Man, and I thought that bicycles are meant to make you break out in a sweat to help keep those pounds off as you attack uphills and slopes, but once again technology is here to make life easy with the Automatic Transmission Electric Bicycle.

This is the electric bicycle that uses automatic transmission to downshift into a lower gear when it senses a hill, upshifts for rapid acceleration up to 20 mph on flats, or allows you to pedal normally because the motor can be disengaged at your command. Powered by a 750-watt electric motor housed in the horizontal chain and motor assembly that provides 1 hp, the 8-speed automatic transmission is capable of four modes of operation, all controlled by a thumb toggle on the handlebars: a setting for rapid acceleration, a low gear setting for inclines (but slower acceleration), and a setting for manual gear shifting that disengages the motor to preserve battery life. Construction begins with a 12′ straight piece of 3/8-gauge, aircraft aluminum 6061 alloy that is roll-formed and annealed for uniform wall thickness into a complete 6′ diameter circular tube with a 4″ interior diameter (the NiMH batteries reside within the tube from the front fork to the seat), which is then bisected to make a 6′ long arc for the bicycles frame. The sturdy frame supports riders up to 300 lbs.

Of course, the Automatic Transmission Electric Bicycle might not burn a hole in the ozone layer but it will surely do a number on your pockets as it retails for a cool $5,500.