Velotric Discover e-Bike Promises Twice the Fun and the Range, at Half the Cost

As much as e-bikes have progressed and as wide their adoption, there is still one thing city riders can’t get – and that is an electric bicycle that is both high-performance and affordable. They can choose a cheaper product and expect compromise on the quality front, or they can spend a larger amount and get a product for a lifetime, with performance to match.

This one supposedly means riders won’t have to choose. Velotric Bike announced the Discover e-bike last month, and, as we speak, it’s gearing for a December start date on deliveries. The Velotric Discover is the unicorn of e-bikes, if you will: it claims to do the one thing that all the other e-bikes can’t do, namely to combine quality components and still maintain an affordable price point.

Discover is designed “by veterans from the likes of Lime, Giant, Specialized and Decathlon,” Velotric Bike says on the IndieGoGo page that will bring the e-bike to the first customers. In fact, the company is led by Adam Zhang, the hardware co-founder of Lime, and though still relatively new, boasts a team with an average of 15 years of experience in the market of electric bicycles. Of course, the idea of all this is to inspire potential future customers with enough confidence to invest: we all know the risks of crowdfunding, and Velotric is taking active steps to distance itself from other startups.

In the end, crowdfunding is always a gamble, even when the startup is intent on delivering the promised product. On paper, Discover seems like the holy grail of commuter vehicles. It’s a multi-purpose electric bicycle with a solid range and a powerful motor, quality components, stylish and accessible design, good standard specs and the possibility to further customize it, and an unbeatable entry price.

The Discover is powered by a Tesla-grade 692Wh removable battery certified by LG/Samsung, fully integrated into the frame for a sleeker look. The battery is good for 80 miles (129 km) in Eco mode, while the powerful 500W motor develops 65Nm of torque. That’s the spec for the U.S.; a less powerful motor will be offered for countries with stricter regulation on e-bikes, so that means that European backers will get a 250W version.

In order to offer a smooth and effortless ride, the Discover has a 3-level pedal assist and 12 magnetic cadence and speed sensors. Riders should be able to incorporate the e-bike into their workouts if they want to, so a Shimano 7-speed derailleur for the U.S. version and a 9-speed one for EU models will allow easier handling when not using pedal-assist. In addition, a throttle on-demand switch is included in the U.S. version for quick starts from a standstill.

The frame is aluminum with a step-through design to accommodate a wider range of riders. That last part is essential since you can’t adjust the height of the handlebar. You also get a handlebar-mounted display that offers essential stats, an integrated rear rack, integrated lights and fenders, a 65mm suspension fork, disc brakes, and puncture-resistant all-purpose tires. The Discover is IPX5 waterproof, so you can hose it down when it gets dirty, and, more importantly, you won’t have to dread getting caught in a downpour. No word yet on the weight of the bike or the maximum payload it allows for.

“We believe e-bikes should be elegant, stylish, high performance, reliable, but also affordable,” Velotric Bike says. So, they created an “e-bike with great design details and engineering reliability, simple to use, comfortable to ride, excellent in performance, and reliable in quality.”

That’s a big promise right there, and only time will tell if Velotric is able to keep it. For the time being, the Discover is available to backers for $1,299 and will have an MRSP of $2,099 once it reaches mass production.