Video: Solar-powered Electric Bike

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

We’ve covered quite a few electric bikes over the last years, but this new model developed by a Japanese company called Hama Zero (no website) offers a new twist. Their “Solar Bike Fujin” is an electric bike that’s powered by electricity generated by an on-board solar panel. The bike can be used on public roads (at least in Japan) and boasts an assisted travel range of 220km on a single charge.

All you need is a home power socket, with Hama Zero saying one charge costs around $0.02 (if you use just solar power, there are obviously no costs involved at all). Powered by a 940W/h lithium-ion battery, the Fujin reaches a top speed of 72km/h.

The bike weighs 42kg, including the solar panel that’s placed in a box in the back.

This video, produced by our friends over at DigInfoNews in Tokyo, provides more insight:

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