Ikea has tried to change the way you eat, the way you shop and the way you light your home, and now the Swedish retailer is trying to change the way you travel. Ikea is launching an electric bike, dubbed the Folkvänlig, that will only set you back $1,000 (even less if you are an Ikea Family member). The bike will be released in Austria initially, features six different driving modes and a has top speed of 45 mph, which means that even longer commutes are do-able.
Ikea has announced plans to move its stores entirely to renewable energy, so an electric bike really isn’t all that strange coming from the retailer that is usually associated with furniture. The steel and aluminum frame bike comes in both a female and a male version and weighs a mere 60 pounds. The bike takes about five or six hours to charge in a standard outlet, which can easily happen while you are working or sleeping.
Related: IKEA’s ‘Home for Hope’ Program Finds Families for Homeless Pets
The bike’s name comes from the Swedish words for friendly and people and is powered by a lithium-ion battery with pedal-assisted power, making travel a breeze. The company has yet to announce where the bike will be released next, so make sure to contact Ikea if you want to see it in your neighborhood. So that leaves just one question that we need to know: do we have to assemble it ourselves?
Via PSFK and Ikea
