Hasta La Gadget!

This is the bike Steve McQueen would ride, if he was riding a cargo-bike from a San Francisco farmers market in pursuit of two kids on BMXs who had stolen his organic Porterhouse steaks and cigarettes. If McQueen wanted to catch these ne’er-do-wells lickety-split, and still make it home with a full load of groceries after launching himself off the crests of the SF hills, he do it on the Bullitt, from Danish bike-meisters Larry Vs. Harry.

The Bullitt puts the sport in “sport utility”. It is longer than a regular bike of course (245cm) but not much wider (47cm) or heavier (24kg). This is thanks to the oversized aluminum tubing, which is stiff enough to stop you wallowing with a full load and light enough that you could actually get up some of those crazy San Fran slopes.

There are several models, and aside from the bright colors the differences are mostly in brake and gear configurations: you can opt for a hydraulic front-brake (a good idea) and choose derailleurs or a 7-speed SRAM hub (pick this one. It’s no fun trying to push off from the lights in to high a gear, and hub gears shift when you are stationary). This bike looks like a lot of fun, and you can even take the dog for a ride.

Prices start at €1800 ($2,570), and includes a lock.

Product page [Larry Vs. Harry via Bikehugger]

Not long after establishing a prototype EV battery switching station in Japan, Better Place is now partnering with Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, to put the thing through its paces, swapping out batteries for up to four electric hacks scheduled to run from the Roppongi Hills shopping and office complex beginning in January next year. In Tokyo, cabs account for only two percent of the traffic, yet they produce twenty-percent of its CO2 emissions — a fact that further drives home the point that greening our public transportation is an important first step in cleaning up the environment. The study comes hot on the heels of other deals in the works for Israel, Europe, and the San Francisco. Albert Hockenberry would be impressed.

[Via PhysOrg]

Filed under: Transportation

Better Place tests its EV battery switching stations on Tokyo cabbies originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Test Rides is a “virtual bike fitting room”, an iPhone application which puts you inside the computer and measures you up for the perfect-sized bicycle. Think of it s a little like Tron, but with real bikes instead of light-cycles. And math instead of impossibly exciting CG death-races.

First up, you snap a picture of yourself sitting down. This needs to be taken from the side, with arms and legs visible — you might get a friend to help. You then place crosshairs over your joints: elbows, ankles, knees and so on. With this information, Test Rides will go ahead and tell you what size and shape of bike you need, from the length of the forks to the drop of the bottom bracket.

You’ll need to do some work. While the app has a few bikes already input, these are really just for demonstration purposes. You’ll need to pore over the actual geometry measurements of your prospective steeds to determine the right machine, which makes Test Rides more of a helpful number cruncher than a true “fitting room”.

The good news is that detailed geometry specs are available online for many better bikes. The bad news is that they aren’t always measured in the same way so you’ll have to do some sleuthing. Also, while $5 isn’t much, this is a rather specialized and possibly single-use application. Still, if that $5 saves you from buying an ill-fitting bicycle, it might just be worth it.

Product page [Wild Ride. Thanks, Genmei!]
Product page [iTunes]

If you’re dreaming of always plugging your future AC-friendly hybrid in during the wee hours of the morning in order to juice up for the lowest price, you’re certainly using your noodle. But what about instances where you can’t choose when exactly you’ll be plugging in? Fret not, as Bill Ford and Company has you covered. The automaker, in collaboration with a slew of utility partners, has today introduced an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications system that would theoretically enable vehicle owners to plug their ride in and tell it precisely when to begin and / or end charging via the navigation screen. Users could also define the completion time for charging or the desired rates in order to better control spending, though all that planning could be ruined by some random prankster who decides to yank your cable when you’re not looking. And really, who cares about saving a penny or two on charging when you can get two hundred and thirty miles per gallon? Oh, wait…

[Via HotHardware]

Filed under: Transportation

Ford’s vehicle-to-grid communications system charges plug-in whips on command originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alright, texting while driving? Obviously stupid — but that doesn’t stop tons and tons of people from doing it. The Gwent Police department in Wales hopes that its newest PSA film will help deter this bad behavior. In much the same spirit as the drunk driving on prom night films we ourselves had to sit thorough in high school, this film is pretty graphic. Okay, it’s actually shockingly graphic — but we’re pretty sure that’s the idea. Video is after the break.

[Via Gizmodo]

Continue reading Wales produces exceptionally graphic, educational film about the dangers of texting while driving

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

Wales produces exceptionally graphic, educational film about the dangers of texting while driving originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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