TerraMotors
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Electric scooter shares info via iPhone dock
When it comes to iPhone connectivity, modern cars offer a wealth of options ranging from music syncing to navigation tools, but plugging your iPhone into a moped is something entirely different. As CNET reports, Tokyo's Terra Motors plans to create just that, and the company is betting that its new bike will be a hit. The modest two-wheeled ride is called the A4000i. What it lacks in a flashy moniker it more than makes up for in iPhone friendliness. The bike features a docking bay for your Apple smartphone right between the handlebars and once plugged in, the bike uses the phone to display information such as mileage and how much charge is left in the all-electric moped's batteries. With a total range of about 40 miles on a single charge, the A4000i isn't made for road trips, but with mopeds increasingly in command of the road -- especially in places like Tokyo -- the new bike's iPhone compatibility may give it an edge among the smartphone-owning populous.
Japan's Terra Motors to introduce electric scooter with iPhone connection
The Apple Maps fiasco excepted, we have it pretty good where location-based services are concerned. But in areas like South East Asia, that's not entirely the case. Which is why Japan-based Terra Motors is prepping to launch the A4000i, an electric scooter that also features an iPhone connector (compatible with the 3GS and up) for big data collection. The company's positioning the A4000i as a means of gathering location data -- useful for mapping -- as well as mileage and battery performance (a lithium cell rated for 50,000km) for that region of the world. There's no word on exactly when Terra plans to launch this scooter overseas, but when it eventually does, expect to see the A4000i retail for around ¥450,000 (about $4,500 USD).
