Smart, the company that rolled out that cute little car in the past intends to live up to its name, although this time it will not be a four wheeler that will grace our roads, but rather, the pedelec – also known as the Pedal Electric Cycle. This particular mode of transport will come with an electric motor, where it sports a maintenance-free and brushless rear-wheel hub motor that will switch on the moment you start pedaling it like a standard bicycle. All your efforts are not gone to waste, where it will be transmitted to the rear wheel through a durable and quiet belt drive. To facilitate a more comfortable gear changing experience, there is also a built-in three-speed gear hub.
This innovative electric bike will enter production next year, but you should be able to catch it at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Expect the real deal to launch in Europe and North America sometime in the first half of 2012. The electric motor can help you hit a top speed of 25km/h, and by that we do not mean going the famous downhills of San Francisco.
You will be able to choose a quartet of power levels to tackle those killer uphill slopes, where the fourth and highest level should be able to deliver maximum pushing power. No idea on how much the pedelec is going to cost though, but certainly it won’t be as expensive as a Smart car.
Filed in . Read more about Bicycle, Electric Bicycle and Smart.