Our cities are growing and it’s not all good news, especially if you consider the congestion during daily commute peak hours. Cycling to and from work is a suitable alternative for millions of people around the world, and many of these are opting for either fully electric or pedal-assisted models.
Edgenity, a Japanese manufacturer of urban mobility solutions, is aiming to bring certain improvements to the e-bike sector through the Nocturne: the e-bike of the future, as they call it. Nocturne is a new electric city bike that brings several carbon fiber components and thus a reduced weight for the bike, more reliability, and enhanced safety for night rides.
Hailed as torquey and reliable, sleek and smart, good-looking and high-performance, the Nocturne will be available only in its home country of Japan for the time being, but Edgenity indicates that there are plans to ship it outside the borders as well. No timeline estimate is offered for that and, as of the time of press, the company is crowdfunding for the initial production batch of the Nocturne. With 17 more days to go in the campaign, it has already surpassed the initial funding goal by 13 times.
Even if it never becomes available outside of Japan, Nocturne stands as proof of the kind of progress made in the development of e-bikes, showing that manufacturers are constantly working on bringing improved versions to the market. For starters, this one comes with a very sleek form factor and a weight of just 16 kg (35.2 lbs), both a far cry from the early e-bikes – and still a far cry from many of today’s models. Total payload is 150 kg (331 lbs).
Photo: Edgenity
The 250 W motor is in the rear wheel, while the LG battery cells are integrated into the frame, in the downtube. The upside to that is the obvious sleek silhouette and, as Edgenity points out, a longer lifecycle because of reduced wear and tear, since the battery is not exposed to the elements. The downside is also obvious, in that you have to plug the entire bike in for charging, and you will have to send it back in to the maker for a replacement when the time comes.
A full charge is achieved in four to five hours, with the battery’s lifecycle rated for 1,000 charges. If you’re the kind of cyclist who puts hundreds of miles on the odo in a month, perhaps an e-bike with a removable battery is a better alternative.
The Nocturne also integrates front and rear lights, and the display flush in the handlebar. The lights are strip LED lights chosen specifically to make the rider more visible on the road during nighttime, and thus decrease the risk of accidents.
The integrated display is another highlight of this e-bike, in that it offers the usual stats (trip, speed, pedal-assist level, and battery life), and some extra details, too. For instance, it will display calories burned, road and weather conditions (down to road inclination), detailed motor use, and detailed trip info. According to the maker, that’s possible because they added 10 multi-dimension aircraft-standard sensors to the Nocturne, which makes it one of the smartest city bikes around.
Connectivity is with the Strava app, but Edgenity is working on its own Nocturne app that will be released this year. With the first batch of bikes going out to backers in mid-April 2023, they’re probably putting the development of the companion app on fast-forward.
Photo: Edgenity
The Nocturne is offered in three, slightly different models (Standard, Plus, and Pro) and two frame sizes. The Standard model comes with disk brakes, while the other two have hydraulic braking, but they all share the fact that all cables and wiring are hidden inside the frame.
The motor may be on the smaller side if you consider the options available on the U.S. and Canadian markets, but it offers a maximum of 40 Nm of torque. Top speed is 45 kph (28 mph) but limited electronically according to the current legislation in each country of destination. Should it ever sell to the U.S. and Canada, it would be enough for the daily commute.
Range is estimated at 120 km (74.5 miles) in Eco mode, which brings the lowest level of motor assistance. Given the reduced weight of the bike and its tires, it can be ridden with zero motor assistance with ease. In fact, the maker says you’d get comparable performance to pedal-assisted riding – except that, you know, with more sweat involved.
The first batch of Nocturne is offered with competitive pricing since it’s a crowdfunding campaign, but Edgenity hopes to keep the price affordable once it goes into full production. They’re eyeing an MRSP of under $1,600, which is now fairly standard for mid-range e-bikes, but would count as very affordable for a bike this smart.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News