The Sanyo Eneloop electric assist bike made quite a hit at CES 2010, having been named the top green product for sustainability and eco-design. Although the electric bike has been on sale in Japan for 15 years and made its US debut last year, CES in Las Vegas was the platform where many US journalists had an opportunity to get a first hand look at it.
The Eneloop is powered by a rechargeable battery that resides under the bike seat. Recharging the battery does mean that you need to remove the battery from under the seat, but a single charge allows the Eneloop to travel a distance of up to 46 miles at a top speed of 15 mph. As this is an electric assist bike, the bike does not pedal on its own. Rather, as you pedal, the bike will assist you in reaching its top speed and when you stop pedaling, the assist portion of the bike slows down as well.
The nice thing about this bike is that since it uses less then 1000 watts of power and has a maximum speed less then 20 miles per hour, the Eneloop is not considered a motor vehicle and does not require a drivers license in order to operate it.
It’s expected that this electric transportation vehicle will retail through Best Buy stores for about $2300.
Via: Gear Log
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