Nine electric bikes from car companies you need to check out

With the recent news that Toyota is building its own cargo e-bike and with some vague recollections of Ford's folding e-bike from 2015, we're taking a look at the other car brands going electric and spreading their engineering wings into other two-wheel ventures.

This trend isn't surprising. Electric bikes are becoming big business, now accounting for some 30 per cent of total pushbike sales in the UK. With all the shouting about 'multi-modality', car makers want a piece of that pie.

The case is compelling for cyclists too. With fuel prices fluctuating, prices dropping with greater demand and electric power getting commuters further with less effort, an e-bike makes sense for many. So let’s take a look at the options.
 

Rimac is better known for producing the fastest electric car in the world, the mighty quick Rimac Nevera. Running under the Porsche eBike Performance banner in Croatia (it has a 10 per cent stake), Greyp is the bi-pedal sister brand to the automotive Rimac. The Greyp eMTB, which Ollie Marriage had a whirl on, uses Rimac’s electronic control systems, first developed on Rimac’s prototype electric motocross bike. Aimed at die-hard mountain bikers, the connectivity of Greyp eMTBs is one of the brand’s standout USPs, where the app enables riders to track their routes, take pics and track their treasured two-wheeler in the event of theft. Just as well, since prices start from £4,000 plus change.

Toyota has partnered with French e-bike outfit Douze Cycles to create the lengthily named Douze Cycles x La mobilité Toyota cargo e-bike. Based on the Douze Hêta model, this front-loading cargo bike is a Deliveroo cyclist’s dream. Powered by a Yamaha mid-drive motor, it features a 500Wh battery, good for over 60 miles of range on pedal assist. It can carry up to 100kg and comes with an optional passenger bucket to accommodate three little ones. Pricing is yet to be announced for this badboy though.

A little known bicycle and motorbike manufacturer, Laurin & Klement was subsumed into Skoda Auto in 1925, so in 2019, Skoda returned to its roots to showcase the ‘futuristic’ Klement concept. With a 4kW rear hub motor and a top speed of 28mph, the Klement features an aluminium frame, single-sided swingarm and fixed pedals. There’s a hydraulic brake, ABS and regenerative braking. The 52 cells inside the two removable lithium-ion batteries provide power for just over 38 miles of range. Skoda’s integrated additional features like LED headlights, smartphone holder and connectivity to alert emergency services in an accident, are typically Skoda. The Klement is not for production yet, mind.
 

Equipped with a Bosch Performance CX engine - which features a 500Wh ‘Powertube’ battery combined with a mid-drive motor - the Peugeot eC01 Crossover bike isn’t cheap but it does cater for a cyclist’s multiple needs. A range of almost 75 miles when in low assist mode, it can tackle urban routes and all-terrain territories. The 57mm tyres are said to be pavement-, pothole- and gravel-proof, and it’s kitted out to be used all year round with mudguards, a chain cover and luggage rack - a commuter’s dream. Priced mildly cheaper than a UK rail ticket, the eC01 will set you back a tickle over £2,700.

Partnering with Recon Powerbikes, GMC has created a companion electric bike for its Hummer EV. With all-wheel-drive, three riding modes and torque vectoring, there was no doubt the Hummer e-bike was going to be as bold and brash as its four-wheeled counterpart. The bike sports two 750Wh motors, coupled with a 48V LG battery that recharges in four hours. Front suspension forks, puncture-resistant tyres and hydraulic brakes round off a package that beckons to be paired with a jaunt to the Grand Canyon. Yet, a price tag of £3,300 and a rule that only helmet-wearing adults over 18s can use one might quash brave teens’ dreams. 

Partnering with off-roading bike distributor QuietKat, Jeep has set out to build the ‘most-capable all-terrain electric mountain bike on the planet’. No mean feat, this award-winning full-suspension fat-tyre Jeep eBike comes with an ‘ultra-drive’ 1000W motor and a 768Wh battery, which combined gives the bike a range of up to 44 miles on low assist. The Jeep eBike will support a rider and load capacity of up to 136kg and the battery will recharge from 0-100 per cent in up to eight hours. There’s a lifetime frame warranty and a 15-day risk-free ‘try-before-you-buy’, which is just as well, since it’ll set you back almost five grand…and that’s without additional extras like a spare battery. 

VW is one of the car brands that has been at the electric pedelec game for a long while. In 2019, it released the Cargo e-Bike with a 250W electric motor and 500Wh battery powering the front-configured tricycle. The range is sufficient for 62 miles with a maximum payload of 210kg and the top speed is limited to just under 16mph - meaning it doesn’t need any special licence to operate. A product line of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) this particular three-wheeler is aimed at the logistics and delivery customers and features tilt-levelling technology. Though they went on sale in 2019, they sadly never made it to the UK.

Serial1, like LiveWire, is a Harley-Davidson spin-off brand. Produced with the tagline ‘Powered by Harley Davidson’, the four-bike line-up, with prices starting from £3,800, covers all the use cases and styles a discerning electric cyclist needs; from urban to all-terrain MTB play. Equipped with LED lights, the max assisted speed of the Serial1 reaches 16mph with the Brose S Mag motor and a choice of either 529Wh or 706Wh removable battery. Prices climb with the bigger batteries, which take range up to as much as 115 miles on one charge, depending on the ride mode, terrain and weight of rider.