Nokia today unveiled a unique addition to its stable of products with the announcement of a bicycle charger designed to offer “free and environmentally friendly electricity” to mobile device users. 

The device, which is made up of a dynamo which uses the motion of the bicycle’s wheels to generate electricity, will retail for roughly £15 (R160) and will be aimed primarily at developing markets with limited access to basic utilities.

The package, which will be released towards the end of this year, will include a handlebar mount, dynamo and  a 2 mm charger jack. A micro USB adapter (which is required for more recently released Nokia handsets) will be available at an additional cost. 

According to Nokia, a 10 minute cycle at roughly 10 kilometres per hour will generate enough electricity to allow for 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby dependent on the handset model. 

Although Nokia plans to push the package towards within emerging markets such as Africa and India, company spokesperson Leo McKay emphasised that it could hold global appeal. 

"We are targeting the initial rollout in the developing markets, but we do, of course, see the potential outside of these countries," McKay told Reuters. 

"In cities like Amsterdam for instance, where bicycles are probably the most common means of transportation, the supply of free, environmentally friendly power is pretty much limitless."

No confirmation regarding local release or pricing details has yet been given.