German car-maker Volkswagen has designed a bike. Weird, right? Actually, no. The Bik.e is actually a sidekick for your car, something you are supposed to remove from the trunk when you have parked up and can go no further on four wheels.

The Bik.e is electric, and folds up to fit in the spare-wheel well in the back of your car. While sitting in the dark like a kidnap victim, the Bik.e recharges from the car's electrical system as you drive, meaning it is always ready to go. And that's just as well, as the Bik.e has no pedals. If you run out of juice when away from the mother-ship then you'll be scooting back Fred Flintstone-style, or just pushing.

With a 12.5 mile range and a 12.5 mph top speed, it'll be fine to take you from your Walmart parking space right up to the front door, while the disk-brakes and LED lights will keep you safe. VW doesn't seem to be planning to supply the Bik.e with its own cars yet, but Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, the R&D boss at VW, told an audience at Auto China 2010 that it is committed to actually bringing it to market.

I'm all for getting people out of their cars and on to two wheels – after all, one less car on the road means one less two-ton hunk of death piloted by a cellphone-dialing driver directly at vulnerable cyclists. But I can't imagine that this electric scooter is going to be cheap, so why not just throw a Brompton folding bike in the trunk? You might even get fit as you ride it.

Volkswagen bik.e replaces spare tire with electric mobility device [Green Autoblog via the Giz and Fast Company]

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