E-Bikes over Vehicles? How E-Bikes are Replacing Cars and Saving Money
Heo Young-hoe, the founder of Withus, combines human capacity with mechanical motion to generate electrical energy with his innovative bicycle generators. Withus brings energy-harvesting technology to the street with non-contact bicycle generators.
These technologies have increased in popularity as eco-friendly living and cost-saving transportation options continue to develop in Korea and all around the world. Energy harvesting, the process of capturing regular human output and converting it into energy for practical use, is not only used in transportation but also in renewable energies.
Heo Young-hoe, majored in urban engineering and worked in the field of geospatial information (GIS) for 18 years prior to founding his company Withus in 2017. CEO Heo Young-hoe explained, "Over time, I have become more interested in the earth, the environment, and energy." And he’s not the only one, Withus and his ‘Wheel Swing’ bike generator won the CES Innovation Award for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022.
The first non-contact bicycle generator developed was 'Wheel Swing Bolt 1-NCD'. The generator utilizes the magnetic field to generate electrical energy through the wheel that rotates in a frictionless and non-contact state. This electric energy charges the bikes battery providing stored energy for future use. Currently, the wheel swing series consists of 14 types to accommodate different bike types and riders’ needs.
[The following is an interview with inventor Heo Young-hoe]
- Is there any secret to winning the CES Innovation Award for three consecutive years?
“I think the judges agreed with me for two main reasons. First, it is because of the unique feature of the product that it can generate electric energy without friction from all rotating wheels using a magnetic field and can even charge portable batteries and smartphones. Second, through our vision of bringing together individual actions to positively impact our neighbors and future generations through portable, green energy products.”
How is the company's growth?
What is the reaction in internationally?
What's next for you?
“To become the No. 1 company in the field of non-contact generators. In addition to bicycles, I want to make a contactless generator that can be used in electric transportation and smart factories. We plan to produce and export high-quality Korean products with our partner companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Source: Baek Bong-sam from ZDNet Korea (April 9, 2022)