California-based Addmotor has unveiled a new member of its Grandtan electric trike range. The Grandtan X is built for stable, motor-assisted city jaunts or for venturing into the rough, with suspension front and back and fat tires helping to absorb the bumps.
Though many electric trikes on the market might stop providing assistance at 14/15 mph, the Grandtan X is built around AddMotor's own 750-W rear-mounted motor that peaks at 1,400 watts, produces 90 Nm (66 lb.ft) of torque and gets up to 20 mph (32 km/h) over seven levels of pedal-assist.
There's a torque sensor at the bottom bracket for responsive yet natural assistance from the motor. And if you don't feel like pedaling up that hill, a half-twist throttle will help ease you into traffic from standstill without breaking a sweat.
Behind the seatpost is a 960-Wh Li-ion battery pack made up of Samsung 21700 cells that's certified to UL 2271 safety standards for peace of mind riding. In real-world testing, the e-trike managed up to 85 miles (136.8 km) of per-charge riding at the lowest PAS setting for every 8-10 hours on charge using the included 48-V2-A DC charger.
A Shimano Tourney 7-speed derailleur helps with ride flexibility, and a rear differential "allows the rear wheels to adjust to different speeds and terrains."
The X is built around a 6061 alloy frame with a low-step wooden board at the dip that serves as a footrest while throttling. Usefully, the inclusion of a lockout suspension fork plus two shocks to the rear will doubtless help to smooth out the rougher rides, working with a 24-inch double-wall rim wearing a 4-inch-wide fat tire to the front and two 20-inch fat-tire wheels in back. Stopping power is provided by Tektro mechanical disc brakes with motor cutoff and a 180-mm rotor at each wheel, and the e-trike also sports a new parking brake system to prevent rollbacks on an incline.
Elsewhere, the newest Grandtan features a padded seat with backrest for trip comfort, a backlit display shows key ride data (and there's a USB port included for topping up mobile gadgetry), and the included headlight is matched to a 5-in-1 tail-light with braking and turn signaling.
The wheels benefit from aluminum fenders to keep splashes under control, and the off-road-ready ride comes with a waterproof storage bag rocking a reflective strip to keep your gear or shopping dry even if you're not. Total payload capacity, including the rider and gear in the front basket, is reported to be 450 lb (204 kg). Addmotor also says that the tube at the back has been enhanced for a trailer hook-up too, should you need to haul more stuff.
The Grandtan X e-trike is currently up for pre-order at US$3,299, which is 300 bucks off the expected retail price.
Product page: Grandtan X
