The Gocycle GXi has been named in TIME’s list of the top 100 inventions of 2020. The e-bike, which went on sale at the start of this year, is designed to be folded in 10 seconds or less.
TIME invited nominations for its inventions of the year from its editors and correspondents and also through an online application process. It then evaluated the products put forward for originality, effectiveness, ambition and impact.
The result is a broad list of items, ranging from a smarter beehive to a greener tube of toothpaste to technology that could catalyse a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Gocycle GXi has been included in the ‘transport’ category.
“Electric bikes are more popular than ever, but finding a place to store them, especially in smaller living spaces, is a big problem,” says the magazine to explain how the GXi earned inclusion.
Reacting to the news, Gocycle Designer and Founder Richard Thorpe said: “We are absolutely delighted with this accolade for our fast-folding GXi – you don’t get much more prestigious than TIME.
“Breaking the mould isn’t easy and this award is a testament to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes here at Gocycle. We are driven by the pursuit of designing the world’s best urban electric bikes, taking a no compromises engineering approach to continually improve our products.
“The challenges of 2020 have given the world a chance to reset and assess how we do things, how we move around and how we look after ourselves. More people than ever are switching onto the enormous health and lifestyle benefits that comes with two-wheeled electric travel.
“E-bikes will become the dominant form of sustainable personal urban transport and improve the air quality, noise pollution and congestion in our cities.”
The award caps off a year in which Gocycle has achieved 50% growth in global sales and doubled its workforce to meet the increased demand.
The GXi wasn’t the only e-bike technology included in TIME’s list either. CLIP, a portable e-motor that will transform any bike into an e-bike, was also named after launching via Kickstarter last year.
