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jotm
So it's a brake replacement? Pretty cool, but too expensive even if it generates more power than a simple dynamo...
stan_rogers
No, it's a pedal-assist motor/control system (with regenerative braking).
bazzargh
The Copenhagen wheel was announced 4 years ago, and since then we've had copycats like the FlyKly back in October(http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flykly/flykly-smart-whee...).

In case, like me, you wondered why this was news - it's because they're actually putting it on sale. I'm curious as to what they mean by a battery life of 1000 cycles, when there's regenerative braking and I'd hit more than 3 hills a day on my commute[1], so is that 1 year?

[1]ok to be fair I work from home now, so my 20 mile each way commute is now a morning jaunt on the bike to wake me up.

skdoo
One cycle usually means one full charge and discharge cycle. So if you discharge from 100% to 50% and then charge it, that's 0.5 cycles.
towski
If it's anything like my electric bicycle, the regenerative braking doesn't really count for much
Brakenshire
It's a good idea to even out uphill and downhill sections of cycling, so that you can cycle around, in places which are not completely flat, without arriving where you want to go covered in sweat. And the concept of the casing staying static, while only internal sections spin with the wheel, sounds interesting. The problem for mass adoption is cost.
neona
It's too bad it's too expensive to be relevant for people who rely on bike transportation for financial reasons (at least, in much of america) :(

I'd love one, but it seems silly to spend that much on my bike.

bryan_rasmussen
I think in Denmark or any country with lots of support for cycling and expensive cars it would be reasonable.
tehwebguy
You got downvoted but I think this is a pretty valid point, at least in the US
towski
Well, this is basically the price of an iphone. The market said it could bear that price.
tocomment
Would t be possible to design something similar for a car wheel?
willvarfar
Regenerative braking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_brake is a mainstay of modern electric cars. They all do this.
tocomment
Yes but does the equivalent of a Copenhagen wheel exist for a car? That sir is my question.
toomuchtodo
You'd need a hub motor in each wheel, which causes the vehicle to have an excess of unsprung weight. So, not at the moment. If electric motors were to drastically come down in weight, possibly.
seniorsassycat
Do you mean an electric motor, battery, and regenerative system built into each of a cars wheels?

I think that a system like that would not be practical when scaled up to the size and energy demands of cars.

dredmorbius
For automobiles, incorporating the energy storage into the wheel itself would be a poor allocation of weight (and size). So most solutions revolve around (pardon the pun) batteries or flywheels housed within the chassis.
enko
For my money I'd rather a proper integrated system like the Panasonic range: http://cycle.panasonic.jp/products/electric/

I've ridden a number of electric-assist bicycles and the panasonic system worked brilliantly - seamless and intuitive boosting exactly when needed, so hills just seem to disappear. They seem a lot more convenient, too, with the battery integrated into the lights system.

Yamaha's pedelec system is also worth a look, though I didn't find it quite as intuitive as the panasonic: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/pas/lineup/