E-bikes offer a way for commuters to arrive at work sweat-free, but some boosted two-wheelers are starting to offer ranges that rival bikes of the fossil fuel-powered variety. One such example is the Grunner developed by Croatia-based Mobile Vehicle Technology and Absolute Design, which boasts 2.2 kW of power and 180 km (112 mi) of range.
Like the most powerful offerings from Stealth and Rimac, the Grunner looks more like a lightweight motorcycle than a regular pushbike. The TIG-welded steel frame is home to a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, housed within composite fairings. It's good for a 180 km (112 mi) range in Eco Mode or 100 km (62 mi) in Power Mode, and takes around 90 minutes to charge from empty.
That significant range disparity is down to the sheer grunt on offer in Power Mode. While the base Eco Mode offers just 250 W of pedal-assistance for a 25 km/h (16 mph) top speed, Power Mode frees up a whopping 2.2 kW. As you might imagine, the bike is street legal in Eco mode and probably not with the full output unlocked. Top speed jumps to 50 km/h (31 mph) with the right switches flicked, which is still less than the Stealth H-52 will do in its most powerful tune.
Given you can only (legally) enjoy the full Grunner experience off-road, the bike comes ready for trails. It rides on Rockshox suspension with 200 mm (7.9 in) of travel at the front and a steel-coil setup at the rear, while custom 26-inch wheels are tasked with putting all that power to the road. Given it weighs 25 kg (55 lb) and is capable of 50 km/h, you'll be pleased to know the brakes are suitably powerful Shimano hydraulic units, backed up by a regenerative braking system capable of drawing 1 kW of power.
The rider can control the bike through a seven-inch touchscreen mounted on the handlebars. Along with details about speed, range and riding mode, parents can use the system to lock the bike in a special low power mode for children. All the data captured on a ride is uploaded to the cloud, and can be accessed remotely through the web.
All this performance doesn't come cheap. Pricing will start at €4,000 (US$4,550) – a lot of money for a bike, but still €2,000 ($2,280) cheaper than the Rimac-developed Greyp G-12. It's also around $3,000 cheaper than a Stealth H-52, although that bike has a higher top speed, and drifts even further into the realm of motorbikes. It's set to go on sale by the end of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The video below shows the bike in action.
Source: Grunner Bikes
$4500 gets you a MTB e-bike done by Specialized with proper components, proper frame geometry, and a much better looking bike.
The rear hub motor is also a poor choice for a pedelec. It seems better to distribute the weight of the motor through the center of the bike with something like a Bosch system.
There are much better options out there for this price IMO. A Trek Supercommuter for commuting or a Specialized Turbo Levo for off-road, for example.