Some of bike-sharing's naysayers have complained that it won't work in their home city because it's too hilly. Well, this isn't a problem anymore with Bicincitta's introduction of Mobik in hilly Genova (Genoa), Italy. MoBike is the world's second 3rd generation bike-sharing program with pedal-assist bikes. (Monaco had the first pedal-assist launch in February.) The bikes can go 19 mi (30 km) on a charge. When the battery is low and parked at a station, the station recharges it and will release it to another customer when fully recharged.
According to Mentelocale, the service launched on April 5 with 60 bikes and 6 stations. MoBike is a partnership of the Municipality of Genova, Mobi (laboratory of sustainable mobility) in collaboration with AMT (Genova Car-sharing.) The cost to join the service is $40 (30 EUR) and the first 30 minutes of each trip are free. With a successful program, authorities plan to ramp up the service to 200 bikes.
Farell Simone, Deputy Mayor and Councilor of Genova, stated that bike-sharing "is the critical mass of reform, the global movement, which manifests on two wheels."
With MoBike, the people of Genova can do Mo hills and Mo trips by bike.
photo credit: Mentelocale
Update: Xavier B. informs The Bike-sharing Blog that Parma, Italy and Segovia, Spain incorporated electric-assist bikes on a limited basis.
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