Vanpowers Readies Their All-Season Weapon: GrandTeton Shows Off Its Fangs at CES 2024

Folks, the hunk of aluminum framework we have before us is nothing more than the GrandTeton, a fat-tire e-bike unveiled at the recent CES. What's so dang special about it is that it's designed to be your answer for basically any type of terrain out there. So, let's dive a tad deeper into who Vanpowers is and what to expect from their most recent work.

If the name Vanpowers sounds familiar to you, it's because we've covered their work on several occasions. Testing machines like the Manidae, City Vanture, and UrbanGlide Ultra revealed that this van-born team means business; Vanpowers gets its name from its humble beginnings selling e-bikes out of a van.

These days, this brand has distribution centers all over the world, ensuring riders from Europe and the US have a solid and affordable e-bike. The City Venture I'm still riding has over 2,500 miles (4,023 km) on the clock, and two years later, it's still going strong.

As for the GrandTeton, it was only recently revealed at CES, so it's not up for sale just yet, nor do we have a price. But that doesn't stop us from seeing what this machine is all about; treat this article like a reconnaissance piece for what to expect.

Overall, the GrandTeton is a hardtail MTB, but unlike your average beast, this one is built around fat tires. This comes with a few benefits but some light drawbacks, too. For example, fat tires over a massive contact patch ensure adequate grip. This is great for riding around in sand, snow, and even around town, but on trails, you'll find that fatties are rather cumbersome.

Another benefit and downside is the 4-inch cross-section. Since there are four inches between the ground and the bike's rim, you won't feel like hitting small stones and cracks in the road, but come down off a curb or small ledge, and you may find yourself bouncing around for a bit. At least, that's my experience with fat tires so far. More comfort is added by a 120 mm (4.7 in) suspension fork with lockout, in case you want to tackle some city streets with all your energy.

From here, Vanpowers goes to town crafting a frame out of aluminum, and what I found rather neat about the tubing is the way it's shaped. It's got this whole Tesla Truck feel to it, partly because of the sharp edges and slightly squared look.

Internal cable routing is also part of the magic here, and I'm pointing this out for a reason: the GrandTeton is ready with a friggin dropper post! With it, we can access 125 mm (4.9 in) of travel, a feature that's more and more common these days, and for good reason.

Now, being an e-bike, we need to take a closer look at the electronics that are fueling our high-power and high-speed experience. Well, behind the GrandTeton's magic sits Bafang, one of the godfathers of the e-bike component industry.

Mounted into the BB (Bottom Bracket) of the bike sits an M560 motor operating under 500W and spitting out a whopping 95 Nm (70 lb-ft) of torque. With it, you'll be able to make easy work of climbs and hit straightaways as hard as you want, well, up to the speed limit of 20 mph (32 kph). This is a software-limited speed, but if you want to go faster, you'll need to pick up a Bafang SpeedBox, a component that may set you back a few hundred dollars.

The M560 is, however, a rather hungry motor, and so Vanpowers integrated a massive removable battery into the GrandTeton's downtube. Overall, 14.4 Ah are available, giving us a peak range of 65 miles (105 km). This number is sure to drop a bit in the real world, but an extra battery is always a good idea; double your range. Maybe a range extender instead?

The remainder of the drivetrain is handled by none other than Shimano and a 1x9-speed setup with an 11-41T range. Braking, on the other hand, is handled by Tektro and 203 mm (8 in) rotors. Depending on the model you choose, either the Pro or Ultra, you'll also be tapping into features like motor cut-off.

As a cherry on top of the cake, Vanpowers ensures that you and your GrandTeton become inseparable with an array of anti-theft features. From geo-fencing to GPS tracking and vibration detection, all are aimed at protecting your asset.

All that's left to do now is sit tight and wait for Vanpowers to decide when they'll be unleashing this beast of a machine and, most importantly, for how much. Nonetheless, this brand has risen to be a worldwide presence by granting folks like you and me e-bikes that pack a powerful punch for a budget buck; I think we can expect the same here.