Xiaomi has unveiled its first ever electric bicycle at an event in China. Known as the Qicycle Electric Folding Bike, the anticipated ‘Mi Smart Bike’ will be priced at CNY 2,999 (approximately Rs. 30,000).
At the event, the company emphasised on the fact that it is not just a smartphone company, but a technology company. The company launched a series of products including smartphones, tablets, wearables, Internet-connected air and water purifiers amongst other things.
The bike is made out of carbon fibre and has a host of sensors and weighs at just 7 kg. The company also highlighted the fact that the bike won the Red Dot Design Award 2016. The design is also so intuitive that the user can easily stow their bikes in their car without the need for a lot of space.
During the launch Xiaomi detailed that “Qicycle is not an ordinary bicycle” and instead is an electric folding bike with an integrated electric motor which can be used for propulsion. The motor is a 250W 36V electric motor. It makes the use of Torque Measurement Method (TMM) that assists the pedal-power of the bike.
The 18650mAh Panasonic battery can provide the power for the cycle up to 45km. For making sure that the cycle doesn’t operate out of its safe operating area, it is fitted with battery management system (BMS). This system will also help in other functionalities like monitoring state, calculate secondary data, report that data and controlling its environment.
Xiaomi also said that the Qicycle can be pedalled via the Shimano Gear Shifters even after the bicycle runs out of battery. The company also confirmed that the cycle will be able to measure fitness-related parameters such as calories burned, distance travelled, and travelling speed.
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