Zoomi Life

This one is hard to quantify.  It’s a bicycle, sort of, but not quite.  It’s electric, of course, and it’s made in New Zealand, so you’ll have to cut it some slack for its goofiness.  It’s a pretty cool concept, though.  Assuming you can get the hang of riding the thing, which may be a challenge.  Alright, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Up-front, though, I may as well tell you that it won’t be available in the U.S. next year.

The YikeBike is sort of a two-wheeled unicycle with handlebars.  It’s actually based on the old penny farthing design with the giant wheel in front and the small one in back, with the rider perched precariously sort of between.  The steering is behind, rather than at front, however.

Watch this to get a better idea:

There aren’t any pedals, per se, just foot rests as it’s all electric power.  It has a 1.2kW motor and goes about 20km/h.  It also, uniquely, folds in half for easier storage. This makes it easy to put the bike on a bus, trolly, subway, etc. for better integration with the environment of the target market it’s meant for: the urban commuter.

It’s power is in a lithium phosphate battery pack that charges in about half an hour (220v European) for a 7-8km range.

What really kills this one for most, though, will be the price tag: about $4,800USD.

Still, it’s unique anyway and would be fun to ride, at least.

Source: Treehugger