Is this the next generation of e-bikes? The VanMoof V is a two-wheel drive "hyperbike", designed for long distances and high speeds. The innovative design, still in its development phase, comes from far-sighted Dutch e-bike speciialists VanMoof, who have built up a design-conscious cult following for their existing range of e-bikes, praised by the cycling cognoscenti for seamless integration of everything from the latest technology to alarm systems and braking power.
The VanMoof V - for velocity - takes all of this a step further. It's a ground-up rethinking of what an e-bike might be, a design that promises way more than just chunky good looks. There is a solid form-follows-function ethos at work here, with all of the V's systems concealed within that stout aluminium frame. The statistics are impressive: top speed is calculated at 31 mph. There's an electric motor on each wheel to give the V more power and acceleration than, say those at VanMoof, anything that's come before.
It's not on sale yet, so hold off listing your mountain bike on eBay. Indeed, these are the only photographs of the VanMoof V to be released so far by Ties and Taco Carlier, the Dutch brothers who produced their first VanMoof e-bike in 2009. "The V has the capacity," Ties Carlier says, "fully to replace cars in cities by 2025. It will be the most efficient and comfortable way to get around in places like London, Tokyo or LA." Full front and rear suspension and thick tyres take care of potholes, gears are automated and the company's "kick lock" instantly locks and alarms the V.
"The V is still in development," says Taco Carlier of the e-bike that will "shrink even the largest of cities". "Over the next period, we will be working hard behind the scenes to complete the design, engineer the details and get the bike ready to begin deliveries by the end of 2022."
Want one? Reservations - for just £20 - are now being taken, for a full price on delivery estimated at £2,998. It's a lot of money for a bike with a battery, but on the other hand the brothers Carlier envisage that - subject to sufficient cycle lanes and tweaked local laws - you'll need no other transport. Now, where's that cycle helmet?
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