German car brand Volkswagen is to start manufacture of a new cargo e-bike – handily called the ‘Cargo e-Bike’ – designed for commercial use.
The bike is positioned as a ‘last-mile deliverer’, and according to VW itself is “designed for use in downtown areas, production plants, businesses of all types and hotels,” with “limitless” potential applications.
A three-wheeled pedelec, the Cargo e-Bike will feature a mid-mounted motor that can add 250 watts up to a speed of 25km/h. It’s powered by a lithium-ion battery that’s said to produce a 100km (62mi) range before running out of juice.
The cargo aspect is taken care of via a platform that sits over the axle connecting the front two wheels, while the rear end is designed much more like a traditional bike. The front axle features new kinematics that, while cornering, ensure that the cargo aboard the platform remains flat and stable.
Despite the three-wheeled nature of the Cargo e-Bike, VW has kept the track under 900mm to allow easier access through doorways, while attempting to maximise stability with a long 1,350mm wheelbase. In combination with the low centre of gravity at the cargo platform, it says that the risk of overturning should be low.
The entire bike weighs in at 40kg, with the capacity to support a payload of 210kg including the rider. Production inside a dedicated zone in VW’s Hannover plant is set to commence in the “very near future.”
