Lexus Brings Hybrid Bicycle Concept to the UK
28 April 2010
Lexus has brought its Hybrid Bicycle concept, first introduced at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, to the UK, in conjunction with the announcement of Lexus’ title sponsorship of the Great British Bike Ride, a four-day charity fun ride that will see hundreds of cyclists following a course from Land’s End to the home of English rugby at Twickenham.
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| The Lexus hybrid bicycle concept. Click to enlarge. |
The pedal power of the rider is boosted by assistance to the front wheel from a 240W electric motor, via a 25.9 V, 4.0 Ah Lithium-ion battery, with a choice of Eco or Power modes. And, as with the automotive Lexus Hybrid Drive, there is an energy regeneration function that helps recharge the battery by capturing kinetic energy generated under braking.
Charge time is approximately 2 hours.
The Lexus Hybrid Bicycle has all-wheel drive, by means of a belt system. It is equipped with an electric eight-speed Shimano internal gear system, which references the eight-speed shift-by-wire automatic transmission of Lexus’s LS 600h limousine. The carbon fibre construction shares the same light-but-strong composite materials technology that was used on Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP-winning motorcycle.
There are no current plans for the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle to become a production model.
Very neat looking e-bike. No suspension?
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 April 2010 at 07:05 AM
No mudguards, no lights.
How do you adjust the saddle height ?
Getting the saddle height right is a pretty big deal for serious cycling.
It would be nice to try it without all the e-gizmos - just as a pure p-bike.
While I can see the benefit of e-bikes, I am not convinced of the added benefit of adding regenerative braking, especially on a long run (whatever about town use).
You have a very limited weight + cost budget with bikes, and sometimes less is better.
Still it looks better than many "concept" bikes by car designers (except for the saddle height problem).
Posted by: mahonj | 28 April 2010 at 09:00 AM
IMHO the designer erred on the side of form leading function. Looks cool but is lacking in the practicality category. "All-wheel drive" - amusing marketing hype. The front wheel is driven by the electric hub motor and the rear wheel is belt-driven by peddling.
Mudguards, seat height, lights, and a more upright riding position are essential elements for a safe urban commuter bicycle. Living in a hilly area, I am a fan of regenerative braking as it extends your range and reduces brake wear.
I would like to see a continuously variable transmission for this application, that is driven by a shaft (torque tube) rather than a belt. The 240W motor will prove insufficient for hilly terrain if you want to get to work without having to take a shower upon arrival.
Posted by: Sanity Chk | 28 April 2010 at 09:50 AM
If you don't like this bike it's no problem, almost any bike can be turned into a hybrid. So find a bike that suits you and fit it with; http://www.bionx.ca/en/
http://www.greenspeed.us/bionx_motor_bike_kit.htm
http://www.greenspeed.us/e_%2B_plus_electric_bicycle.htm
There are others.
Posted by: ai_vin | 28 April 2010 at 11:23 AM
Hey, just critiquing the concept bike with an eye toward the practical. I am a fan of all E-bike products since they move us all in the right direction and help get people out of their cars.
Ivan, you have expensive tastes in E-bike hardware! I bought a 500W front wheel hub motor kit from Wilderness Energy for less than $400.
http://www.wildernessenergy.com/
Still runs great after nearly 2 years and levels the hills with ease. No regenerative braking but still get 20+ mile range out of it with three 12V 12AH gel cell lead-acid batteries in series.
Posted by: Sanity Chk | 28 April 2010 at 10:27 PM
Toyota retreats to the bike business? OK. Improve it and put it on market. The lack of a gas pedal is a distinct advantage.
Posted by: sulleny | 29 April 2010 at 11:00 AM
Watt ratings for motors for a bicycle are almost meaningless even more meaningless are watt ratings for internal combustion engines. At zero speed the motor supplies no watts nor does the engine. Electric motors can be overloaded to far more than their watt rating for brief periods, but engines cannot be. A battery with 29.5? volts? get real why not 242 watts? ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 04 May 2010 at 10:34 AM