Podbike

The co-founder of Podbike, CEO Anne-Lise Heggland, has been inspirational in her drive to create a product that only bridges the gap between the car and the bike, but one which is also sustainable, safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly.

The bike is called a velomobile and it is being touted as the new concept for sustainable personal transportation. It has four wheels and it is human powered – it can be cycled just like a regular bike. But in addition, it has an electric motor/battery for assistance and it completely protects the user from the weather due to its wonderfully designed ‘pod’ capsule.

The purpose of it all is simple – Podbike wants all of us to think about how we can reduce the world’s dependency on fossil fuels (and solve a few city congestion problems along the way). If we can replace the many journeys we make in fossil-fuelled cars, taxis and buses with the Podbike, we will move ever-closer to our sustainable city goals.

Cycling is of course a great way to do that. One of the problems with cycling for many people however is that distances over 4km and the weather often gets in the way. When it’s cold, wet, windy – or all three – people are less likely to jump into the saddle. The Podbike gets around this problem due to its modern sleek design which provides weather protection and warmth even on those wet miserable days. And the battery will give you a great boost up to 25 kph – which is above the average speed of petrol cars in most trafficated cities!