An electric assist bike that can be configured as a passenger or a cargo vehicle could be a game-changer for urban and/or mountainous rural areas. With solar panel charging its onboard batteries, it provides both low operational costs and low environmental impact.
The innovation extends beyond the actual vehicle, as Wello is looking at a sort of distributed manufacturing approach so that the final assembly takes place near the point of sale. Part of what makes this approach unique is that they also work with long-term unemployed people to help them gain skills by assembling the vehicles.
Wello’s solution was developed on the remote Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. It is available in France and they are looking at licensing partnerships for the U.S. market.
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