Ford is ready to revolutionize the transportation industry with bicycles. The automaker just announced an experiment called “Handle on Mobility”, a study that shows how electric bicycles can work with public transportation and cars. This experiment could help people in urban areas and businesses.
Electric bike prototypes
The car company introduced two electric bike models called MoDe: Me and MoDe: Pro. Riders charge their bikes by folding them into Ford trucks or cars. Ford first unveiled the new bikes at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new experimental bikes run on electric pedal-assist technology that can easily adjust based on heart-rate.
Ford asked employees to come up with the electric bicycle designs, a total of 100 submitted since program launched in December 2013, so this recent unveiling is quite a breakthrough. Unfortunately, Ford has no plans for launching the cars in the market. The new bikes feature 200-watt motor and 9-amp hour battery power. The bikes work with an app called MoDe: Link to provide advanced navigation features.
Ford’s new electric bike app
The app works when the rider inputs the destination. It will give a list of possible journeys, providing turn-by-turn or step-by-step navigation. Such journeys may include driving up to the train station, take the e-bike on the train, and then ride the bike from the train station to destination.
The e-bike prototypes feature a rear-facing ultrasonic sensor that enables the rider alert system. The system then warns riders of incoming vehicles by vibrating handlebars. It also warns vehicles of incoming e-bikes by lighting up handlebar lights.
Ford’s new initiative on e-bike technology is just another part of the Smart Mobility plan that could usher in transportation changes. Barb Samardzich(CTO for Ford in Europe) claims the smart mobility plan is part of the company’s commitment to innovation and smarter technologies.
