even more heft to the equation. This is why the Impossible electric bike on Kickstarter like myewheel is attracting attention. It weighs 11 pounds and, when folded up, is a mere 17 inches tall. You can stuff it into a backpack, and it doesn’t even have to be a very big backpack.

The secret to making an electric bike this small has to do with some clever design. When unfolded, the bike looks like a giant pair of weird glasses thanks to the circles-within-circles design that lets it all fold up. The batteries allow the bike to reach speeds of up to 12.4mph for as long as 45 minutes. At slower speeds, its range maxes out at 15.6 miles. That’s enough to handle most urban commutes, especially for people on public transportation looking for a last-mile lift to work.

The Impossible bike is a radical design, and it’s not immune to having some questions developing around it. There are no pedals or a chain, so if you run out of juice, you will have to haul it. The reasoning behind this is to keep the weight down. The bike in its current form has a 180-pound weight limit for the rider, but the creators are working on improving the vehicle’s capacity.

Many urban commuters face all sorts of different road conditions, so it will be interesting to see how the Impossible holds up to rough streets or bad weather.

With 42 days left to go on the project, there’s still time for the creators to address some of these issues.

Source: CNET