Ever since its first ebike, Urtopia has rolled with a futuristic vibe, even embracing AI as a ride companion at Eurobike in June. Now the Hong Kong-based e-mobility outfit is heading to CES 2024 with a new tech-packed smart bike to show off.
As briefly mentioned back in June, the Fusion "eSUV" has been designed in collaboration with Hartmut Esslinger of Frog Design, and is described as "the epitome of raw power" by Urtopia. Official imagery is still in short supply, but we do now have more details.
The smart ebike is built around an angular V-shaped low-step carbon-fiber frame that's designed to accommodate riders between 1.6 m and 1.9 m (5.25 - 6.2 ft) in height. That frame is home to a 540-Wh downtube battery rocking Samsung 21700 Li-ion cells, and a 360-Wh range extender will be available as an optional extra for a total per-charge range of up to 160 km (~99.5 miles).
Powering the pedal-assist is a Bafang 250-W mid-drive motor capable of 95 Nm (70 lb.ft) of torque, though the CES landing page mentions a dual-motor configuration so it looks like there's still more info to come. What we have so far shows a standard chain-drive model coming with a Shimano 10-speed gearset and a CDX belt-drive flagship version paired with an Enviolo stepless geared hub.
Cooked-in smart technology shapes up as onboard telematics and tracking via 4G eSIM and GPS, and Bluetooth is included too, for streaming music or pairing with a smartphone app to initiate anti-theft protections such as movement alerts and geo-fencing.
A central dot-matrix display with fingerprint unlock allows for scrolling through different screens to show such things as speed and battery status, weather and time, on-bike turn-by-turn navigation with audio prompts, and more. The company has confirmed that this model will ride with ChatGPT as copilot, with voice interaction over dual microphones and built-in speaker module.
Absorbing uneven terrain through the city and beyond is the job of an air suspension fork with 100 mm of travel, while the flagship model also gains a Suntour suspension seatpost. The ebike features 28-inch wheels wrapped in Schwalbe Big Apple tires, and stopping power is provided by Tektro HD-M280 hydraulic disc brakes for the standard ride, or Magura MT4 eSTOP hydraulic disc brakes for the flagship.
There's an integrated StVZO headlight plus a tail-light, and the eSUV can be optioned with Advanced Rear Early-indication System lighting with projected turn signaling for enhanced safety. Full fenders are also included, along with a side kickstand.
An optional MIK-compatible rear rack can be had for one-click mounting of baskets, seats, and other accessories, and the ebike is rated to haul a total of 150 kg (330 lb), including the rider, while itself weighing in at 23/24 kg (50/53 lb).
We'll have to wait for CES 2024 to find out about availability and pricing, as well as confirmed production specs. And it looks like Urtopia will also be riding a Pro version of its Carbon 1 ebike designed by Mathis Heller into Las Vegas next month too, along with the Chord ebike launched earlier this year and a new smart ring for gathering health metrics and ebike control.
Source: Urtopia
