The CW&T Penny Pelican e-Bike Is How You Haul Cargo With Retro Flair

You’d be excused if you thought there was absolutely no way e-bike manufacturers and retailers could still surprise you, given the above. Every once in a while though comes an e-bike that tries to put a modern spin on an iconic model and is, because of it, just perfect for the well-heeled nostalgic looking for an eco-friendly means of getting around the city.

The CW&T Penny Pelican is one such e-bike. It’s not a new product, since it was officially introduced in 2018, but we’ll have a closer look at it because it dared to go where no other e-bike had gone before – way back into the Victorian era, at a time when e-bikes were yet to hit center stage. Because it’s a riff on an iconic bike, the Penny Pelican is a perfect fit for our Iconic Vehicles Month virtual party.

Some context is needed before we proceed. The CW&T Penny Pelican is a custom cargo e-bike whose name references its main sources of inspiration, the penny-farthing and the Pelican-Hardigg military medical case. The penny-farthing is, of course, the first bicycle in the world or, better said, the first time the term was used in reference to a two-wheeler.

The penny-farthing, which appeared in Great Britain, had a short-shelf life and is considered the precursor of today’s modern bike. Its name came from the fact that it had differently sized wheels, a large one in the front (the penny coin) and a smaller one in the back (the farthing coin). Also known as a high-wheel, a high-wheeler or an ordinary bike, as opposed to equal-sized-wheel bike which was known as a “safety bicycle,” the penny-farthing had direct drive, no chain and no gears. The rider sat atop the front wheel, so getting moving and handling falls were the biggest challenges with it.

Penny-farthings were popular throughout the 1870s, and became obsolete with the introduction of the “safety bicycle” in the early ‘80s. They might not have been around for too long, but their emergence coincided with the appearance of cycling as a sport and the later popularity of cycling as a leisure activity. They’re synonymous with the Victorian era, and are still popular within certain enthusiast circles.

It’s for the members of those that the Penny Pelican was designed. Starting from the premise that modern e-bikes don’t offer much cargo space, let alone the possibility to carry at least another person in comfort, Brooklyn-based designer shop CW&T came up with this modern take on the two-wheel icon. The entire frame is custom machined so as to include no welds, which means that it can be taken apart and adjusted according to the rider, if need be.

Speaking of the rider, he sits on top of the rear wheel, the freewheel. The pedals are attached directly to the hub, so there are no gears and no chain. The motor is on the front smaller wheel. CW&T never detailed the specs on the battery, but it did say the motor would be a 1000W one, able to take the cargo e-bike to top speeds of 23 mph (37 kph) with a full load of 80 pounds (36 kg). Forget about moving it without assistance: on pedal power alone, the Penny Pelican can only go as fast as 4 mph (6.4 kph), which is the average speed of walking so nothing spectacular for a bicycle.

The Pelican case sits between the two wheels and serves as the cargo bay, a military-grade cargo box with plenty of attitude. It can be made to fit two smaller kids or plenty of cargo, as long as it’s no heavier than 80 pounds and you’re confident in your skills to ride it. Unlike with the old penny-farthing, you get a kickstand for when you park it.

No word if CW&T ever sold one of these uniquely-looking e-bikes, but if you’re in the mood for cargo hauling with plenty of retro flair, you can still order one. Lead time is between four and six weeks, because a lot of work goes into detailing the frame, and the price tag is a whopping $8,000.

Indeed, that’s the kind of money that could get you a decent car on the used market or, to keep the discussion on track, three if not more units of actual cargo e-bikes. But that would mean you’d lose credit with the collectors community, because in either case, you wouldn’t be riding a modern interpretation of the penny-farthing.