French designer Philippe Starck launched a new urban ‘scooter-bike’ – the ‘Pibal’ (named after the regional nickname for a baby) – in the Frency city of Bordeaux. Starck was accompanied by Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux and former French PM. The hybrid Pibal scooter-bike is a lightweight cycle with an eye-catching design – grey in color with bright yellow wheels. Peugeot Cycles will construct the first run of 300 Pibals at INR 29,500 each (€420), and the vehicle should be on the roads by September 2013. Presently though, there are no plans to launch the Pibal beyond Bordeaux.

Starck’s previous credits include a multitude of products spanning toothbrushes, hotels, appliances, furniture, and a 1,750 crore-rupee (€223 million) yacht. The designer said he hopes “it moves like a fish in water – with harmony”, and explained that creating a lightweight, long-lasting, reliable and high-quality product with automatic brakes and speed settings – yet at a sensible price – was not a simple process.

The long-term desire is to see the Pibal replacing Bordeaux’s 3,500-strong bicycle fleet, currently free for residents and visitors. India sure could use a product like this, though with a few zeros less on the price tag!

Story: Gaurav Nagpal