Is there a point to a bicycle that uses a small motor to help you scale hills and slopes? If you’re a constant commuter, perhaps, but we can’t help feel that it’s a bit pointless. But these sorts of bikes are proving popular all over the world and Ford has come out with a new bike concept called that MoDe: Flex that sports just this feature.
That’s not remarkable on its own, though. What is remarkable is that Ford’s MoDe: Flex is designed to come apart in the middle so you can easily stow it in a car boot (preferably a Ford, we guess). Which sort of puts paid to that whole commuter idea but we reckon it’d make for a nice backup vehicle in the event of a convergence between a breakdown and an urgent meeting.
Actually, the point is to drive part of the way and cycle the rest, backed up by Ford’s electrical motor. Ford’s even got a smartphone app – called Mode: Link – that will help users to plan this little trip. It could be a serious alternative to having to park in Sandton just before rush hour on a Friday afternoon. Just cycle away to the less congested parking location when you’re done and then calmly drive the rest of the way home. Wait, where can we get one of these?
Sadly, the MoDe: Flex seems to be a concept only but that could well change in future. We’ll keep you up to date on Ford’s developments on this front.
Source: via Engadget