As more and more people head to urban areas, the need for a more sustainable mode of personal transport increases. Automobiles may be the primary choice for urban transport, but they sometimes are not ideal for short-distance trips. Traveling just around the block in a car may be a hassle more than a convenience. A bike may be a better alternative. But using a bike may take quite some physical effort to move, which other people may not always find comfortable. For such cases, an electric bike may be an ideal choice. Ford is trying to enter into this realm by introducing its new Ford MoDe: Pro E-Bike prototype recently at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The Ford MoDe: Pro is a commercial multi-modal transport system, as what Ford likes to call it. For most of us, it is an electric bike. But Ford did not make it to function just like many of the other electric bikes already in the market. It is actually the result of a design competition among Ford employees to come out with an efficient and connected mode of personal transport. The Ford MoDe: Pro is one of the chosen designs.
The Ford MoDe: Pro electric bike features a 200W motor with a 9Ah battery. Its electric pedal assist allows riders to go at speeds up to 25km/h. It is designed for easy storage in Ford’s commercial vehicles. But there are other features that make it unique. The Ford MoDe: Pro is also designed to connect with a smartphone using an accompanying app. The app can provide users with directions or offer alternative routes while on the go. The app provides riders with turning signals via haptic alerts that riders can feel through the bike’s handlebar grips whenever they need to turn left or right. Users of the Ford MoDe: Pro can also set the pedal assist feature on the bike based on their heart rate. When the bike detects that the rider is getting tired, the pedal assist can then take over to take some of the effort to move. It can also be set to work harder when the rider is nearing its destination.
The Ford MoDe: Pro is part of Ford’s plan to create multi-modal modes of transport to provide people with options of how to go from one place to another. So far the Ford MoDe: Pro remains a prototype but Ford has big plans to really make it available to the masses. Currently, the company is in the process of getting feedbacks on how to create a better transport that people will love to use. It surely will not yet be coming out this year.
Image Source: Ford
