Lexus has established itself as an
industry leader in bringing advanced technologies to the premium car
market. Now it has applied the same thinking on a smaller scale to
create the Lexus Hybrid Bicycle, a design concept the captures the
fundamental engineering and design values of the brand, but with two
wheels rather than four.
In every aspect this is Lexus, from
the L-finesse design language of the engaging and elegant frame, to
the application of hybrid power, an electric eight-speed
transmission and lightweight carbon fibre construction.
Lexus has brought what is one of
the only two examples in existence to the UK for the first time,
following the bicycle’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo motor show. Its
arrival coincides with the announcement of Lexus’s 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.
Lexus has pioneered high
performance, low emissions and optimum fuel efficiency with its full
hybrid Lexus Hybrid Drive powertrain technology. The Hybrid Bicycle
adopts similar principles, with the pedal power of the rider boosted
by assistance to the front wheel from a 240W electric motor, via a
25.9V Lithium-ion battery, with a choice of Eco or Power modes. And,
as with Lexus Hybrid Drive, there is an energy regeneration function
that helps recharge the battery by capturing kinetic energy
generated under braking.
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 sophisticated 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.
Lexus Hybrid Bicycle
Concept specifications
|
BICYCLE |
Length (mm) |
1,598 |
| Width
(mm) |
425 |
| Seat
height (mm) |
900 |
|
Wheelbase (mm) |
1,080 |
|
Tyresize |
20 x 1 3/8 |
|
Weight (kg) |
17 |
|
ELECTRICAL PARTS |
Motor
output (W) |
240 |
| |
Batterytype |
Lithium-ion |
| |
Batteryvoltage |
25.9V/4.0Ah |
| |
Charge time |
Approx. 2hrs |
| DRIVE
PARTS |
Gear
system |
Shimano 8-speed internal gear |
| |
Shift
lever |
Shimano dual control |
| |
Drive
train |
Belt
drive |
