linberl

Looks like it rolls when folded!


The EF01 E-folder from Peugeot
Towards the end of 2016 it seems Peugeot slipped out news of an electric folding bike rather quietly.

The EF01’s futuristic lines and compact fold certainly look the part. Peugeot is well known as both a car and bike maker in its home country of France and they have been producing electric bikes since 2009.
Interestingly the bike can be charged both from the mains electric supply and from a 12V outlet as found in some cars, so Peugeot clearly thinks the car + e-bike idea may appeal to potential buyers.
Claimed vital stats are 37.5 pounds (17 kg) weight, 20 km/h top speed, 30 km range and a sub-10 second fold. 16-inch wheels are fitted with powerful looking disc brakes and the bike also has Bluetooth connectivity.
Peugeot say it will be sold via their own dealer network and that of Cycleurope ‘starting in the first half of 2017’.

Rick Imby

I would bet it will be pretty expensive. Looks cool however.

badmother

Nice!

dahoneezz

Ok ... how? (Normally via strapping jubilee clip or cable tie to seat post.) Hope its not some "e" in the cloud via iPhone thingy.

arbee

> Peugeot is well known as both a car and bike maker in its home country of France

Peugeot's original product was ... pepper mills. They still make 'em, and IMHO, they're amongst the world's best. Strangely, by coincidence or design, all Peugeot's product sound like pepper mills.

maxxevv

They started with pepper grinders, then bikes, then cars.
Think there were custom carriage works thrown in there somewhere before cars.

NFSimpson

No, it's a very straight forward system that you set once to your prefered height, then, bingo, the saddle always deploys to that postion (straight too).

tds101 

The 20kph max speed is way too slow.

NFSimpson

I think 'way too slow' is a moot point, since 25kph is the maximum allowed under the ebike regs in Europe. Even the most hard core road or mountain bike can only do 25 if it is not to be effectively conciderd a moped. I guess the 20 could be looked at but as a last mile solution it feels OK especially since it means most hills can be tackled at this speed. You really need to ride it, but thanks for you thoughts.

Winfried

Not necessarily, as 1) this is a pedelec so you have to add in the 100-150W provided by the average rider, 2) this bike is for use in the city, where most rides are only a few km/miles, and 3) cities are full of stops, red lights, and crosswalks.

tdonline

NFSimpson, as the designer, what are your suggestions for luggage/cargo carrying options? Or is the bike meant to be for the backpack/messenger bag crowd?

tds101 

The average pedalec goes to, at least, 15mph. This goes to, about, 12.5mph. The amount of energy you put in, the fact that it will be used in the city, and the fact the city has stop lights and signs has nothing to do with it. 12.5mph is slower than my unassisted bicycling speed. 15mph should be the minimum an ebike should be going - unassisted. Riding so slow, in the CITY, actually makes it more dangerous to ride. You'll be unable to keep pace with traffic.

tdonline

I thought it was 20 MILES per hour. 20 kph is pretty slow...Though, nothing to stop you from kicking up the speed with some furious pedaling.

NFSimpson

If you think about how you use a folding bike, for short journeys and occassionally folding and folding it, then a back pack seems the best solution. I have spent quite a bit of time observing commuters, especially in Copenhagen, and the back pack seems the most popular option for a regular bike. Unless the bike has a front pannier you spend way more time attaching your stuff than unfolding the bike. I also designed the Peugeot AE21 for people who wanted another carrying solution.

tcs

Peugeot built its first bicycles in 1882, automobiles in 1889, motorcycles in 1903, recumbent bicycles in 1914, and - incredibly - folding bicycles in 1898!

peugeot folder 1899.jpg

invisiblehand

12 mph in the city is fine, IMO, with pedestrians, intersections, stop lights, traffic, and so on. Once you get to more sparse areas where you can open up then yes, it's slow. Another way to think about it is that you'll use the electric assist going uphill but pedal on flatland.

tds101 

Then set the pedelec level lower to achieve a lower top speed. Most ebikes have that ability. Being INTENTIONALLY limited to 12.5mph is unheard of. Safety of pedestrians has no bearing on this. Common sense of the ebike rider does.The same when it concerns stop lights and signs.

invisiblehand

My prior is that everything comes with a cost. It's unclear to me whether the 20 kph limit is artificial or due to other constraints such as weight, battery size, battery life, and/or price. (I have only quickly looked at the website) So if there is some electronic limiter on the machine, I agree. But otherwise, the targeted customer and environment seems completely relevant.

NFSimpson

It's a combination of technical constraints (weight primarily as you say) and the impression that 20 is OK. The bike will serve most people as an alternative to walking so I think its fine. It's nippy acceleration and ability to climb hills at 20 make it feel pretty good IMO.

tds101 

25kph is about 15mph, and that's fantastic.

shrooms

NFSimpson will there be just the bike as a none electric version of it?

NFSimpson

Well the company is over 200 years old so has made quite a few things over the years; sewing machines, food mixers, aircraft engines and penny farthings to name a few.