Updated Delfast 3.0i E-Bike Is Stronger, Faster, and Smarter Than Ever, Still Just $7,300

Folks, when you hear the word e-bike, most of us imagine a bike with pedals, an integrated battery, and a motor that gives you a tad of assistance, all designed to help you ride further and faster than ever before. However, that's where all the similarities between your average e-bike and the Delfast 3.0i end.

Today we're going to be exploring the freshest machine to come out of Delfast, an electric bike company owned and operated out of Ukraine. The only downside is that their gear is assembled over in China, but honestly, at the level Delfast likes to operate, you can bet that the China workshop is the bee's knees in terms of capability. After all, any machine that has set a Guinness World Record and a crew whose knowledge has beaten some other records on the salt flat is anything but low-shelf. All that brings us to the 3.0i.

I mentioned that this puppy is the peak of what Delfast is currently able to produce. What is rather neat about how Delfast does things is that the moment they create a new machine, their website no longer features the previous obsolete versions; you always get the best of the best.

Now, enough putting the proverbial bike on the pedestal; let's see what this bugger can do. Right from the start, I want you to imagine getting on your EV and riding around town for about a week. Wait a minute, you forgot to recharge the battery all that time! Actually, you didn't forget anything; the 3.0i's 200-mile (322-kilometer) range has been taking care of that. Yes, 200 miles is this bugger's range and why Delfast holds a Guinness World Record.

How is such a range achieved? One aspect is the large battery array hidden in the bike's frame, and the other is all the tech necessary for power management. From software to hardware, all are designed to offer as much range and power as possible. Oh, there's regenerative braking in the works too.

Diving deeper into the 3.0i, it's also apparent that these machines aren't your average EV. Overall, the 3.0i features a top speed of 50 mph (80 kph). You better wear a helmet with this one. Actually, you should drop some full-on motorcycle gear on you. This is made possible by a peak 6 kW (8 HP) motor with a torque output of 183 Nm (134 lb-ft). That's insane for an e-bike! Heck, it even stands up to some electric motorcycles currently on the market.

The final aspect of the 3.0i, and possibly the reason for the "i" in the name, is this EV's ability to integrate itself into the owner's or rider's life. From the onboard computer to give you on-demand details regarding ride analytics to Bluetooth connectivity and integration, all of it is at your fingertips. This also means you can track your bike in case it's ever stolen and even unlock it via your app; no need for keys or touching anything except your handlebar. All is to be covered with the new My Ebike Ride app.

Completing the bike's capabilities, Delfast also throws on features like a full suspension, a Gates Carbon drivetrain, and extra after extra designed to keep you safe while rocking around at 50 mph. Massive 203-millimeter (8 inches) brakes ensure this safety, and overall, the 3.0i comes in with a weight of 154 pounds (70 kilograms).

At the end of the day, E.U. customers are being asked to dish out €7,000 ($7,300 at current exchange rates) for one of these buggers, while U.S. customers only $6,999 (€6,670). In my opinion, you're not buying just an e-bike anymore; you're grabbing a full-on EV to cover just about any terrain you can think of. The future is looking brighter and brighter.