General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

3

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Wood case with metal hinges and clasp.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

34.2 cm

Width

23.6 cm

Height

4.2 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Non-motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Cycles & cycling

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

New, never used.

Canada

(From worksheet, ref. 1): Introduced in Canada in the mid-1990s by cycle enthusiasts and environmentally conscious groups, the electric bicycle remained mostly a curiosity to the general public. Despite the status as an object of curiosity, the number of electric bicycle users in Canada grew and in the early 2000s, Transport Canada commissioned a report on electric bicycles. The report noted that there are two design styles of electric bicycles, traditional bicycle and scooter, which has lead to some confusion as to if electric bicycles were bicycles or motorized vehicles. The report recommended that the Motor vehicle safety act be amended to include a new category called Power-Assisted Vehicle (PAV), to capture electric bicycles. Under this new definition, electric bicycles are treated much the same way as bicycles but restrictions have been placed on the technology such as the size of the assisting motor, the length of time it can be on, and the presence or absence of pedals. BionX was founded in 1997 by Jean-Yves Dubé of Asbestos, Quebec. In the early 2000s, BionX produced their first electric bicycle conversion kit. The first production factory was located in Asbestos, Qc, and the head office was in Sherbrooke, Qc. Sometime after 2005, BionX was purchased by Magna International, who retained the BionX name but moved production to Hamilton, ON.

Function

To contain, store, and protect contents when not in use.

Technical

(From worksheet, ref. 1): The first patent for a battery operated bicycle dates to 1895 but the weight of the lead-acid battery made the technology impractical. Since the first patent, the metals used in batteries have changed and the first generation BionX system was made from nickel and cadmium (ni-cad). Although ni-cad batteries were lighter than lead-acid ones the electric bicycle’s range was still limited by the amount of charge the battery could store. The Toba electric bicycle uses a lithium-ion battery which weighs less than the ni-cad and has a greater storage and discharge capacity. The Styriette model was originally launched in 1938 by Steyr-Daimler Puch. This model was equipped with a 60cc, 2-stroke engine and was classified as a motorized bicycle (motorcycle/scooter). BionX purchased the bicycle patent because the company wanted to launch a luxury model “European-inspired” electric bicycle. The BionX model retailed for around $3,500 (base model) and was equipped with a leather seat, leather hand grips, hydraulic brakes, and enclosed chain-guard. The BionX Styriette was the first model to feature a 3-speed internal hub on the rear wheel. The hub technology is now one of BionX corporation’s best sellers to other bicycle manufacturers such as Trek, Yuba, and Smart (Mercedes-Benz).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

On the label on the lid: "Styriette/ BionX/ Limited/ Edition/ 500 Stk./ Traditionelle Werte/ mit neuer Technik/ Magna Marque Styriette/ Pedelec/ Testsieger/ 2006/10/ [logo]/ ExtraEnergy.org"

Missing

Appears complete

Finish

Reddish-brown finished wood exterior with silver-coloured hinges and clasp and a black, gold, red, and white label on the lid. The interior is unfinished reddish-brown wood with a green felt lining inside the lid.

Decoration

N/A