Sanyo has added a new electric bike to its Eneloop line-up, and it comes with the brand-new Eco Charge Mode. We first saw the Eneloop bike when we took it for a spin around the car-park at CES in Las Vegas (before being kicked out by a security guard). That bike would charge only on downhill sections and when decelerating, or braking.
The Eco Charge Mode lets the rider charge the battery as he rides on flat roads. The trick is all in the torque-sensing crank, which knows how hard the rider is pedaling. Previously, this was used to decide how much power-assistance was needed. Now it also decides when the hub can be switched into generator mode without making it harder for the rider to pedal.
We expect that it works well. One of the signatures of the Eneloop bike we tried was the very natural way the motor kicked in. With this new eco mode, the bike can run for up to 55Km (34-miles) on a single charge. It also lets you switch off the “power” (or hill-climbing) mode when the battery is dead and recharge it with your legs. Riding on the flat for 1Km will give enough juice to use the power mode for 300-meters.
The new Eneloop will be on sale in Japan from April 21st, for ¥157,290, or $1,760, and will probably make it into US stores as a replacement for the current model.
SANYO Releases New Eneloop bike Electric Hybrid Bicycle [Sanyo]
See Also:
- Video: Sanyo Eneloop Bike Pedals For You
- Sanyo Eneloop Electric Assist Bike Recharges Itself – Video – Wired
- You've Pedaled a Long Way, Baby
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