Bicycles

Polini E-P3 gives road and mountain eBikers a boost

Polini E-P3 gives road and mountain eBikers a boost
The Polini eBike motor is compact and powerful
The Polini eBike motor is compact and powerful 
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The motor pumps out 70 Nm of torque
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The motor pumps out 70 Nm of torque
The motor can be adapted to work with different types of bike
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The motor can be adapted to work with different types of bike 
The battery blends more neatly into the bike's frame than some other eBike attempts we've seen
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The battery blends more neatly into the bike's frame than some other eBike attempts we've seen
The E-P3 attached to a frame
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The E-P3 attached to a frame 
The Polini eBike motor is compact and powerful
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The Polini eBike motor is compact and powerful 
View gallery - 5 images

For commuters who want to ride to work without arriving in a pool of sweat, eBikes offer a nice balance of exercise and battery-boosted assistance. For those looking to jump in the e-saddle, the good news is motors and batteries are becoming lighter and more powerful. The new E-P3 from Polini weighs just 2.85 kg (6.3 lb), but is able to put 70 Nm through the crank to make hills a sweat-free breeze.

With 250 watts of power and 70 Nm (52 lb-ft) of torque, the E-P3 exactly matches the performance of the recently released Shimano STePS MTB. Both units boost the rider's performance by augmenting the power they're putting through the pedals, and both cut out once the rider reaches a certain speed.

The way power and torque cut in can be modified, allowing riders to choose between different degrees of assistance. There's also a dedicated walking mode, which runs the motor up to 6 km/h (3.7 mph) without any input from the pedals.

The motor can be adapted to work with different types of bike
The motor can be adapted to work with different types of bike 

Power comes from a 400 or 500 Wh battery pack, which can be easily integrated into the frame for a smoother, more seamless finish. It's attached to an aluminum mount, and there's still a mounting point for the requisite bottle holder on the battery pack. Compared to Shimano and Bosch, both of whom strap a bulky battery pack to the frame without much consideration for the way it looks, the sleek Polini design looks more refined.

The E-P3 will be come in four different models, designed to fit road bikes, hardtail or dual-suspension mountain bikes or a less specialized "universal" version. Thanks to the motor's compact size it can be used on bikes with a short chainstay, and can be combined with pedal axles of three different lengths to suit different sized wheels.

Check the Polini E-P3 out in the video below.

Source: Polini

POLINI E-P3 motor for E-BIKE

View gallery - 5 images
5 comments
5 comments
MartinVoelker
An older lady I know had a similar assist built into her recumbent. It allowed her to continue the group rides despite her health problems. A great joy for her. Also, it seems like two thirds of my mother's friends over 70 in Europe have e-bikes to continue doing everything from shopping to weekend rides to touring despite worn knees, hearts, or lungs. It's a revolution in quality of life - and saves lots of gasoline.
Udhaya Kumar
What is the range per charge?
StWils
What is the pricetag and actual, not imaginary, actual delivery to market date? Also, can this be used to retrofit an existing bike?
unklmurray
Someone asked ''What is the range?'' One would have to assume that it would be comparable to the other devices similar to this one, I'd personally say ''Off hand' that it would be somewhere around 30-40 m [50-75km] on a charge the being so small ,you probably get more depending on how much you help. I believe it would be a nice little helper............LoL :-)
JoeFrederick
This device requires a bike be built around it ... it's not an add-on device. These bikes will of necessity be expensive. I shall keep my trusty and comfy Electra Townie with big, fat saddle and someday soon add a motorized front wheel kit to it. Bike cost me $450 ten years ago, now priced at about $550, I think. It's a sit-up straight bike, especially nice for us oldies and people with certain disabilities. No hand or feet or neck pain, but plenty of butt pain (unless you get that plush saddle) since almost all your weight is on the seat.
Add about $450 for the whole motorized kit including lead-acid batteries and all electronics plus racks and bags, and you have a most wonderful bike that can go almost anywhere but on rough trails at speeds up to 25+ mph and for as far as 35 miles on a charge (without pedaling - faster and much further if you pedal too) ... and all for a grand total of around $1,000. I'm 75, and that's all I need along with a $100 baby trailer to carry groceries and such.