Bicycles

Alpha Neo ebike looks to hydrogen fuel cells to power commutes

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The Alpha Neo ebike will ride for up to 90 miles before its small hydrogen reserves need a quick 2-minute top up
Pragma Mobility
The Alpha Neo ebike will ride for up to 90 miles before its small hydrogen reserves need a quick 2-minute top up
Pragma Mobility
In addition to the removable hydrogen energy pack, the Alpha Neo ebike features a 250-W geared-hub motor to the rear for torque-sensing pedal assist up to 25 km/h
Pragma Mobility
The powered-by-hydrogen Alpha Neo ebike will initially have a limited production run of 1,000 models
Pragma Mobility
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Pedal-assist bikes are proving a popular choice for folks looking to get to work, do the weekly shop or just go for a leisurely ride. But most offer a fairly limited motor-assisted range and long wait times when charging up the batteries. France's Pragma Mobility sees things differently, tapping into hydrogen fuel-cell technology for the Alpha Neo commuter.

Pragma Industries was founded by Pierre Forté and Rémi Succoja in 2004, and began shifting its focus from hydrogen fuel cell development to mobility solutions in 2017. Pragma Mobility was launched in 2020, and the company has built on lessons learned from the production of 300 first-generation hydrogen-fuel-cell ebikes for the design of the Alpha Neo.

The ebike's aluminum frame features a low step-over to accommodate more riders, and benefits from a removable energy pack with built-in daylight-readable status screen. This hosts a small refillable tank that holds hydrogen under 300 bar of pressure to feed the onboard fuel cells, along with cooked-in electronics including supercapacitors.

Pragma is promising a two-minute top up from a H2 filling station, if you can find one, which is obviously a good deal quicker than having to plug in an ebike battery unit and wait for hours before you can ride again. The setup is robust too, and is expected to last for at least 15 years of regular use.

In addition to the removable hydrogen energy pack, the Alpha Neo ebike features a 250-W geared-hub motor to the rear for torque-sensing pedal assist up to 25 km/h
Pragma Mobility

Much of the hydrogen available at such filling stations will currently be produced using coal or gas, but as more so-called green hydrogen projects tap into renewable energy the production map will start to look a whole lot cleaner. Pragma appears to have local or home-based green hydrogen production and supply as part of its future outlook.

As a reward for spending a couple of minutes topping up the tank, riders can look forward to more than 90 miles (150 km) of range. The rear wheel is home to a 250-W geared hub motor that peaks at 350-W, and the there are five levels of torque-sensing pedal-assist available up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph), in line with current European regulations.

The powered-by-hydrogen Alpha Neo ebike will initially have a limited production run of 1,000 models
Pragma Mobility

The H2-powered commuter weighs in at 30 kg (66 lb) all-in and comes with a rear luggage rack included. It rolls on 27.5-inch wheels wrapped in 2-inch reinforced tires, comes to a stop with the help of hydraulic disc brakes, and features integrated LED lighting with ambient sensors to power on automatically. Completing the package is a wheel lock, full fenders front and back, and a double kickstand.

The Alpha Neo is currently up for pre-order for €5,690 (around US$6k), but Pragma is introducing a long-term leasing package for a starting price of €79 per month. The company is aiming to kick off production with a limited run of 200 units from June 2023, followed by 800 more by the year end. A fuel-cell electric delivery trike and scooter are also in the works.

Product page: Alpha Neo

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5 comments
Username
Very few (basically 0) people travel 90 miles a day on their bicycles. Charging at home while you sleep is the opposite of an inconvenience.
Graeme S
True Username, but it does not add extra load to the grid and that is a big plus
Jim B
Would be better if it was a methanol fuel cell.
mark34
considering that as of Sept 2022 there are only 6 public hydrogen refuelling stations in Canada, I think I'll wait...
DaveWesely
Well @Graeme, it's nice to see you got your designated talking point in before deadline. Unfortunately it doesn't hold water. Most bike and scooter batteries are less than 1 kWh, which means a clothes dryer uses more juice in half an hour.
Hydrogen isn't nearly as efficient as using electricity for electricity. Even hydrogen from petroleum. So the inverse is true - hydrogen vehicles would add more load to the grid than EVs.