A Radical Radial Revolution !

Here is an opportunity ( or a threat ? ), for India's " Organized / Large Scale Bi-cycle Manufacturers " 

May be , between them , HERO / BSA / TI / ATLAS etc large scale manufacturers , produce close to 50 % of India's production of 15 million bicycles per year ( second largest in the World ) , rest being manufactured by hundreds of small scale manufacturers , spread all over the country . Between them , they also export some 3 million bicycles every year !

Bicycles costing Rs 10,000 / - to Rs 20,000 / - each ( going down to Rs 5,000 for locally made cheap versions )

Cambridge ( USA ) based  GeoOrbital  has come out with a unique bicycle wheel for replacing the Front Wheel of any standard ( 26 " / 28 " ) existing bicycle , to convert it into an " Electric Bicycle " in ONE minute and without any tools !  

Changing back to original Front Wheel of your vintage bicycle , will also take no more than ONE minute

GeoOrbital  Front Wheel carries a 500 Watt DC motor / a removable Lithium-Io battery / Wheel lock and a Motor Controller ( a simple thumb activated throttle, which is easily clipped onto your handlebar )

Battery needs 3 / 4 hours to recharge ( depending upon capacity ) but gets Regenerative Charge when you pedal !

It will give a range of 20 miles (50 miles if you pedal for exercise ) with a speed of 20 MPH ( without pedaling )

Launched in May 2016 , bulk deliveries will start in Feb 2017 . Overseas orders will be accepted online @ $ 800  

If this  GeoOrbital  front wheel was to be manufactured in India ( in a Joint Venture with GeoOrbital ? ) , then I believe , the selling price could be brought down to Rs 10,000 / - ( opportunity for Indian Bicycle Manufacturers ? )

Can our Policy Makers dream of an  URBAN  TRANSPORT REVOLUTION  ( an Orchestra super-conducted by

Shri Nitin Gadkari ? ) as follows :

#  ROLE  OF   CENTRAL  GOVERNMENT

    Encourage " Bike Share Taxi " ventures using Electric Bicycles by offering them all sorts of incentives , such as :

   *  50 % subsidy on refitting of newly purchased plain bicycles with  GeoOrbital  Front Wheels

   *  No Corporate or Personal Income Tax for 10 years

     Of course , existence of similar " Bike Share Taxi " ventures in many cities around the World , have already

     proved this as a viable model for reducing traffic congestions / vehicle pollution

  

      

#  ROLE  OF  CITY  MUNICIPALITIES

   *   Municipalities to make available free " Parking " spaces , all over their cities for such ventures .

   *   Give 10 % rebate in Property Tax to Co-op Housing Societies which provide 400 sq ft space to " Bike Share

        Taxi " ventures , within their compounds , FREE OF  RENTAL

   *   " Bike Share Taxi " scheme may be modeled around similar successful scheme  BIXI  of Montreal Municipality

#  ROLE  OF  START UP VENTURES

      *  These Ventures will construct / install their " Docking Stations " at these parking spaces ( GPS connected /

         Wi-Fi enabled )

         Each Docking Station will automatically recharge  built-in Battery, while cycle is parked ( stationary )

     *   All bicycles owned by these ventures to be GPS enabled for easy tracking by the Venture Owners

     *   A Digi-Met ( digital meter ) to be fixed on all such bicycles where payment can be made by UPI ( Universal

         Payment Interface ) , about to be launched , across entire country ( a vastly user-friendly , Mobile Wallet )

    *   Rates ( per km or per hour ) to be fixed by a RTO designed fare calculating software , running on Digi-Met

#   ROLE  OF  MANOJ  BHARGAVA ( www.BillionsinChange.com )

     *  Come up with a higher capacity electricity generating bicycle device , which can charge FlashBattery charger

        of  Start Up , StoresDot

        May be he can pre-install that  StoresDot's  FlashBattery charger into the electricity generating device itself !

#   ROLE  OF  StoresDot

    *  Modify their FlashBattery Charger ( which is capable of charging a Electric Car Battery in 5 MINUTES ) , to be

       able to charge  GeoOrbital's  replaceable battery pack , within ONE MINUTE 

!

#   ROLE  OF  COOPERATIVE  HOUSING  SOCIETIES

   *   As an alternative to providing 400 sq ft open space to " Bike Share Taxi " ventures , build a GYM within the

       Society compound ( no need for FSI / no permission from local Municipality / just file plans-drawings ) , which

       will house :

       #  Manoj Bhargava's  higher capacity electricity generating bicycles (at least 5)  and encourage Members

           to  exercise on these ( 24 hours open ) , to generate / store electric power for charging  StoreDot's

           FlashBattery . Credit exercising members with " 5 credit points " for charging their own private GeoOrbital

           installed bicycles for each hour of exercise

       #  Install StoreDot's FlashBattery Chargers , duly connected to those devices for getting charged and make

           these available to Society Members who have earned credit points ( Rich members may depute their

          domestic servants to exercise on their behalf ! )

This simple innovation / intervention , has the potential to :

#    Dramatically reduce traffic congestion in big cities

#    Reduce demand for new air-polluting cars using fossil fuel

#    Even reduce dependence on Public Transport ( Bus / Metro / Local trains / Taxis )

#    Reduce need for car parking spaces on streets

#    Improve health of citizens who switch over from car driving to  GeoOrbital  bicycle pedaling !

#    Become a Flag-Bearer to National Electric Mobility Mission Plan ( NEMMP ) which aims to put 6

      million Electric Vehicles on our roads by 2020 ; totally possible if those vehicles are " Electric Bicycles " , not

     Cars !

     

I hope  Shri Nitin Gadkariji  and  Shri Piyush Goyalji , will acknowledge this suggestion , even if they do not agree !

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19  Aug  2016

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs