Taiwan's Gogoro is likely best known for its colorful electric smart scooters and battery-swapping networks, but the mobility company is now adding an ebike called the Eeyo 1 to its product line up, which features an all-new digital drive called the Eeyo Smartwheel.
"Ebikes don’t all need to be heavy cargo haulers or feel like you’re riding a battery, so we created the Eeyo 1 to be ultralight, quick, responsive, and fun," said Gogoro's Horace Luke.
The first thing of note here is that the Eeyo 1 ebike is built around an all-in-one digital drive system called the Eeyo Smartwheel, which is home to a 250-W hub motor, 123.4-Wh batteries, sensors, and wireless connectivity. The ebike also benefits from a Gates Carbon belt drive that makes for low maintenance, oil-free rides, and the setup's torque sensor "instantly delivers pedal assist that provides increased control, power, and speed that feels more balanced, and natural." Assist up to 19 mph (30.5 km/h) is provided.
A per charge battery range in Eco mode could get you about 55 miles (88.5 km) before you have to think about finding a wall outlet, but if you want to speed around town in Sport mode that goes down to 40 miles (64 km). The ebike comes with a small charger that you can carry with you, that's simply snapped around the hub to juice up the batteries – meaning you don't have to worry about squinting to find tiny ports, but also means that you can't just detach and carry the battery pack for charging indoors. An optional Stand Charger is also available, where the ebike is just dropped in to charge.
As a rider using the Eeyo app on a Bluetooth-connected smartphone moves away from the ebike, the motor will auto lock, making theft attempts a bit of a drag. The app can also be used to view ride essentials when mounted in the cradle to the middle of the handlebar, and facilitates over-the-air firmware and software updates to ensure the Eeyo 1 rocks the latest features. Gogoro is planning to add integration with health trackers and trip data analysis to the app in the future.
The Eeyo 1 rocks an eye-catching open-frame design that does away with the seat tube as such, relying on Kevlar-reinforced carbon fiber to take the strain while keeping weight down. The fork is also fashioned from carbon fiber, and the big ol' hole in the middle should also make the ebike easier to shoulder up flights of stairs.
Elsewhere, cabling is routed through the frame to preserve the ebike's clean lines, there's TRP disc braking to the front and Tektro V-Clip to the rear, and Maxxis 700 X 28C tires are wrapped around carbon fiber rims.
The Eeyo 1 ebike comes in blue or orange, has an alloy seat post, handlebars and rims and weighs in at 27.5 lb (12.5 kg), which is pretty light for an ebike. It will cost US$3,899 when released in July.
An even lighter version in matte white called the Eeyo 1s tips the scales at 26.4 lb (11.9 kg), and features a carbon fiber seat post, handlebars and rims – and is a little pricier at $4,599.
Product page: Eeyo 1
