The electric bicycle market is booming in Japan
(Image credit: Press)

The electric bicycle market is booming in Japan, with national firms Sanyo, Yamaha, Bridgestone, Miyata and Panasonic in a five-way race to create “e-bikes” that are light, travel further on a single charge, and meet the design needs of every demographic.

Lithium-ion battery-powered models such as Bridgestone’s rugged RealStream electric mountain bike

(Image credit: Press)

See more examples of the electric bike boom in Japan

This has resulted in technologically advanced, lithium-ion battery-powered models such as Bridgestone’s rugged RealStream electric mountain bike, which can sense the amount of strain and deliver power accordingly; Panasonic’s Lithium ViVi RX-10S town bike which charges up the battery life each time you brake; and Sanyo’s Eneloop CY-SPK227, which features regenerative braking and folds down to a fraction of its size, so it can be easily taken on public transport or carried into the office.

Although these e-bikes have greatly reduced carbon footprints compared to cars, recharging its batteries still requires electricity. To solve this problem, Sanyo has ingeniously set up the first solar-powered bicycle-recharging stand stocked with its Eneloop e-bikes in Tokushima this year. Local government workers in the city, population 260,000, can run errands on the e-bikes that tap the sun’s rays to keep their batteries charged. No emissions, no sweat.

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.