Smart’s eBike electric bicycle has been attracting a lot of attention recently, but it’s not the only electric bike to emerge from Germany.
Audi has teased its own electric bike in a short video, featuring French freestyle trials rider Julien Dupont.
Where Smart’s bike is very much a commuting tool, Audi’s looks altogether more extreme, with front and rear suspension, and carbon fiber construction.
According to Dupont on his Youtube page, “This bike has so much power! My wheelies never looked better”. He also describes it as a bike for pros, rather than rookies–though we’re sure you could also ride it to the grocery store, if you were so inclined.
Unlike the pedal-electric Smart eBike, the Audi also appears to have a twist-grip throttle, more like a motorcycle–as demonstrated by Dupont’s donut in the video. It’s unclear whether it will have the same 15 mph speed restriction as the Smart, which allows it to pass as a regular bicycle by law in Europe.
All that technology is likely to be reflected in its price, too. Audi hasn’t revealed many details yet, and the bike is expected to debut officially in a few weeks time.
Audi’s bike does make us wonder how many other big manufacturers are likely to tackle electric bikes in the near future.
This particularly applies to European makers, who may find that city centers are closed off to regular cars through emissions regulations, and finding customers increasingly attracted to easy-to-use electric bikes. Smart is selling its eBike as an alternative urban transport solution–more convenient than a car, but easier to use than a regular bicycle.
Will the electric vehicle renaissance take place on two wheels, rather than four? Let us know in the comments section below.
For more on electric bikes, check out our first impressions of the Smart eBike.
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