German bike-maker Canyon has revealed two new electric bikes designed specifically for city riding, plus a new concept vehicle built for driving safely in traffic, and zipping into bike lanes to avoid congestion.
The first of Canyon's new bikes is the Commuter:ON (pictured above) – an extremely light model that tips the scales at just 17kg, including its integrated lights, mudguards and pannier rack.
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Unlike the similarly lightweight Ribble Hybrid AL e, the Canyon Commuter:ON won't be easily mistaken for a conventional bike. This was a deliberate choice, and the company says its priority was keeping lines clean rather than sticking to a more traditional look.
The bike is powered by the Fazua Evation drive unit, which is fitted into the downtube and bottom bracket. The battery is removable for easy charging, and can be replaced with a simple cover if you want to take the Commuter:ON out for a spin as a conventional bike.
According to Canyon, the battery takes 3.5 hours to complete a full charge, and offers a range of up to 75km between charges.
The Canyon Commuter:ON will retail at £3,099 (about $4,200 / AU$5,600) and will begin shipping in spring 2021.
The second new Canyon e-bike is the Precede:ON (shown above), which has a similar sleek design with integrated lights, rack and mudguards, but a more powerful Bosch motor and larger battery for more demanding rides – and even towing a trailer.
Canyon's designers have kept the weight down by opting for a carbon frame. As the company explains, choosing carbon fiber also means it's possible to specify the properties for every part of the build while keeping the bike's lines as clean as possible.
The battery is integrated into the downtube, and can be charged either on or off the bike. Canyon estimates a range of around 65km on a full charge.
Prices for the Precede:ON will start at £4,299 (about $5,800 / AU$7,800), and the bike will start shipping in early 2021.
Future Mobility Concept
Canyon has also revealed a new concept vehicle that blurs the line between electric bike and electric car, and is intended to give riders the best of both.
Although it looks like a miniature car, the Canyon Future Mobility Concept is essentially a pedal-assisted recumbent bike with a cover to protect riders from bad weather, with a 'highway' mode that lets the motor take over entirely and kicks the top speed up to 60kph.
The idea is that you take the vehicle out on the roads, like an electric car, but zip into the bicycle lane and switch to pedal-assisted mode if the traffic grinds to a halt.
There's room behind the driver's seat for either a child's seat or luggage, which is accessed by sliding the front seat forward. There are no doors; instead, you simply step in as though you were getting into a bathtub.
The vehicle is very much still in the conceptual stage – as Canyon explains, building a road-legal electric car or electric bike is relatively straightforward, but a vehicle that can switch between the two is much more complex as there's no precedent for it. Still, the company says it could see such a vehicle hitting the streets within a decade.
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