Presented at the Wörthersee tour in Austria on 16 May, the prototype of the bike aims to replicate technology featured on motorcycles without negatively affecting the weight or design. Using a 2.3kW electric motor, the bike has a motor-assisted pedaling mode enabling speeds up to 50MPH, and it can travel at 31MPH on the motor alone. A battery is located inside the frame, which powers the touchscreen computer fitted onto the bike, and the seat can be lowered or raised at the press of a button to help the rider perform tricks and stunts. The vehicle has several cycling modes which aid the user in completing their chosen task, such as Power Wheelie mode, which can be used by beginners to help them achieve the trick. Users are able to connect their smartphones to the computer through WLAN, receiving challenges and advice if they have trouble completing them, as well as reviewing their route cycled and tricks achieved. Audi has also created a helmet with a built-in microphone and camera to record video of any attempts to complete a challenge, which can then be uploaded onto the internet and shared with others. An online point-rewarding platform will be developed to enable users keep track of successes and compare their achievements with fellow e-bike users. The video below demonstrates the bike in action:

The Audi e-Bike Wörthersee seeks to be a machine that will actively improve users’ skills through gamification. It also hopes to build a community among users. How else could gamification be used to bring fresh life to an older invention?

Website: www.audi.co.uk
Contact: info@audi-mediaservices.de

Gearing up for a launch this summer, Surf Air seeks to “simplify and enhance the flying experience through an exclusive all-you-can-fly membership”, in the company’s own words. Specifically, for a monthly fee reportedly beginning at USD 790 per month, the airline aims to offer frequent flyers and commuters an unlimited alternative to recurring trips that would take between two and five hours by car. Promising a first-class experience on an eight-passenger aircraft with leather seats and space to relax or work, Surf Air aims to deliver “the freedom of all-you-can-fly access, 30-second booking, an easy Arrive-and-Fly rhythm, and the knowledge that you will never have to worry about hidden or extra fees.” Security checks verify members and guests ahead of time.

Surf Air currently targets local California airports in Palo Alto, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Travel-minded entrepreneurs: one to partner with or emulate?

Website: www.surfair.com
Contact: www.surfair.com/contact.html

Launched in March, Home Run aims to offer a free and safe guided running network that gives users a way to get extra exercise on the way home from work while also staying off crowded public transportation. Participants begin by registering with the company’s website and booking a place on the route they take between work and home. Home Run provides participants with a free t-shirt and backpack on their first run. Then, at the appointed time at the end of the work day, they meet their team leader in their running gear at the start point. Company-driven cargo bikes are on hand to carry participants’ bags, allowing runners to proceed clutter-free and at a comfortable pace toward their home station, where they then collect their bag and make their way home. The video below illustrates the concept in action:

Home Run currently focuses on London, which anticipates increased crowding this year as a result of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics, but plans are already underway to expand further throughout the capital and to other cities throughout the country. Time to set up something similar in your congested neck of the woods?

Website: www.homerunlondon.com
Contact: info@homerunlondon.com

Spotted by: Kim Armstrong

On 13 April, the rail service teamed up with book publisher Random House to place posters on the exterior of the central carriages of ten services traveling between Vallès Oriental and Baix Llobregat. Each poster encourages commuters to join the ‘reading train’ and once inside, interior posters provide riders with a selection of 40 book titles from which the first chapter can be downloaded via their respective QR codes. According to El Periódico, authors on the list include Spanish language writers such as Ildefonso Falcones, Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as well as translated works by John Le Carré and Umberto Eco. The scheme is set to run for two months and will be repeated three times a year until 2016, with hopes to expand to include works from other publishing houses.

As well as seeking to improve the literacy of residents using the train service, the scheme also serves to publicize works of literature, while readers are also entertained during their commute. One to emulate in your part of the world?

Website: www.fgc.net
Contact: rrpp@fgc.cat

Spotted by: Joandó Reverter

Elev8 Bikes give users the ability to lower or raise their seat or top-tube while riding — making for a more comfortable ride and ensuring that the rider’s feet can reach the ground when stopping. Riders can also make adjustments to find the optimal reach to the pedals to avoid straining their knees. The adjustments are made from a lever on the handlebar, enabling cyclists to change the settings as they please while in motion. The design of the bike means that riders are always able to sit in an upright manner, which the company says reduces weight placed on the wrists and straightens the spine. Elev8 seeks to provide a bicycle which is easy to use by all riders, including those who may be less mobile, such as elderly or disabled people. The video below shows the bike in action:

Set to be delivered in May, Elev8 Bikes’ 24-inch and 26-inch wheel models will go on sale for USD 998.88 each.

There have been other bikes designed for the elderly and disabled of course, but they usually require the rider to recline back into a chair, attracting attention to differences from standard models. Elev8 Bikes’ innovative design means the vehicles are more discreet. One to partner with?

Website: www.elev8bikes.com
Contact: elev8bikes.com/contact

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

The City asked residents to submit their ideas for a new bike design through the official City of Bordeaux je participe micro-site, with more than 300 respondents taking part. Designer Philippe Starck was then brought in to translate the numerous suggestions into a single concept. The final design, unveiled at the second Cyclab event in Bordeaux in February, is a silver and yellow bike-scooter, with a foot panel placed in front of the pedals to enable users to safely push start the machine. Peugeot has now been contracted to put the bikes into production before they become part of a city-wide rental scheme.

The aim of the project was to give citizens an input into a service they will be using themselves, with the final bike reflecting their concerns over ease-of-use and safety. Government departments elsewhere: could crowdsourcing ideas from local residents improve your services?

Website: www.starck.com
Contact: www.bordeaux.fr/contact

Currently in closed alpha testing, Scoot will operate on a model much like Zipcar’s, according to a recent report on Co.Exist. A smartphone app will enable users to not only to find a scooter nearby, but also to reserve it and then unlock it — on each scooter is a spot in which to dock a smartphone and doing so is what enables the vehicle to run. Once on the road, the phone displays a map along with other data. With a maximum speed of 30 mph and a range of 20 to 30 miles, Scoot’s scooters will charge when returned to their “home” parking spots. Pricing will be around USD 5 per hour for a trip, with monthly deals for heavy users, according to a report on USA Today. Helmets and insurance will be included.

Scoot is reportedly targeting corporate clients with the service initially, with plans to expand afterwards to public transit stops and then a citywide presence. Twenty networked scooters are scheduled to be deployed by April, Co.Exist reports, but ultimately Scoot hopes to expand to other cities as well. Green-minded entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?

Website: www.networks.com
Contact: hi@scootnetworks.com

Spotted by: Murtaza Patel

Set to be made available to the public in May, one of the aims of the premium ticket tier will be to enable transatlantic passengers to travel without being distracted by loud noises. Staff are being coached to speak between 20 and 30 decibels – normal speech usually sits in between 60 and 70 decibels — while passengers will also be able to enjoy luxury seats which fold flat into beds, already a common feature with higher-price air travel. Lights are dimmed and the new cabins will be buffered to stop sounds from other passengers coming through the walls. Along with voice training, flight attendants will also be taught how to wake up passengers and read their body language.

Although not a standard in-flight feature, Virgin Atlantic has grasped the need for attention to detail by providing staff training with a difference. Could your brand improve its customer service in a similarly unique way?

Website: www.virgin-atlantic.com/gb/en/the-virgin-experience/upperclass.html
Contact: www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/customerrelations/contact_us/index.jsp

Spotted by: Smith Alan

Starting on May 30, Air New Zealand’s OneUp upgrade program will require that Airpoints customers visit the airline’s myairnz.com site to request an upgrade at least seven days before their date of travel. There they’ll see a sliding scale indicating minimum offer prices for upgrades to the various seat categories; also included will be a meter indicating the likelihood that a particular offer will be accepted. Once they make their bid, the airline will review all offers and let passengers know between three and seven days before their flight departure time if their bid was accepted.

Following the OneUp program’s trial last year, the airline has reportedly experienced some backlash in response to the announcement that it will soon become official. One to watch!

Website: www.airnewzealand.co.nz/oneup-upgrades
Contact: www.airnewzealand.co.nz/help-and-contact

Spotted by: Paul Reid

Launched in January, Promobilletes aims to sell public transport tickets in Barcelona at discounts of between 10 and 50 percent, according to an El Economista report. As well as benefitting travelers, the brands sponsoring the tickets can gain exposure on the Promobilletes website and can send personalized notes out with the tickets to travelers making purchases. After the legality of the effort was called into question by the city’s Metropolitan Transport Authority soon after its launch, Promobilletes temporarily suspended its efforts. Now, however, it looks like the initiative will soon be back up and running.

Promobilletes brings commuters respite from increasing ticket prices while giving advertisers an opportunity to generate considerable exposure and goodwill. Governments and transport entrepreneurs around the world: an idea to try out for yourselves?

Website: www.promobilletes.com
Contact: www.promobilletes.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Borja Domínguez Fernández

Targeting the Ottawa-Gatineau area of Canada’s capital region, Fleurette Kids Taxi is the brainchild of a certified early childhood educator and mother of two. Aiming to provide a reliable transportation service when parents cannot, Fleurette promises not only to bring kids from one activity to another throughout a busy day, but also to stay with them as needed. In fact, the company even offers to recommend ideas for parents seeking activity suggestions. The company’s proprietor explains: “I have seen first-hand the challenges parents face in balancing their busy schedules and transporting their kids to after school activities, visiting friends, parties or just needing someone to stay with them during such times. After talking to a number of parents and having experienced it in my own life, I realized the need for a solution towards this problem – this is why I started Fleurette Kids Taxi.”

Parents may be increasingly strapped for time, but kids’ daily activities remain just as busy as always. Time to offer stressed-out parents in your area a little transportation help?

Website www.fleurettekidstaxi.ca
Contact: www.fleurettekidstaxi.ca/index.php/contact-us

Spotted by: Murray Orange

In their own words, Colorado-based Ridekick are on a mission to provide an “affordable, quality, fun and “green” alternative to our dependency on gasoline-powered transportation for short trips.” The electric trailer is designed to attach to the rear wheel of almost any bicycle in 15 seconds and is controlled by a throttle that hooks on to the handlebars. The 500 watt battery can push a bike up to 19 mph — giving cyclists a boost going up hills or whenever they need it — and can function on full charge for 8 to 12 miles. The storage case is weather-resistant and comes with a combination lock. Ridekick costs USD 699 and is available to buy from the Ridekick website or from retailers around the US. The video below shows the trailer in more detail:

The sheer number of bike-related innovations we’ve seen recently is indicative of the growing trend in eco-friendly transport. What else could encourage consumers to ditch the diesel for something greener?

Website: www.ridekick.com
Contact: info@ridekick.com

Spotted by: Raymond Neo

Created by the Youngman Vehicle Group, the JNP6250G is 25 meters in length — 13 meters longer than a standard bus — with five doors and 40 seats, capable of traveling at a top speed of 82 kph. To make disabled access easier, its designers have incorporated a pavement-level step and wide aisles, while a central area is specifically allocated for wheelchairs. Similar to London’s now defunct “bendy bus”, the JNP6250G is able to turn corners with a radius equal to that of a normal bus thanks to two accordion-ribbed joints. As reported by China Tech Gadget, a fleet of the vehicles will create the Bus Rapid Transit service — BRT — in Beijing and Hangzhou, and this fleet will have a dedicated lane on highways to ensure optimum speed.

While the JNP6250G is practical solution to a serious environmental and transportation problem, the accordion-like hinges have proved to be hazardous to cyclists and pedestrians in London. With well-considered route planning, however, there may still be a lucrative future in such buses.

Website: www.young-man.cn
Contact: www.young-man.cn/eng/lxwm.asp

Spotted by: Raymond Neo