Bikers Get Charge From New Sanyo Wheels

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a biker friend who has everything? This item gives a new meaning to “power ride.”

Sanyo is introducing a two wheeler to make the Prius crowd green with envy. You pedal the back wheel like a conventional bike but a small electric motor powered by regenerative braking runs the front wheel. Sanyo says riders will only need to supply 30 percent of the power with the rest coming from the front motor. It also plugs in for a charge between rides taking a little less than four hours to get topped off.

The eneloop bike includes a 250-watt motor powered by a 29.5-volt lithium-ion battery with a Sanyo-claimed riding range of 35-60 miles. Your mileage may vary.

The bike will be available for sale in Japan beginning in February for about $1500.

Sources: BikeDesign, Wired, JapanToday, Akihabaranews