Californian company Addmotor has launched a new cargo ebike with a maximum range of up to 210 miles, and a surprisingly modest price tag. The Addmotor Graoopro (no, I'm not sure how it's pronounced either) is available now starting at an early bird price of $1,999, which is very reasonable for a solidly built bike of this sort, let alone one with ultra long range.
That is achieved with the use of an optional extra battery pack, plus an efficient motor that can hit a top speed of 20mph with pedal assistance. It's not the longest range in the world, but it's not to be sniffed at. (The FUELL Flluid-2 from Erik Buell has a quoted range of up to 225 miles on a single battery, and the EUNORAU Flash is a less elegant machine that achievers a similar range with three power packs.)
But is it actually necessary? Well yes, but not because anyone is actually likely to be riding a cargo bike that far non-stop. Addmotor's 210-mile figure is for an unladen bike ridden in optimum conditions, but the Graoopro has a payload capacity of 450lb, and the closer you get to that limit, the shorter that range becomes.The idea of manually pedalling a bike that might weigh well over 20kg by itself isn't very appealing, and that's before you factor in all the camping gear, groceries, small children, or whatever else it's loaded with. With an ultra long range model like the Graoopro, that's much less likely to be a danger.
No lurching
As Electrek reports, this is a class two ebike, meaning it can be used like a motorbike and controlled using a throttle without any pedal input, but doing so cuts the range dramatically. In pedal-assist mode, the motor kicks in the moment you turn the pedals 20 degrees, avoiding the unsettling lurching sensation of some ebikes with a more significant lag.
The Graoopro isn't advertised as an all-terrain ebike, and we wouldn't be inclined to take it on off-road adventures, but it does have front suspension to soak up impact from potholes. It's fitted with fenders and lights as standard, and extras like child seats and luggage bags are available separately.
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