The new Schwinn Tailwind electric bicycle may look fairly ordinary but it sports a couple of standout features. For a start it comes with a special Toshiba ‘Super Charge ion’ battery which promises a world leading 30 minute recharge from a standard outlet – and a fast charge in a blistering 7 minutes! – as well as a guaranteed lifecycle of more than 2000 charges. The company actually expect the battery to last for more than double that number, which is outstanding compared with the normal 1000 cycles. Speed 15 mph for a distance of 20–25 miles. The downside? A price tag of around $3200.00. [Via AVING]
Other specs for Schwinn’s Tailwind include A Shimano Nexus 8-speed internal geared rear hub, A brushless motor with 180 watts of continuous power or 250 watts at peak power, Schwinn’s PowerDial™ on and off power assist system, with three pedal assist power settings, Rear roller braking system, Double wall alloy rims and Continental Town Ride tires (with flat protection and reflective sidewall), Inside-the-frame electric wire routing…
Shame it's so underpowered! Electric bikes can have up to 250W continuous anywhere in the EU, which means around 400W peak. I don't think this could handle the hills as well as my kalkhoff agattu electric bike which just carried 15 stone of me and 4 big bags full of shopping from Sainsbury's, uphill all the way, without flinching. Nice battery on the Schwinn, but I'll be waiting until it shows up in a tastier bike.