We've seen a few pedal-assist bikes pitched as alternatives to the family car recently, including the Vanmoof V, Lectric's XPremium and the Pino Cargo from Hase Bikes. The latest to throw down the e-mobility gauntlet is the capable-looking Mate SUV.
Danish e-mobility outfit Mate is presenting its playfully named cargo ebike – or e-trike – as a genuine alternative to getting around our cities by car, inviting us to "imagine life on the road without being stuck in traffic and never having to pay for another parking ticket, yet have the comfort of a SUV."
It's not going to match everyone's needs perfectly but for many journeys it could certainly see the family car remain in the driveway – particularly for short hops to the store, hauling a child or two to school or for small businesses looking for cleaner ways to deliver goods locally.
At this stage, all we have are renders and a few key specs. The reverse e-trike is being produced for EU and UK markets, and has been designed in Denmark, engineered in Germany and will be produced in Italy from next year.
It sports a torque-sensing 250-W mid-mount motor for 90 Nm (66 lb.ft) of torque and EU-friendly pedal-assist up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph). It lacks a mechanical groupset but does come with a belt drive paired with an Enviolo geared hub. And the battery is expected to offer up to 100 km (62 miles) of per-charge range.
The frame is fashioned from 90% recycled aluminum, the 210-liter cargo box rocks funky pulsing LED strip lighting and can accommodate a lift-up tubular safety bar up top, and can be optioned with a strap-down rain cover (to protect packages from the elements) or you can pop in seating and add a hard top with windows for the school run.
The SUV will come with 4G connectivity cooked in for "live location tracking and anti-theft protection" using a smartphone, which can also tap into battery status, route planning and remote alarm features. The two wheels to the front and one to the rear can be optioned with road tires or chunky off-road wrappers, and stopping power will be provided by hydraulic disc braking.
"We wanted to bring something exceptional to the market as it is in our DNA to make e-biking cool and fun," said company CEO, Thomas Vuillez. "The MATE SUV is something that was born out of our curiosity about how we move and to challenge the known ways of running errands and making short trips. The reliance on a car is considerable and reducing that is a growing need of the day."
The recent winner of a 2023 German Design Award, the Mate SUV is available for pre-order now – a reservation fee of €49 (US$52) will keep your spot in the line, with the expected price listed as €6,499 ($6,910) and shipping estimated to start from September 2023. The video below has more.
Product page: Mate SUV
