Ford recently unveiled the world’s first front-wheel-drive electric bicycle at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Huzzah! Then they promptly explained that this concept will never make it to the showroom floor. Oh Ford, you’re such a tease.
The E-bike concept uses a trapezoidal frame profile made from a carbon-aluminum alloy that weighs just 2.5 kg. It’s propelled either by a Carbon Belt Drive System connected to the pedals or from an electric motor in the front hub and powered by a Li-Ion battery housed in the frame. Magnetorestrictive sensors — typically found in Formula One racecars — in the inner hub measure the wheel’s revolutions and transmit that data to an on-bard controller that instantly activates and deactivates the electric motor to actively assist the rider while his cadence and power output.
The E-bike concept has a top speed of 25km/h and an estimated range of 85km. Or at least it would if Ford hadn’t already put the kibosh on ever producing them. [Ford]