April 1 news special: London to get e-unicycle subscription service

By Move Electric

1 Apr 2023

It might be a Saturday, but April 1 2023 has been a surprisingly busy news day.

We've decided to round up some of the most notable stories, all of which we can assure you are absolutely, positively serious. Maybe.

London to get e-unicycle subscription service

Subscription bike company Swapfiets has launched the first-ever e-unicycle subscription service in London.

The firm currently offers a range of e-bikes on a monthly subscription offer, including the Power 1 and Power 7 machines. They are available online, or at the firm’s London store.

The new Swapfiets Solo Power 1 e-unicycle will be available alongside those bikes for a fee of £50.99 per month, which includes free delivery, a double lock, maintenance and a repair and a 48-hour replacement guarantee.

Katarina Hlavata, Swapfiet’s UK Country Manager, managed to keep a straight face while calling the Solo Power 1 “an exciting next step in encouraging more Londoners to get involved in the subscription model”.

The Solo Power 1 is apparently available to test at Swapfiet’s London store. Although we’d suggest visiting before, say, 12pm today.

Fastned's Bike Boost charger

Charging network Fastned has launched a new EV charging system called Bike Boost, which it claims offers charging speeds of up to 750kW - by harnessing the use of pedal power.

The new chargers feature exercise bike-style pedal systems, allowing you to increase the speed of your EV charging by providing your own kinetic energy to boost the grid. The faster you pedal, the faster you charge your car.

The system also features an app that allows you to compare your times against other Bike Boost users. Although we doubt you'll find many people signing up after April 1.

Scania launches Sauna Series cab

Scania has been expanding its line-up of electric trucks recently, but it also seems keen to exploit steam power with the new Sauna Series cab. Yes, it's a big truck where the cab doubles as a refreshing, relaxing sauna.

The Swedish firm claims that a 45-minute daily sauna could let drivers operate for an extra 4.5 hours per day.

Sadly, the Sauna Series will initially only be offered on Scania's regular combustion-engined trucks, but we're hopefully of an electric version soon, although it might need a big heat pump to generate the sauna heat. Perhaps it could launch on April 1, 2024.