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CLIP
CLIP BIKE
Did you know that half of all urban commutes are three miles or less? Short, urban commutes are a major contributor to the climate crisis. Yet, many people in urban environments are still commuting to their destinations in single-occupancy cars. If half of those urban commutes were shifted onto a bicycle, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be massive.
But, biking can be strenuous - especially on a daily basis! No one wants to show up to the office out of breath, or sweaty, and electric bikes or e-bikes tend to be relatively expensive. Until now.
Our 2021 Keeling Curve Prize laureate, CLIP, is a clean mobility company with the mission to empower the world’s growing urban population with a viable path to switch to bicycles by making e-bike technology accessible and affordable.
Our 2021 Keeling Curve Prize laureate, CLIP, is a clean mobility company with the mission to empower the world’s growing urban population with a viable path to switch to bicycles by making e-bike technology accessible and affordable.
According to this article from BBC, in the UK and the US, the transportation sector is responsible for emitting more greenhouse gases than any other industry (even electricity and agriculture). Somnath Ray, CEO of CLIP, explains “We know that transportation accounts for about 24% of carbon dioxide emissions. We also know that urban passenger transport, a subset of that metric, contributes 11% of total carbon dioxide emissions. If we could get people to bicycle more often, one could clearly see a quick and easy way to remove 5% of total emissions in the world, immediately.”
Making the switch to bicycles seems simple, considering the small distances people travel by road vehicle and the subsequent emissions required. But, riding a bicycle is a workout, especially going over hills and bridges every day. The amount of effort needed could be enough to dissuade some folks from trying out a bike commute, simply because it can be too tiring.
E-bikes have started to rise in popularity in recent years, and empower riders to travel further and more sustainably all while reaping the health benefits of a cardio exercise. However, their average cost between $1,500 and $4,000 can be a large barrier to entry.
The Solution
Enter CLIP - the world’s first instant e-bike upgrade, no tools required. Its friction drive delivers smooth 15 mph power on demand making urban commutes easy. CLIP is detachable and portable, so you can easily “clip” it onto and off of your bike. Bicycle design may be about 200 years old, but the founders of CLIP believe this is the way to the future for all cycling.
“We want to empower people with an affordable and easy way to put a serious dent in their own carbon footprint by riding their CLIP enabled bikes to work and around the city on a regular basis, without arriving exhausted or sweaty,” Ray explains.
Winning the Keeling Curve Prize last summer helped put CLIP on the map as an impactful climate solution. Recently, the company launched the production of CLIP units. “We’ve shipped the first 200 units, and it’s now getting into customers’ hands. I look every day to see if I can spot CLIP on the streets,” Ray says.
The impact of the Keeling Curve Prize
When people look at climate mitigation projects for impact, they mostly consider companies that are working on a business-to-business scale, or business-to-government scale, or at the policy level. There is generally less enthusiasm about direct consumer options. The Keeling Curve Prize has put CLIP on the map. It shined a spotlight on us and helped us be seen as a company that is driving ground-up behavior change with big dividends for the climate. ”
— Somnath Ray, CEO, CLIP
Looking to the future
The future of CLIP is to build portable, electric propulsion devices for all bicycles. The company is seeking to bring innovation to the pedaled vehicle sector, and create an ecosystem of products that upgrade the bicycling experience for everyone.
Ray states, “We want to have affordable plug and play devices for a whole host of pedaled vehicles… We have versions 2 and 3 on the drawing board, with improvements in affordability and scalability around the world. Right now, we’re targeting the US, so we’re setting our sights on targeting Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. Those are some of our next challenges.”
Somnath Ray wants the public to know just how easy it is to bike with CLIP, “Reducing your carbon footprint and making a socially conscious decision doesn’t have to be an act of self-denial. In fact, it can be healthier, fun, and really easy. You attach a CLIP, and you are riding an e-bike at ¼ the cost all while slashing your carbon footprint by more than half.”
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