About a week is left until the first major event of the year, CES 2024, opens its doors at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so you should get yourself ready for a flood of novelties in the fields of electronics, robotics, communication, transportation, you name it.
Because about a week from now still is a long time for the companies taking part in the event, none of the big ones have spilled the full details on what they're bringing there, so we're still on the edge of our seats in this respect. This reality does however leave room for the smaller companies to have their say before the big boys arrive at the table.
Have you ever heard about Horwin? Don't feel bad if you didn't. Horwin is a Chinese maker of electric two-wheelers that has expanded greatly over the past few years, mostly to Europe and South America. And now the brand is coming to the US, using CES 2024 as a launch platform.
The arrival of Horwin on the American market is accompanied by the opening salvo in what we expect to be a fierce battle for attention at the Nevada event. Not one, not two, but a total of three electric motorcycles have been unveiled by Horwin for the event.
The series is called Senmenti, and at the moment comprises a production model and two concepts. All of them have an electric drivetrain, the ability to charge their batteries to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, and can work as power banks for appliances in need of electricity.
Senmenti 0 is the production model I've mentioned. You might know the name from last year, when Horwin showed it to the world for the first time. For its entrance into the American market, we're told it has been upgraded to have a lighter body and offers more precise handling.
Horwin calls the Senmenti 0 a motorcycle, and judging by the specs you'll read about below, that's not far from the truth. Visually, however, the thing is more of a scooter.
Photo: Horwin
The 0 takes its power from a 16.9 kWh battery, which supplies enough electricity to keep the ride moving for as much as 186 miles (300 km, combined). The thing's electric motor is punchy enough to supply more power than you see in full-blown motorcycles: 100 horsepower and 894 Nm of torque.
For a ride that weighs 507 pounds (230 kg) that's more than enough, and translates into an acceleration time to 60 mph of just 2.8 seconds. The top speed is rated at 125 mph (201 kph).
Horwin is already accepting pre-orders for the Senmenti 0. All you have to do is pay a fully refundable $100 deposit and wait an unspecified amount of time for the ride to be delivered. The total cost of the bike starts at $16,800.
For the first 500 customers (read the ones who pre-book their 0) the company has something special in mind: it will offer three years of free charging no matter where they are in the U.S.
On top of that they will also benefit from free over-the-air updates for as long as their bike lives, and a $900 amplification of the initial deposit is also on the table.
The Senmenti X concept has been designed as a "Hyper GT built for luxurious and long-range touring," and the aggressive way it was styled more than speaks to that. Horwin did not spill the full beans when it comes to this thing's capabilities, other than the fact it has the same top speed as the 0, but significantly more range: 250 miles (402 km).
Photo: Horwin
That would translate into a bigger battery, but somehow the company claims the same 80 percent state of charge can be reached in half an hour as well.
The Senmenti X can be pre-ordered, too, meaning Horwin plans to make it a production machine as well. The final price, as well as a possible launch date are not known.
Last on the list is the Senmenti 11 concept, "a futuristic city explorer of high-performance, style, and technology." Zero details were provided on this one by the company, but it too will make it into production, and requires a $100 deposit to be reserved.
At the time of writing Horwin says test rides will only be performed on the Senmenti 0, and that will happen no sooner than the third quarter of the new year.
In the meantime, you can head over to these guys' brand-new American website and check out what they plan to offer in the good old U.S. of A. A fair warning though, the website is a bit slow to load.
Until you get to enjoy the Horwins firsthand, get ready for a flood of goodies in the coming week from CES 2024, so stay tuned for more.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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