The Yike Bike
By Bernie on 02 Mar 2010
The 2010 Geneva International Motor Show opened to the news media yesterday. Most Chinese automakers skipped the auto show here, but BYD Auto promised to be in Geneva for many more years to come. BYD has such exemplary electric-vehicle battery technology that Warren Buffet has invested a quarter of a billion dollars in the company 1.
If you haven't been paying attention, vehicle sales in China last September were 1.33 million units or almost twice as many as the number of vehicles sold in the Unites States in that month 2. Hopefully BYD, which is the 6th largest automaker in China, will be able to deliver a healthy chunk of future cars in the electric variety, otherwise the future smog from China will probably darken the entire planet.
When my business partner visited China more than a decade ago, the streets were packed sidewalk-to-sidewalk with bicycles. Soon there will be no room for bicycles.
But does everyone really need to ride around in huge monstrosities? One of my partners lives on East 48th Street and drives his car everyday to our office in lower Manhattan. It takes him about 25 minutes to cover the distance of 3.8 miles one way (the same trip at 3 in the morning takes about 15 minutes). I walk the distance in 65 minutes (from 48th and 2nd Avenue to the Holland Tunnel). He spends about $350 per month at two garages. After insurance, gas, wear and tear, lease payments, etc., he spends about $1700 per month driving a car in the city.
If instead, he bought a Yike Bike for about $4,500.00:
He would save more than $16,000 in the first year alone and save 30 minutes each day not being stuck in traffic.
Sadly, it makes too much sense and he'll never make the switch.
If you are wondering about the few times a year he goes to the Hamptons, hell for $16,000 he can ride around in a limo chauffeured by pretty blonds.
Check out the video of the Yike Bike - The world's first super light electric folding bike here.
And don't forget this one http://www.yikebike.com/site/gallery/video/yikebike-discovery-channel
1 comment:
Thanks for the link, it's appreciated.
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