The “Consolation, Security, and Flexibility” of a Automobile, in a Bike — CityQ @ MOVE 2022

Studying Time: 2 minutes

Folks love biking when the climate is sweet however, ought to it flip even barely inclement, you will see folks put their lycra and helmets away and attain for his or her automotive keys.

Nevertheless, Norwegian firm CityQ has designed a motorbike that it believes affords the “consolation, security, and adaptability” of a automotive while retaining the footprint of a bicycle. CityQ’s bikes are round 100 kilos in weight however retain all-around climate safety, 4 wheels, and disc brakes.

Auto Futures caught up with Morten Rynning, the founder and CEO of CityQ, to search out out extra about its bikes and the corporate behind them.

Rynning explains that the bikes are a part of a modular platform that may be tailored to satisfy the wants of customers, whether or not they want cargo bins or different options.

Equally, the bikes, while occupying the identical roads as vehicles, don’t want the identical kind approval or costly and time-consuming security testing. This would possibly sound regarding to some however, as Rynning says, the bikes will not be touring as quick or on open roads as vehicles — these are designed for the tight inner-city streets and may solely attain 25 kph.

The bikes will launch in Germany, the UK, and throughout Scandinavia beginning with small-scale manufacturing this 12 months, earlier than increasing into “scale-up manufacturing” in 2023.

CityQ wasn’t the one firm providing electrified options for internal cities at MOVE this 12 months.

Bolt’s Johnny Munro, for instance, instructed us that whereas tolling the loss of life knell on non-public automotive possession was “unrealistic,” the corporate’s mixture of ride-sharing, e-bikes, and e-scooters offers metropolis dwellers with an ideal low-cost choice to get round cities.

Equally, Rachad Youssef, BrightDrop’s Chief Product Officer, defined how his firm’s Zevo 600 electrical vans and electrically propelled Hint cargo bins have been serving to to humanize last-mile supply for the customarily underpaid and overworked staff within the trade.