Leave it to Audi to push the limits on what it takes to get us from point A to point B. The maker of coveted automobiles will be releasing the coolest thing to hit streets this year: a futuristic looking electric-powered bike. Audi announced plans to unveil a prototype of the e-bike Wörthersee next week in Carinthia, Austria.
Built for “sport, fun and tricks,” the bike is made of super light-weight materials – a carbon fiber reinforced plastic – and weighs in at just 24 pounds. After 2.5 hours of charging, the lithium-ion battery is fully juiced and ready to hit the ground running.
Riders can choose from five modes displayed on a slick touch screen control pad. “Pure” mode kills the power, forcing the rider to revert to good old-fashioned pedaling. Similar to a scooter, the “eGrip” mode turns on the electric motor, powering the bike up to speeds of 31 mph with a turn of the grip shift handle bar. And to really satiate a need for speed, riders can switch to “Pedelec” mode, streaking by at a scorching 50 mph by boosting the motor’s oomph with their own pedaling power.
Julien Dupont Test Drives the Audi E-Bike in Bavaria
When you get where you’re going and it’s time to have a little fun, two “Wheelie” modes enable riders to perform some crazy stunts enhanced by the motor-powered back wheel. The on-board computer tracks speed, distance, battery charge and other stats, but the real highlight, officially verifying bragging rights, lies in the automatically recorded trick sequences.
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Audi claims this is the most powerful e-bike yet, featuring 2.3kW of power (3.1bhp) with a 184 lb/ft of torque at the rear wheel, and with its recent purchase of Ducati, fans of the brands could be in for some very interesting hybrids.
