The Vello Titanium e-Bike Is the Lightest in the World, Has “Unlimited” Range

With the start of the 2020 international health crisis, the market of personal urban mobility took off like never before. e-Bikes and other two- or three-wheel electric vehicles soon became the most viable alternative to public transport and, with some riders, the only way to still experience the great outdoors. Two+ years later, e-bikes are still having a moment – and so are riders.

While the offer is more varied than ever, it seems that the dream e-bike – that one e-bike model that can really do it all – remains elusive. Vello would like a word.

Vello is an Austrian e-bike maker established by Valentin Vodev and Valerie Wolff in 2013, which combines micromobility and connectivity to “revolutioniz[e] the bicycle industry [by] offering people an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil-based means of transportation.” In other words, Vello makes smart e-bikes and smart pedal-powered bicycles with off-the-shelf components but a patented folding frame, and a battery-integrating hub motor and tech courtesy of partner ZEHUS.

Vello bikes are premium products, which is just a fancier way of saying that dream bikes, like dream anything, exist only for those who can afford a hefty initial investment. The latest model, presented at the 2022 London Cycle Show earlier this year, is perhaps the best example in this sense: an e-bike so lightweight it might just be the world’s lightest, with unlimited theoretical range and a design that would fool even the most passionate traditional cyclist.

The Vello Bike+ Titanium weighs just 9.9 kg (21.8 pounds), so it’s actually a tad lighter than a six-pack of bottled water, according to the maker. The non-electric version is even lighter, at 6.6 kg (14.5 pounds), because the patented titanium frame tips the scales at just 1.9 kg (4.2 pounds). If you live in the city and rely on personal mobility solutions, you know that one of the obstacles the e-bike industry is still struggling to overcome is the weight of the e-bike. One that is this light would be a breeze to carry up the stairs.

Moreover, the Titanium model, like all Vello bikes, is foldable, and the maker boasts that the whole process lasts just eight seconds. Eight seconds to fold an e-bike might be another record-setter, but it’s significant for practical reasons, as it makes the e-bike ideal as a last-mile solution. Getting on and off public transport on the daily commute with a bike is no longer an issue.

The battery is integrated into the rear-hub electric motor, which allows for an incredibly sleek form factor that could easily make it pass for a traditional, pedal-powered bicycle. All Vello bikes integrate the ZEHUS AIO Bike+ system: motors with KERS technology (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) that charges the battery when braking or traveling downhill. In theory, this means that “range is almost unlimited” and that you might never again have to recharge the battery from an outlet, the maker says. Even at full throttle, the range is estimated at a decent 50 km (31 miles), with full use of recuperation.

Vello motors have slope sensors that adjust cadence for optimal motor assistance and can be optionally equipped with a Schlumpf Drive gear system Speed Drive for urban settings or a Mountain Drive for rural ascents. The former would allow your bike to go over the 25 kph (15.5 mph) electronically-limited top speed, while the latter would tackle inclines of 17% with utmost ease.

The list of features also includes 20-inch wheels, app connectivity for displaying vital stats and GPS location, electronic motor lock, anti-theft technology, and an external remote control with an extra boost function. Vello offers an array of accessories for each model, including front and rear racks and cycling gear, but, of course, they all come at an extra cost.

Speaking of which, pricing is perhaps where a regular cyclist’s dreams come crashing: the Vello Bike+ Titanium may come across as the perfect commuter bike for a city-dweller in that it’s lightweight, foldable, and with seemingly limitless range, but it’s also priced above average. The model starts at €4,490, so roughly $4,586 at the current exchange rate, and that’s just to get you going.