Co-eds enrolling at the University of Washington at Seattle this fall should be able to zip to class on electric bikes rented through Intrago Corporation's self-serve system, CNET reports.

The company plans to launch its first stable of 40 rental electric bikes at four stations around the campus around August.

Intrago's goal is to offer rental wheels around the world at transportation hubs like train stations, so people can reach their final destination without having to cab it, hoof it or pedal uphill on a manual bike.

Each user will get a key that works on any Intrago bike. They can pick up and return a bike from any docking station, unlike car rental services, which require a round trip. GPS tracking of each vehicle should prevent rush hour parking bottlenecks, according to Intrago.

The bikes will be locked to stations through a cable that also bundles data wires feeding information about customer usage patterns to Intrago's servers.

Intrago is developing a franchise business model to spread its technology around the country and abroad. It would sell or rent its systems to regional operators and take royalties from use of its software.

The next Intrago stations are due to be set up at a business park later this year in Walnut Creek, Calif.

In the 1990s Intrago founder Dan Sturges invented the GEM NEV electric "golf cart" car, which General Motors later bought.

Intrago has raised $1.2 million and is seeking another $5 million.