An electric bike that keeps on going

When Indira Gandhi said the more you work the more energy you get, she wasn't talking about a bike. Nevertheless Sanyo's new bike, eneloop, can actually generate, recharge, and conserve energy as you drive.

Osaka-based Sanyo Electric Co plans its ambitious launch in February of an electric bicycle that can charge while in use and offer greater electric assist power than previous models; it is also the first to conform to Japan's revised road traffic laws.

The company claims that the bike will generate electricity while braking or running downhill and the battery will get refuelled on the go.

The energy-recycling assisted propulsion is created through Sanyo's proprietary "loop charge function," which produces electricity while the bike is in motion.

This auxiliary charging cuts down the frequency of charging the battery with a dedicated charger. Its "two-wheel drive system" is intended to provide users with a safer, more balanced, and more stable journey.

The time is ripe for an energy efficient mode of transportation while the automobile market has been sluggish with the spike in gasoline prices and increasing consumer awareness of climate change.