How can technology make a daily urban commute super easy, way more economical, and, oh so much better for the environment?

Som Ray drops in to chat with Sarah Shewey, Happily CEO and Founder, about the future of e-bikes, how adopting biking for urban mobility can change the world and what the startup process is really like.

Plus, he introduces us to his startup, CLIP, a revolutionary device that will be a must-have for the urban commuter and anyone wondering how they can help the environment in their daily life.

Image: CLIP Co-founders Somnath Ray and Clément de Alcala

Som Ray is re-designing the e-bike experience

Having grown up in India, Som understands just how bad air pollution and urban congestion can get. When he found himself living in New York City he decided to start using biking as his primary mode of transport. Biking is awesome for a daily commute. It is way better for the environment than cars and they do wonders for easing traffic congestion. However, biking every day is not always easy. It can get real physically taxing and motivations can wax and wan, so that is where the pedal assist of an electric bike makes all the difference.

As a concept, the pedal assist of e-bikes makes the biking experience easier, quicker and ensures you don’t arrive at your destination all puffed and sweaty. However, e-bikes are not accessible to most people; they are expensive, they are heavy and their value means they often get stolen. Also, as Som points out, most of us already have a bike; personalized, wonderful bikes with diverse designs that reflect us. This is where CLIP comes in.

CLIP is a clean mobility startup that is creating a portable e-motor device to easily attach to any bike, instantly turning it into an e-bike. Founded in 2018 by Som Ray and Clément de Alcala, they want to democratize access to the benefits of an e-bike, and build an option much more low-cost, user-friendly and accessible. Plus, empower urban commuters and city dwellers to take on biking and significantly slash our impact on climate change.

Listen to Som on Happily Live with Sarah Shewey, CEO and Founder of Happily, and read on for more.

It’s Earth Month so here are some stats for you!

By switching to biking, NYC commuters would:

• save approx. 1.5M gallons of gasoline every year
• eliminate approx. 12,900 metric tonnes of Co2 emissions every year

The Co2 emissions of transport in NYC are:

• Gasoline Car = 251.0g Co2 per passenger km
• Bus = 28.0g Co2 per passenger km
• Tesla model 3 = 46.7g Co2 per passenger km
• Subway / Metro = 36.4g Co2 per passenger km
• CLIP & bike = 1.52g Co2 per passenger km

Image: CLIP prototype on urban bike

Hungry for more?

Here are links to resources and things mentioned in this Happily Live:

• For more info on CLIP
• A NYSP2I Case Study on the Greenhouse Gas Impact of CLIP’s E-Bike Technology
• 3 Ways to Create an Events Strategy that Saves the Planet
• More on Happily's commitment to the environment
• TEDxHappily Countdown Case Study