from http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/from-a2b-on-an.html
Go From A2B on An Electric Bike, Praying The Battery Doesn't Die.
Behold the A2B, an electric bicycle so named because it gets you from Point A to Point B - at least until the battery dies. Then you're sitting on a 73-pound bicycle even Kristin Armstrong would bust a quad riding.
The A2B is Ultra Motor's entry in the growing peloton of electric bicycles, even if the company calls it a light electric vehicle. Whatever it is, you can ride it like an seven-speed bike or turn on the 500-watt ( 2/3 horsepower) electric motor and cruise along at 20 mph. "It's basically a bike on steroids - in a good way," says chief executive Chris Deyo.
With a $2,500 price tag, the A2B is almost as expensive as it is portly but Ultra Motor says it's competitive with high-end bicycles and still cheaper than getting around with fossil fuel.
The few bicycle bits listed on the specs aren't bad -- Shimano Alivio derailleur, Hayes disc brakes and full suspension with an aluminum frame -- but you're clearly shelling out the big bucks for the proprietary motor and 36 volt lithium ion battery.
Ultra Motor says the A2B is better than other e-bikes because it was "built from the tires up for superior performance." Those tires, by the way, are 3 inches wide. The battery provides just 20 miles range -- you can add another battery to double that -- and, according to one review, requires three to five hours to charge. Ultra Motor notes the U.S. Department of Transportation says nearly half of all trips people take each day are less than 3 miles, so it clearly thinks the A2B has sufficient range for most people. If it doesn't, well, you can start pedaling. That same review said, "In a test on a flat road, though, the bike was much easier to ride than expected." Still, we've gotta wonder what it's like climbing a hill.
Since it's an electric bike, you don't need a license to ride it. Just hop on and go. Look for the A2B in bike and scooter shops next month. Dealers are listed on the Web site.
Photo by Ultra Motor.
Winglet is powered by an electric motor, these Winglets are capable of up to 3.73mph or 6km/h for up to 6.2 miles or 10km in the case of the L or M models, or half that in the case of the smaller S version. You control the Winglet by leaning in the direction you wish to move. The Toyota Winglet takes an hour to fully recharge.
