Xiaomi has launched a RMB 2,999 (around Rs 30,000) electric bike called the Mi QiCycle Electric Folding Bike in China.
As the name suggests, the bike is foldable and electric. It also seems to be very compact, with Xiaomi insisting that when folded, the bike can be small enough to fit into the boot of most cars. That price may seem high for a cycle, but electric bikes are apparently very popular in China and Xiaomi’s previous offerings were well received.
The bike is powered by a 250W 36V motor which gets its juice from 20 Panasonic 18650 batteries providing 2,900mAh each. The bike uses a technique that Xiaomi’s calling Torque Measurement Method to determine how much assistance to give the rider when pedalling. Xiaomi claims that the motor can give 45km of range on a single charge. Xiaomi is quick to point out that these are the same batteries used by Tesla in their electric cars.
The bike is apparently festooned with sensors that keep track of the bike’s state and features like GPS navigation are built-in. Even if power runs out, there’s a Shimano 3-speed gearbox to help with power transmission.
Xiaomi has also taken the trouble to incorporate a Battery Management System (BMS) that keeps track of the state of the bike’s battery and to ensure that it’s operating within safety limits.A handlebar-mounted display unit should be able to provide up-to-date information on the state of the bike, distance covered, calories burnt and other such information. A phone call also be paired to the bike via a dedicated app.
What is not clear is exactly how much the bike weighs. In their announcement, Xiaomi has stated that the bike weighs 14.5kgs as well as 7kgs.
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