Does Ford See The End Approaching?

Ford designers have had a go at electric bikes. The annual Further With Ford trends conference in Palo Alto saw the release of a video touting the new Ford MoDe e-bike:



The bike has a couple of interesting features, such as replaceable front and rear ends, allowing it to be modified for different environments.
But anyone who has been paying attention is used to re-thinks of basic cycle design: from frame and gear versions (like touring frames or fixed gearing) to collapsible bikes and extended frame transport cycles, and the wide variety of three- and four-wheel designs. This is one of the joys of bikes--they can be altered, mashed, modified, run through a bike kitchen or an art collective and still function.
But two things stand out about the Ford announcement; one, that they see a chance to make a buck, meaning the car alternative movement has become large enough for a massive multinational to pay attention. And two, that an iconic "American" company's imprimatur might bring the movement to middle-America's attention. Neither of these are a bad thing.