From http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=523656&publicationSubCategoryId=78

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MANILA, Philippines – Ever since the issue of global warming began heating up thanks to the 2006 documentary“An Inconvenient Truth,” the bicycle is being championed as one solution to climate change.

But even with the threat of extreme weather – plus rising fuel prices – people are still hesitant to use foot power. Well, you don’t want to be sweaty and smelly when you get to the office, and you don’t want to be exhausted when you start your day.

Environment advocate Ramon Castillo’s simple solution? Just give the bike a new spin. Install an electric motor.

Castillo’s Antipolo-based company, Innovatronix, is the first Filipino firm to mass produce an electric bicycle, the Exceed. Only the electric motor comes from abroad; the rest is all-Filipino.

“The e-bike, I believe, is one of the most cost effective means of motorized transportation as far as environmental foot print is concerned,” says Castillo, an electrical engineering graduate from UP Diliman. “The environment is one area where, I think, I can contribute my share. Therefore, I decided to help.” With nations now combating global warming and climate change, the environment promises to be a greener pasture.

Electric bicycles are nothing new. Even the Exceed is not the first model produced by Innovatronix. Castillo first designed an electric bike in 2004, but it sold poorly mainly because it wasn’t aesthetic enough. It was a bike with an electric motor slapped onto the rear. Only the diehard environmentalists could love it.

Innovatronix engineer Marvin Tapia says the old design also gave this imaginary fear of having your finger or foot being accidentally snagged and severed by the chain connecting the motor to the rear wheel. “So we took customers’ feedback and suggestions and designed a new bike.”

With new specifications in mind, Tapia drafted a new design on the computer. It was trial and error for six months as he sourced and tested parts. By September this year, the Exceed was ready for the road.

“We had to find the balance between what the customer wants, the availability of parts, the manufacturing cost and the selling price,” says Tapia. The result is a bike that appeals to a wider market, including women and teens. Innovatronix sells 12 units a month, compared to four with the old e-bike model.

Tapia, who takes the Exceed to and from work, says motorists often ask about it. “Instead of just passing by, they drive beside me and ask where it comes from, how much and all that,” Tapia beams with pride. “People become more impressed when I tell them that it’s Filipino-made. Kids want to joyride in it.”

And unlike the old e-bike model, the Exceed is five kilometers faster at 30 kph – and foldable. You can load it in the car trunk and go out for a spin on a picnic. You can also bring it inside the house or office and not worry about it getting stolen.

With a maximum range of 28 kilometers on a single charge – that is, on a level road surface – Castillo envisions the Exceed as an alternative for short distance travel, such as in small provincial towns where the ear-splitting, bone-rattling, smoke belching tricycle is king.

Just crunch these numbers: charging the Exceed takes about three to five hours. A tricycle ride is at least P10 – or P40 if you pay for all four seats per one-way trip. Meralco, on the other hand, charges an average P9 per kilowatt hour – and Exceed’s battery is good 28 kilometers. If your battery runs out, you can always revert to foot power.

As technology improves, Castillo predicts lighter, faster and longer-ranging e-bikes. “In probably five years’ time, we will see e-bikes that can easily travel 50 kilometers per day at almost no fuel cost.”

He also sees a longer road with the Exceed. “It is also a good stepping stone for us to learn more about technologies needed to manufacture other electric vehicles.”

Innovatronix is currently designing the “e-cart”, a small four-wheel vehicle. Castillo’s target market is businesses with warehouses that need to move items from one end to the other. “Warehouses would greatly benefit from zero emission technology because they are enclosed.”

Castillo adds that the death and destruction wrought by Ondoy showed the urgency of climate change. Towns and cities need to have more bike lanes and bicycle parking lots to make bike use more appealing.

However, changing people’s mindsets is the biggest challenge. In an effort to change one-track minds, the Light Rail Transit Authority just days ago designated “green zones” on its trains. Bikers are allowed to bring their wheels onboard, but only foldable bikes are allowed to prevent them from taking too much space.

Once people see how cost effective the e-bike is in terms of transportation cost, Castillo says we will see many practical applications. For starters, they are ideal for going around villages and for businesses serving short routes.

“Eventually, alternative charging stations will even make the e-bike more eco friendly,” Castillo says. E-bikes may be charged using solar and wind power, eliminating the need for power plants running on fossil fuel someday.

For the electric bicycle, the future only looks bright and green.

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/08/brompton-bicycle-folding-sales-factory –

The Brompton bicycle company is having a fashion moment – well, at least it was until last month when Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, was snapped whooshing around London on his sleek black “folder”.

The British manufacturer has been quietly raising the style stakes in the cycle lanes, as multicoloured options such as shocking-pink handlebars and “purple haze” frames win younger – and female – converts to a brand that was once the preserve of eccentric middle-aged men.

Brompton Bicycle’s managing director, Will Butler-Adams, accepts Mandelson has snuffed out any flames of fashion credibility but is nonetheless chuffed at government endorsement. “He’s had it for a bit too, because it’s not the latest, latest one,” he adds.

Mandelson is not the only one taken with his Brompton. Sales are up more than 25% this year as tweaks to the famous folding design, which starts at £600, coupled with rising bus and train fares, get people on the move.

“We made a conscious effort to introduce choice and make the bike lighter,” says Butler-Adams, whose company now offers 144 colour combinations but up to 4m permutations if other parts are included. “The principle design is the Brompton but, in terms of what you can have, the sky’s the limit.”

For a brand that is a byword in chic thanks to its pared-down technology, Brompton Bicycle’s headquarters, squashed under a motorway flyover at Kew Bridge, west London, are hardly inspiring. Any factory noise – the company makes a hundred bikes a day – are muffled by the thunder of articulated lorries overhead. But once inside, the grim anonymity of the industrial park disappears. Coloured frames in flamingo pink, apple green and cornflower blue are lined up like bonbons in a sweet shop, while racks of disembodied saddles look like they should be displayed in Tate Modern.

As Butler-Adams walks the factory floor it becomes clear he is on first-name terms with all 115 staff. Each finished bike has 16 stamps identifying the craftsmen who shaped it.

“Our patent ran out nine years ago, and if we were making this bike in Taiwan, staff turnover would mean that knowledge would be lost. Years of love have gone into our staff,” says Butler-Adams.

The bike is named after the Brompton Oratory in South Kensington, which the company’s founder, Andrew Ritchie, could see from the window of his flat as he worked on the prototype in the early 80s. And while the company spins on one intrinsic design, Brompton means different things to different nationalities. In Barcelona young urbanites whizz down the Ramblas to the sea, while in Germany it remains the preserve of the 50-something Herr.

Simon Threadkell, creative director at Fitch, a branding expert and Brompton owner, says riders of the bike make up a discrete club: “It’s like VW beetle drivers flashing their headlights at each other – there is a sense of belonging. It’s a disparate organic community.”

In Britain the club’s membership is changing, with 35-40% of Brompton customers now women. The average rider’s age has also dropped below 40.

Ben Cooper, who runs the Kinetics bike shop in Glasgow, reports a trend for “his and hers” purchasing. “Couples often buy together,” he says. “At the moment I’m doing a pink and purple one for ‘her’, while ‘his’ is a more manly sand colour.”

Working at full pelt

Brompton’s cult appeal means the brand punches well above its weight in terms of awareness. Although sales have grown by at least 20% for the past four years, it is a small player with a turnover of £10m in a UK bike market worth about £450m a year. The factory is working at full pelt but buyers must still wait 10 weeks for delivery.
Butler-Adams concedes the company may have lost market share in the fast-growing folding market but says it is not chasing volume sales. Like some other premium brands it refuses to supply the market-leading retailer, Halfords, which sells £200m worth of bikes and accessories a year, preferring to deal with bike “specialists”.

“I’d love to sell their product,” says Halfords’ chief executive, David Wild. “Folding bikes are a real area of opportunity and we are not doing as good a job as I’d like on ranging at the moment.”

And competition is increasing. Halfords has developed its own folding bikes, using its house brand, Apollo, while the Los Angeles-based Dahon is the world’s largest folding bike manufacturer.

So why not sell out to private equity and double the size of the factory in a heartbeat – or move production to Taiwan? Butler-Adams looks appalled. The company, he says, is not constrained by a lack of funds – it is debt free – but by the time is takes to train master bike builders. “Bring five new people in and it takes five to train them. There is a limit to what you can do and if you fill a factory with new people you dilute the knowledge in the business.”

Brompton has already invested close to £1m in Kew Bridge and plans to spend another £500,000 at the site, with less specialist jobs outsourced to factories in Europe and Asia. When Butler-Adams joined in 2002, Brompton made 7,000 bikes a year; this year it will be 25,000, with a target of 50,000 on the near horizon. “In two years we will be kicking arse,” he says.

Bollywood actor getting behind cycling – http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2009/ranbir-bicycle-environment-271009.html

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Bhopal, (ANI): Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor rode a cycle here on Tuesday to spread awareness about the benefits of a pollution free environment. The ‘Green Planet Bicycle Riders Association’, a voluntary organisation promoting awareness of environment protection and global warming, sponsored the event.

Buzz up!
Kapoor joined other cyclists, thereby suggesting that others cycle at least for short-distances to help save energy and improve their health.

“Our universe is going through global warming. Petroleum and other fuels are causing pollution, so whatever we can do to protect our health, our planet and to save greenery should be done. I believe cycling is a great mode of transportation. I completely encourage it. It not only helps in maintaining good health but also saves our planet,” said Kapoor.

Kapoor was shooting for his forthcoming film Rajneeti in the city. Film director Prakash Jha also took a cycle ride.

“Our universe is facing the brunt of energy consumption. So I believe this first initiative to promote greenery via cycling is a great effort. If most of the people would walk or cycle or use no-fuel consumption vehicle, it would be great help in saving our planet,” said Jha.

From the winnipeg sun: http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/canada/2009/10/27/11542826.html

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OTTAWA — The NDP wants to give commuters a tax break to go Green.

MP Denise Savoie introduced a private member’s bill today that would offer tax benefits to people who choose public transit, cycling and carpooling over driving to work.

It would apply to workers at participating employers who choose more environmentally friendly options for travelling to and from work.

The bill would make “employer-provided transportation benefits“ tax-exempt, allowing workers to be reimbursed up to $150 monthly for transit and carpool parking, or up to $240 a year for bicycle maintenance.

Bernard D’Amour of the Canadian Urban Transit Association has endorsed Savoie’s bill, saying the proposal can be cost-effective and an important incentive for increased transit use.

However, private member’s bills rarely make in through Parliament.

Bicycle vs drivers – http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20091019_S_J__bike_path_faces_challenges_from_drivers.html

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S.J. bike path faces challenges from drivers

By James Osborne
Inquirer Staff Writer

On his commute from Philadelphia to Cherry Hill, Andy Ward must negotiate cobbled streets, pedestrians on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and Camden’s derelict boulevards – all on his bicycle.

But it’s not until the 28-year-old bike mechanic gets into South Jersey, with its multilane roads connecting shopping centers and office parks, that he begins to consider his mortality.

“In Philadelphia there’s a lot of volume, but maybe because [drivers] see more cyclists, they are more aware,” Ward said. “Here you really got to watch them, because they’re not watching for you.”

As planners look toward establishing a regional bike network, connecting Cherry Hill and surrounding towns with Camden and ultimately Philadelphia, they are butting up against the problem of putting cyclists on a system of roads often eight lanes wide with cars moving at highway speeds.

“It’s hard to develop plans for these nonmotorized forms of transportation when everything was set up to favor motorized transportation,” said Jacob Gordon, project manager for the Cooper Ferry Development Association, which is developing a bicycle path along the Cooper River. “Route 30 is a really difficult connection. And on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, you have these pockets of sidewalk, which are kind of for show, as opposed to really getting you someplace.”

Communities across the United States – especially urban communities – are painting bike lanes and establishing cycling networks that allow people to ride to work or the grocery store, and perhaps give up their cars.

The percentage of Americans who bike to work increased by 43 percent from 2000 to 2008, according to U.S. census data, but is still just .55 percent of the commuting population.

That trend is spreading into the suburbs and exurbs, where the car is king and roads carry a traffic load that could make cycling at best unsavory and at worst outright dangerous.

“The way things are now, these places can’t just change into Portland or Philadelphia overnight,” said Jeff Peel, a consultant with the League of American Bicyclists, a Washington nonprofit agency that offers advice on creating biking networks. “It is something of an uphill battle in a lot of places, considering the path of development in the past.”

There are 52 miles of biking trails and lanes spread across Camden County, with plans in the works for 110 more miles, according to Cross County Connection, the state- and federally funded nonprofit agency coordinating efforts.

Among South Jerseyans who ride for transportation rather than recreation, a small and predominantly male portion of society, there is a certain degree of pride in the lengths to which one must go just to cycle to the grocery store.

Riders stick to sharply defined routes that favor back roads over heavily trafficked byways and keep a sharp lookout for motorists, whom they generally consider the worst in the country.

And when they do get knocked off their bikes, which happens often, it’s considered good form not to complain too much about injuries.

“I was riding on Kings Highway, and there was this girl coming up behind me talking on her cell phone and she made a right turn right in front of me and I had to push up against her car, but that didn’t work out too well,” said Matt Dera, a graphic designer who commutes from Collingswood to Woodbury most days. “I landed right on my elbow, so it was pretty painful. But I dealt with it.”

In the years to come, bicyclists like Dera might be a more common sight on South Jersey roads.

A bike-share program was launched in Collingswood in 2008 through which residents can rent the Police Department’s cache of unclaimed bicycles – refurbished by charitable mechanics and spray-painted a distinctive lime green.

In Cherry Hill, township officials are meeting with residents and cycling advocates to get bike paths installed as part of the township’s sustainability movement.

But making Cherry Hill, a retail mecca for the region, bicycle friendly will be slow going, said Natalie Shafiroff, a planner with the township.

“It’s a very step-by-step process. First, how do we connect these neighborhoods to where people want to go, to the park or the convenience store? And then to other neighborhoods? And then to Garden State Park and the mall?” she said. “For now, we want to focus on people getting out of their cars for these short trips.”

In the meantime, those looking to incorporate cycling into their everyday lives without fully braving Cherry Hill’s foreboding traffic have to get creative.

Chris Cominetto, a 50-year-old bicycle repairman who works at the Garden State Park shopping center, at one of Cherry Hill’s busiest intersections, has come up with his own version of park and ride.

Most days he leaves his car at a park four miles south of Garden State Park, hops on his bicycle, and takes a relatively leisurely ride along back roads before crossing Route 70 and arriving at work.

“You take your life in your hands if you go on Route 70,” he said. “The paradox of cycling here is it’s pretty flat, which is great, but the downside is you’re dealing with everything else.”

From CNN – http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/15/electric.bicycles/index.html

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Keith Felch is admittedly a big guy, but more than a few super-fit cyclists in Southern California have been left wondering how that dude just went flying by.

Keith Felch calls his electric bike a “hill eraser” because he can ride it to work without breaking a sweat.

And then his wife, Mary, comes motoring past.

“They stare, like how can a girl go past me,” she says, laughing. It takes the other riders a few seconds but then they figure it out.

They have electric motors.

The Felches, who live in Aliso Viejo, California, used to drive everywhere, except when they used their bikes for recreation.

That changed when they got their new e-bikes, made by a company called Optibike. Now, they ride to go shopping and to go to breakfast — but mostly they ride to work.

Keith Felch says the couple has cut 50 percent of their car-use since they started electric biking.

And there are other benefits. Keith Felch dropped 30 pounds and his blood pressure fell 10 points in the first six months he owned the bike, he says.

The Felches don’t exactly classify themselves as “environmentalists,” although Mary said it is important to have a positive effect on the planet.

“I learned that the worst amount of smog that you put out [in an automobile] is in the first mile, so if we can make even some of those shorter trips on our bicycles, it makes a big difference,” she says.

Who wants one?

Brent Meyers, director of sales for Ultra Motor US, says electric bikes attract different types of buyers.

Many are looking to make a green imprint.

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Some are “active adults” who have ridden bicycles for years who — as they get older — are unable to do the same kind of riding they did when they were young.

Other buyers want to ride their bikes to work quickly — and avoid a sweaty entrance into the office.

Oddly — or perhaps not — Ultra Motor US sees its strongest sales when the price of oil skyrockets, says Meyers.

Two wheels, a motor and 100 million riders

Electric bikes are still somewhat of a novelty in the United States, but in China they’re everywhere.

In fact, Chinese electric bikes number more than 100 million — which is about four times the number of Chinese private cars, according to Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports. The bikes are popular in Europe as well.

Sales figures for the United States are hard to pinpoint.

In the United States, about 200,000 electric bicycles were sold last year, said Ed Benjamin of the Light Electric Vehicle Association — about twice the number sold in 2005.

But the industry has hit a bump in the road from the recession, as sales were down about 10 percent in 2009, he said.

E-bikes are mostly made by specialty companies, but the growing sales trend has been noticed by the big boys.

Trek, a worldwide leader in bike sales, has been making electric bikes for three years, but only introduced them in the United States in the past year.

Other well-known companies like Schwinn and Giant are increasing their presence in the e-bike field.

At Interbike, the biggest bicycle industry convention in the United States, there were more than 20 companies displaying e-bikes this year. Meyers said only a few years ago, it was about five.

Prices range from a few hundred dollars — the E-Zip Trailz Hybrid costs $398 at Wal-Mart — to more than $13,000 for OptiBike’s top-end model.

Prices increase as battery technology and components get better.

Steve Roseman of The Electric Bike Network in San Francisco, California, said most buyers he sees don’t balk at the price, which can be as much as a good road or mountain bike. They are mostly concerned with how far they can go on a battery charge and how fast.

What’s an ‘e-bike’?

By law, electric bikes must have no more than 1 horsepower and go no faster than 20 mph (on motor power alone).

Basically they are much like traditional bicycles with small motors that power the bike or assist a rider with pedaling. Many have gears like a regular bike.

“It’s just adding the throttle aspect, other than that it handles like a regular bicycle,” Keith Felch said. He says he uses the throttle all the time, choosing one of two modes — eco [half power] or fast [full power].

He says he once tried a regular bike for his 4 ½-mile ride to one of his music studios where he teaches jazz improvisation.

But the hills nearly got him.

He calls his electric bike a “hill eraser.”

It also makes the ride to his farthest studio — 22 miles away — seem much closer. He says he gets about 35 miles on his primary battery and has an additional one for long rides.

Shifting views

But as they tout the virtues of electric bikes, advocates also realize that there will have to be a shift in the way Americans view them before they become as popular as they are in Europe or China.

“There are two possible sides to the equation,” Roseman said. “One would be a change in the way people view transportation. There are still a lot of SUVs out there. … People still have a hard time thinking about riding a bicycle unless they are 10 years old, it seems. So there needs to be a little shift in mentality.”

“But having said that, I think there is a growing awareness about health and transportation and environmental issues so it could be that we are just reaching a juncture where things will change [for e-bikes].”

Meyers says people also have a preconceived notion about electric bikes.

Some view them as expensive or poor quality or uncomfortable. And Meyers admits, e-bikes are not for everybody.

As Roseman says, people who live in Spandex will probably always prefer a really good road bike and hard-core city cyclists may well stick to their fixed-gear bikes.

Meyers says Ultra, which sells its bike for $2,700, isn’t for those kinds of people.

“That’s not our customer,” he says. “Our customer is someone who wants some form of electric transportation, green transportation, that can get them from Point A to Point B comfortably.”

The Felches say taking a test drive will change a skeptic’s attitude.

“If you ride one, it will blow your mind,” Keith Felch says. “When you get on one it’s like being in a flying dream you’ve had. It’s like everything you’ve dreamed your bicycle should do in your wildest dreams — it’s doing it.”

Green city trying to use electric bikes! – http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13570420?source=most_emailed

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Cupertino city employees soon could be pedaling to meetings and other events if the city decides to expand a trial program using electric bicycles as alternative transportation.
The city recently purchased an EZip electrical bicycle for $750 from Los Gatos-based Mader Technologies, and city leaders said they hope the bike, which is a hybrid of a standard mountain bike and a low-speed electric motorcycle, will be an eco-friendly alternative that will save the city fuel money in the long run.
If city staff finds the bike practical, the city could purchase as many as four more bikes, said Erin Cooke, environmental affairs coordinator. The city also has applied for transportation funding grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Bikes typically cost between $500 and $3,000.
The city will start testing the new bike after it completes legal, safety and staff training requirements.
Cooke said the city recently completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory and found that approximately 16 percent to 18 percent of emissions come from the city’s vehicle fleet.
Rick Kitson, city and environmental affairs spokesperson, says the bicycle is ideal for a small city like Cupertino, which is 11 square miles.
Employees could use the bicycles to get to meetings across town, he said.
“A lot of our local trips are no more than three to five miles,” Cooke added.
The bike has a 450-watt motor and can reach speeds up
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to 15 miles per hour, and comes with a battery pack and control system on the handlebars, which powers the back wheel. The battery pack takes about six hours to fully charge, according to local bike dealer Thomas Mader.
The battery power for the bike lasts for about 10 to 15 miles before it needs a charge if there is a mix of human and electric power. The battery lasts about seven to 10 miles if there is no pedaling, according to Mader.
“We really like this over a more traditional electric vehicle because once those run out of power, there really is no other option for getting back,” Cooke said.

Congrats to 212 Market! — http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_160943.asp

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Chattanooga restaurant 212 Market was announced as a Silver Designation Bicycle Friendly Business by the League of American Bicyclists at the Fall 2009 BFB Interbike International Tradeshow hosted in Las Vegas. 212 Market is one of 45 BFB award winners in the U.S.

“We are honored to have received this designation from the League of American Bicyclists,” said Sally Moses, cyclist and co-owner of 212 Market. “As the state’s first nationally recognized Green Certified restaurant, we continue our dedication to the environment every day through commitments such as encouraging our patrons and employees to ride their bicycles to our restaurant. It’s good for the community, our people and our planet.”

“We’re delighted to highlight Chattanooga’s 212 Market and the ways in which they are getting more people on bikes,” said League President Andy Clark. “In today’s challenging economic climate, businesses with healthy, happy and productive employees are going to be the most competitive and the most sustainable – the Bicycle Friendly Business program recognizes some of the best examples of this in practice.”

The BFB program recognizes socially-responsible businesses that promote healthy, happy, and green workplaces and provides a road map to become even more bicycle-friendly in the years to come.

“Businesses across the nation are rising to the challenge of reducing their carbon footprint and improving the health of their employees – we are excited to be able to provide a roadmap to help achieve both these goals, and to recognize those companies that are leading the way,” said Mr. Clark.

Bicycle Friendly Businesses are corporations, organizations, nonprofits and associations that weave bicycling into their business culture and give employees and customers the opportunity to be active stewards of their personal and environmental health through bicycling.

Officials said, “When bicycling is infused in an office or company culture, great things happen: reduced health care costs; more productive employees; improved worker and customer; satisfaction; smaller carbon footprint; and increased corporate social responsibility.”

The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America’s 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates.

212 Market is Tennessee’s first certified green restaurant, providing a fine dining experience with the ease of casual dining prices right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. 212 Market offers the warmth and comfort of traditional southern hospitality, combined with a world-class culinary experience.

The restaurant has an award-winning wine list, features a brunch menu Saturdays and Sundays and live music on selected days. 212 Market is located at 212 Market St. in downtown Chattanooga. For more information about 212 Market, please call 423 265-1212.

Green funerals using bikes! – http://www.greenmuze.com/green-your/celebrations/1661-bicycle-hearse-funeral.html

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As natural or woodland funerals are becoming increasingly popular, with biodegradable shrouds and chemical free body preparation, a funeral home in Eugene, Oregon decided to take it one step further and offer eco-transport as well.

Sunset Hills offers all the green funeral options including their stylish bicycle hearse to deliver your eco-coffin to the gravesite. It doesn’t get much greener than this.

Hydrogen powered bicycles! – http://www.eta.co.uk/2009/10/13/latest-bicycle-hydrogen-powered

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Latest bicycle is hydrogen powered
Tuesday, 13th October, 2009
The latest design of electric-assisted bicycle from Iwatani of Tokyo does away with the need for recharging points by using hydrogen cartridges as a source of fuel.

Hydrogen fuel cells usually replace the need for batteries but this bicycle will include a lithium-ion pack as a back-up power supply.

One hydrogen cartridge will give the 31kg bicycle a range of 45 miles.

How clean is a fuel cell bicycle?
Not as clean as a conventional model is the quick answer, but power-assisted cycles provide a relatively clean mode of transport for those who are unwilling or unable to pedal all the time.

Hydrogen is only as clean as the energy sources used to produce it. Hydrogen produced by sustainable means such as wind power is entirely benign, but there are environmental concerns surrounding the use of nuclear power to produce the gas. Small hydrogen gas-producing units for the home that can be powered by sustainable energy providers are being developed.