Porsche could soon launch a new range of super light e-bikes for the road or trails, with premium prices to match.
Porsche is taking e-bikes very seriously; in December it bought a majority share in premium electric bike builder Greyp (pronounced 'grape'), and it's now acquired a hefty stake in e-bike drive system builder Fauza as well.
As AutoFutures reports, Fauza is best known for establishing a new category of light e-bikes, and its drive systems are already used by the likes of Bottecchia, Corratec, and Carirn, plus household names like Canyon and Fuji.
With the addition of Porsche's design expertise, its next two-wheeler could be one of the lightest around, and with clever use of carbon fiber, could be well under 10kg.
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Although it's best known for its supercars, Porsche is no stranger to the world of electric bikes. Last year it released a pair of e-bikes to coincide with the launch of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. The eBike Sport and eBike Cross took design cues from the car, with similarly aerodynamic lines and paint options.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they also carried serious price tags. The Sport retailed for £9,600 (about $13,000 / AU$17,000), while the multi-terrain Cross was £7,650 (about $10,000 / AU$14,000). To put that into context, our new number one e-bike, the 2022 Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 starts at $4,000 / £3,900 / AU$5,000.
Although Fauza's drive systems sit happily inside some relatively modest bikes like the Fuji E Jari, we'd expect a super light Porsche road bike to cost even more than the Sport and Cross due to the engineering involved in paring down its weight.
It's likely to be a while before those bikes land on the streets of Italy, but perhaps that's just as well – you'll need some time to save up first.
Analysis: why luxury e-bikes matter
Most of us will never ride an e-bike bearing a Porsche or Lamborghini badge, but the fact that supercar brands are dipping a manicured toe into the waters is great news for those of us with more modest budgets.
E-bikes once suffered from serious image issues, regarded as uncool, and a way to dodge the hard effort of cycling. Early designs didn't help matters, with cumbersome batteries tethered to the down tube, or sitting on the headtube like some kind of ugly electrical shopping basket.
Now, however, e-bikes aren't just accepted as practical – they can even be a status symbol. Bikes like the Cowboy 4 don't hide their hub motors, but wear them with futuristic style, and the fact that they're now appearing alongside luxury cars gives them a sheen of exclusivity.
E-bikes aren't just mainstream now – they're officially cool.
