Utility boxes along city streets may not be all they seem, thanks to an inventive electric bike rider.
Comedy-focused YouTuber Frankie Lapenna shared a video of himself riding a contraption that draws a lot of looks from bystanders.
"Beneath all the metal panels is just a regular e-bike," Lapenna said in the clip. "This one has been transformed into a piece of art and looks like something James Bond would have."
It's designed to look like a set of utility boxes, a common sight on city sidewalks. And while Lapenna's ride fits the billing — it resembles metal utility equipment flawlessly when parked — it's likely a little clunky for 007.
That being said, as much as the idea may be more of a bit than a serious vehicle idea, it could be an unconventional way to deal with bike thefts, an increasingly problematic scenario for riders. Columbia Journalism Review recently highlighted the problem plaguing delivery drivers in New York City.
About 54% of 500 survey participants reported having their bikes stolen, per the Review. The story cites a 2021 Cornell study, which alarmingly found that 30% of respondents said they were assaulted during a bike theft.
"I had two orders to deliver on 59th Street. I parked the bicycle in front of the building and locked it in front of the doorman," Illiace Zabsonre, a food courier, said.
His bike was stolen, even though he made it immobile by threading the lock through the tire and frame, per the report.
"It was devastating," he said in the story.
E-bikes can range in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars or more. Zabsonre told the Review that his bike is worth $1,800.
The riders are leveraging the valuable rides and latest battery tech to provide an astounding range, which is needed for the busy food delivery business. As a higher-end example, a Mercedes-AMG Petronas bike that costs $7,500 can go 70 miles on a charge.
Like electric vehicles, e-bike use can reduce heat-trapping air pollution. While invasive mining is needed to gather the valuable metals used to make state-of-the-art batteries, they remain cleaner than gas-burning alternatives, as noted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
And while we mine around 7.7 million tons of materials for "low carbon" tech annually, there are 16.5 billion tons of fossil fuels hauled out of the Earth each year, according to Sustainability by Numbers, referencing International Energy Agency statistics.
What's more, the U.S. Energy Department notes that even in states that primarily use fossil fuels to charge batteries, electric rides prevent thousands of pounds of planet-warming fumes compared to gas-guzzlers. Medical experts have linked pipe exhaust to lung, heart, and other health risks.
And as Lapenna shows, e-bikes are a fun way to enter the electric arena. As a perk, five battery-powered trips a week could save you $800 a year in gas and other expenses. Certain tax breaks are also available to help make the purchase more affordable. Some are dependent on where you live.
Plus, if you are afraid of theft, Lapenna recommended one unconventional solution.
"This is the least-likely-to-be-stolen electric bike of all time. You can leave it sitting in front of thousands of people, and no one will even look at it," he said in the clip, which doesn't provide much detail on how he made the ride.
Regardless, it has drawn much attention, garnering a million likes and more than 8,800 comments.
"Great, now I'm going to dig into every electrical box I find hoping it's this bike," one viewer joked.
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