Challenge Bibendum
Berlin, Germany – There have always been electric bikes at the Challenge Bibendum. This year there was one bicycle that captured my eye. It was Daz Konzept Michelin Elektro-Fahrrad, the concept Michelin Electric bicycle.
Yann de Parscau, Marketing and Business Analyst for Michelin Lifestyle showed us the bike. It’s a prototype for the urban area that works on electricity and human power. The cool part is it can fold up and fit in your trunk! I have some friends that bike every weekend. With the ease of carrying and storage, I can put it in my trunk, drive 30 miles, and go for a ride with them.
de Parscau demonstrated the bicycle, unplugging the charger, folding it in half, and pulling the lithium-ion battery out of the frame. The tires are the latest in technology by Michelin using an anti-puncture energy saver that is still under study.
The bicycle can get up to 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) on one charge. And when you need to charge again you can recharge on a 240 Volt or a 12 Volt car charger!
It’s still a prototype that Michelin is getting feedback to see if they will build it. If my vote counts, I loved it.
