At the June 2015 Forward with Ford conference, the company announced a new line of three new electric bikes. The most interesting one is called MoDe:Flex; a model meant to be versatile enough for commuting, mountain biking, and road riding.

The bike features a smartphone holster on the handlebars; just snap your phone in and link it to the bike with a special app. An Apple Watch app joins the party and sync with both your phone and the bike, but each electronic device has its own function.

The phone app updates you on weather conditions, public transit information, and troublesome traffic ahead. The Apple Watch app keeps track of your heart rate and, if you have enabled “no sweat” mode, automatically kicks on the electric pedal assist to keep you from arriving at work drenched in sweat.

Some of the bike’s other features are even more compelling. Ford doesn’t explain how, but the bike can sense potholes ahead of you while you’re riding and alert you via beeps from your watch. The MoDe:Flex also features “eyes free navigation,” which causes one handlebar to vibrate when you need to turn in that direction (if you’ve programmed your route into your phone). When a car approaches you from behind, both handlebars vibrate so you can be on high alert.

The MoDe:Flex, like the other ebikes in Ford’s new lineup, folds in half to easily stow in your trunk or carry with you onto public transport. Ford hasn’t released much technical information about the bikes or even when they might be available. But the fact that a car company is supporting clean commuting technology is still pretty cool, even if it is still just a dream at this point.

The post Ford eBike Lets You Know When You’re About to Hit a Pothole first appeared on Gajitz.

If you’ve wanted to hop on the e-bike bandwagon but were nervous about the price or distance range of available bikes, the Storm might be the perfect solution. Editor’s note: there is some controversy surrounding this campaign – as with all crowdfunding endeavors: buyer beware!

The Storm’s battery can take you about 30 miles, but thanks to a swappable battery system you can simply change out the battery when it dies. Each battery recharges in about 90 minutes, so even if you don’t have a spare you can get back on the road quickly.

A 380 watt, 36 volt direct-drive motor can get the Storm up to a top speed of 20 miles per hour. The throttle is a small thumb switch on the handlebar that makes controlling your speed simple.

Of course, you can always pedal the Storm instead of using the motor, which will let you ride for as long as your legs can handle the workout.

With a weight of just 45 pounds and fat all-terrain tires, the Storm is easily transportable and rugged enough to go just about anywhere. A price point of $500 makes the Storm the most affordable e-bike out there. An Indiegogo campaign for the bike totally smashed its $75,000 goal, having raised more than $2 million as of the time of publishing.

The post E-Bike’s Modular Battery Lets You Swap For a New One first appeared on Gajitz.