With Bubblecar in mind, but could be just the thing for others too. 250 W means no license required for this pedal-assist bike. Check out the short video link at bottom of page.

We’ve seen a few pedal-assist bikes pitched as alternatives to the family car recently, including the Vanmoof V, Lectric’s XPremium and the Pino Cargo from Has Bikes. The latest to throw down the e-mobility gauntlet is the capable-looking Mate SUV.

Danish e-mobility outfit Mate is presenting its playfully named cargo ebike – or e-trike – as a genuine alternative to getting around our cities by car, inviting us to “imagine life on the road without being stuck in traffic and never having to pay for another parking ticket, yet have the comfort of a SUV.”

It’s not going to match everyone’s needs perfectly but for many journeys it could certainly see the family car remain in the driveway – particularly for short hops to the store, hauling a child or two to school or for small businesses looking for cleaner ways to deliver goods locally.

At this stage, all we have are renders and a few key specs. The reverse e-trike is being produced for EU and UK markets, and has been designed in Denmark, engineered in Germany and will be produced in Italy from next year.

The lift-up lid for the cargo bin can be had with side panels and a rain cover

It sports a torque-sensing 250-W mid-mount motor for 90 Nm (66 lb.ft) of torque and EU-friendly pedal-assist up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph). It lacks a mechanical groupset but does come with a belt drive paired with an Enviolo geared hub. And the battery is expected to offer up to 100 km (62 miles) of per-charge range.

The frame is fashioned from 90% recycled aluminum, the 210-liter cargo box rocks funky pulsing LED strip lighting and can accommodate a lift-up tubular safety bar up top, and can be optioned with a strap-down rain cover (to protect packages from the elements) or you can pop in seating and add a hard top with windows for the school run.

The Mate SUV has nabbed Gold in the 2023 German Design Awards “for its idea of presenting a real alternative to the car”

The SUV will come with 4G connectivity cooked in for “live location tracking and anti-theft protection” using a smartphone, which can also tap into battery status, route planning and remote alarm features. The two wheels to the front and one to the rear can be optioned with road tires or chunky off-road wrappers, and stopping power will be provided by hydraulic disc braking.

“We wanted to bring something exceptional to the market as it is in our DNA to make e-biking cool and fun,” said company CEO, Thomas Vuillez. “The MATE SUV is something that was born out of our curiosity about how we move and to challenge the known ways of running errands and making short trips. The reliance on a car is considerable and reducing that is a growing need of the day.”

The recent winner of a 2023 German Design Award, the Mate SUV is available for pre-order now – a reservation fee of €49 (US$52) will keep your spot in the line, with the expected price listed as €6,499 ($6,910) and shipping estimated to start from September 2023. The video below has more.

https://vimeo.com/777324232

https://newatlas.com/urban-transport/mate-suv-cargo-ebike-etrike/

>yet have the comfort of a SUV.

I doubt that very small, hard-looking saddle will give you “the comfort of a SUV”.

Bubblecar said:

>yet have the comfort of a SUV.

I doubt that very small, hard-looking saddle will give you “the comfort of a SUV”.

shrugs

Thought it a well-designed unit and highly functionable, but I suppose you can’t please everyone.

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

>yet have the comfort of a SUV.

I doubt that very small, hard-looking saddle will give you “the comfort of a SUV”.

shrugs

Thought it a well-designed unit and highly functionable, but I suppose you can’t please everyone.

It’s doubtless very useful but not likely to be very comfortable.

Bubblecar said:

PermeateFree said:

Bubblecar said:

>yet have the comfort of a SUV.

I doubt that very small, hard-looking saddle will give you “the comfort of a SUV”.

shrugs

Thought it a well-designed unit and highly functionable, but I suppose you can’t please everyone.

It’s doubtless very useful but not likely to be very comfortable.

You purchased a comfortable seat for your lady’s bike, it would be unlikely that you could not do the same here. Therefore, your reason for rejection is not valid. But don’t worry car, I shall completely disregard your various predicaments in future.

FWIW the limit for such machines here is only 200 W.
(I think)

Not too difficult to reduce the output though I imagine.

100km range seems excessive, but ok.

It does look like a cool design though, it would be very handy in an urban environment.

One question, bicycles are now allowed to obstruct traffic at will, so would this be the same? Half a dozen unlicensed lycrans riding side by side down the middle lane at 25kmh seems likely.

Spiny Norman said:

FWIW the limit for such machines here is only 200 W.
(I think)

Not too difficult to reduce the output though I imagine.

Road Safety

To be considered a Power Assisted Pedal Cycle or a Pedalec, the following requirements apply

Power Assisted Pedal Cycle – maximum power output 200 watts
The auxiliary motor/s must not be capable of producing a combined maximum power output
exceeding 200 watts, whether or not the motor/s is operating.

2. Power-assisted pedal cycle – maximum power output 250 watts (a ‘Pedalec’)

Motor has no more than 250 watts
Compliant with EN 15194:2009 or EN 15194:2009+A1:2011
Top power assisted speed limited to 25 kilometres per hour
A person must still be able to propel the bicycle via pedals without the motor operating.

Australia
As of 30 May 2012, Australia has an additional new electric bicycle category using the European model of a “Pedelec” as per EN15194 Standard. This means the bicycle can have a motor of 250 watts continuous rated power which must be activated only by pedalling (if above 6 km/h) and must cut out over 25 km/h. The State of Victoria is the first to amend their local road rules to accommodate this new standard as of 18 September 2012.

PermeateFree said:

Spiny Norman said:

FWIW the limit for such machines here is only 200 W.
(I think)

Not too difficult to reduce the output though I imagine.

Road Safety

To be considered a Power Assisted Pedal Cycle or a Pedalec, the following requirements apply

Power Assisted Pedal Cycle – maximum power output 200 watts
The auxiliary motor/s must not be capable of producing a combined maximum power output
exceeding 200 watts, whether or not the motor/s is operating.

2. Power-assisted pedal cycle – maximum power output 250 watts (a ‘Pedalec’)

Motor has no more than 250 watts
Compliant with EN 15194:2009 or EN 15194:2009+A1:2011
Top power assisted speed limited to 25 kilometres per hour
A person must still be able to propel the bicycle via pedals without the motor operating.

Australia
As of 30 May 2012, Australia has an additional new electric bicycle category using the European model of a “Pedelec” as per EN15194 Standard. This means the bicycle can have a motor of 250 watts continuous rated power which must be activated only by pedalling (if above 6 km/h) and must cut out over 25 km/h. The State of Victoria is the first to amend their local road rules to accommodate this new standard as of 18 September 2012.

Ta, now I know.

Spiny Norman said:

PermeateFree said:

Spiny Norman said:

FWIW the limit for such machines here is only 200 W.
(I think)

Not too difficult to reduce the output though I imagine.

Road Safety

To be considered a Power Assisted Pedal Cycle or a Pedalec, the following requirements apply

Power Assisted Pedal Cycle – maximum power output 200 watts
The auxiliary motor/s must not be capable of producing a combined maximum power output
exceeding 200 watts, whether or not the motor/s is operating.

2. Power-assisted pedal cycle – maximum power output 250 watts (a ‘Pedalec’)

Motor has no more than 250 watts
Compliant with EN 15194:2009 or EN 15194:2009+A1:2011
Top power assisted speed limited to 25 kilometres per hour
A person must still be able to propel the bicycle via pedals without the motor operating.

Australia
As of 30 May 2012, Australia has an additional new electric bicycle category using the European model of a “Pedelec” as per EN15194 Standard. This means the bicycle can have a motor of 250 watts continuous rated power which must be activated only by pedalling (if above 6 km/h) and must cut out over 25 km/h. The State of Victoria is the first to amend their local road rules to accommodate this new standard as of 18 September 2012.

Ta, now I know.

Thanks, ditto.

Just checking against antique units. 1 HP = 735.5 Watts.

Early cars had 10 HP
Original 2CV from the year 1948 had 9 HP
“Motorcycles with a displacement of 125cc: New riders frequently adore these machines. They provide you with a lot of power without making you uncomfortable while driving. You might anticipate between 10 and 15 HP from these motorcycles.”
A 1946 Vespa was 3.2 HP.

So even a 1946 Vespa is ten times more powerful than the maximum allowed for a power-assisted pedal cycle.

Good.