Pi Mobility founder, Marcus Hays, has been creating innovative electric bikes and vehicles since 1995. His current line-up of electric vehicles includes the PiMoto electric motorcycle (above) and the PiCycle and PiCycle Limited hybrids (below) electric bikes.
The PiMoto lists starting at $2,999 and will hit a top speed of 30 mph with a range of 25 miles. The PiCycle hybrid starts at $2,499 and reaches speeds of 20 mph and a range of 20 miles. The ruggedly futuristic looking, top of the line, mid-drive, PiCycle Limited hybrid bike will cost you around $4,999 to experience it’s 20 mph and 40 mile range.
Read a more detailed review of these cool looking EV’s on the L.A. Times Up to Speed blog.
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Design for the sake of design is like growth for the sake of growth. It’s the same principle as cancer.
The eco-friendly story misses the point. Use less to do more, not use more to do less.
I admire great design. I like sleek shapes. Better yet when both are combined to do more than was possible with less than previously required.
This takes opulence to a new level of irresponsibility.
Now let me get this straight, because these bike are sleekly designed and aren’t made of recycled bike parts they’re opulent? Though these bikes may be a little pricey – a good looking, well designed electric bike might actually entice a consumer to leave his car in the garage, or better yet not use one at all. I suppose car makers, fashion designers and alternative energy innovators should aspire to make products that look crappy and perform adequately – I’m sure they’d sell a lot of new them. Sometimes functional design actually looks good and serves a practical purpose. Go figure.
The one and only criterion for products is whether they are modular and using open standards. This way the user may refurbish after the end of life of some components.
So how to exchange worn out batteries?
Whatever about the looks of these particular bikes, the jury is out on all electric bikes. Here’s my cautionary tale.
I bought a uGlider first, which was fun to cycle until I realised the battery was entirely unrealibe. The most I ever got out of it was six miles – not the 20 promised. Cyling a heavy elecic bike with only fve gears into a headwind for six miles is not fun.
I returned to my regualr hybride bike and the uGlider ended up lying around my garage; and yes, I shoduel have brought it back immediately. I finally did so and got a new battery, which meant I could try and sell it on with a good conscience. I got one or two bits, but nothign concrete.
I decided then the only solution was to trade up for a bike with a 50km range, which I would then try and sell to try and salvage some of the money I had thrown away on the first bike. I am getting no takers at all.
So paid a visit to a bike shop today only to be told that the best thing to do with these bikes is to strip them of the battery and cycle them as ordinary bikes. They are chronically unrelaible and the shop is dealing with problems all the time on all sorts of brands.
I am told th ebest I could expect for the bike is abotu one-thirdd of what I paid out. I’m sick to my stomach at the thought of how much money I have wasted on them. I would emphatically urge oterhs to avoid them as the con-job they are and to invest in a good road bike for half the price.