E-bikes are unstoppable — as the latest figures from the German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV) more than clearly show: in 2020, 43.4 percent more e-bikes were sold in Germany alone than in the previous year. The trend is also moving toward high-quality bikes. Bikes are becoming increasingly popular, especially in urban traffic. Add both trends together and you automatically end up with the Brompton Electric, the electric version of the London original. That’s because the lightweight, compact and maneuverable folding bikes are handmade exclusively in England and are designed for daily use in the city. With the drive assistance, the British hit the nerve of the time, increase the radius and thus create a multimodal solution for daily mobility in urban areas, which is also fun.
Fresh solution for urban transformation
For more than 40 years, the non-motorized folding bike has offered a compact, portable and intermodal mobility solution for the city. Brompton Electric is — as the name suggests — the electric version of the British folding bike classic with drive assistance in the form of a lightweight, powerful hub drive. With its characteristic steel frame, it looks very much like a classic Brompton — but with the addition of a removable battery pack mounted on the head tube. The result is a lightweight, fast and agile e-bike that combines tailwind with the intelligent folding bike mechanism that has been tried and tested over decades, handmade to the highest quality in Brompton’s own factory just outside London. High-quality components underline the quality and detail enthusiasm of the British and make it tangible with every step in the pedals.
Developed by Brompton in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, the BLDC front wheel motor is powered by a powerful 300Wh rechargeable battery and offers four different levels of assistance depending on the riding style thanks to torque and cadence sensors integrated in the bottom bracket. The levels regulate the optimal support in each case automatically and can be selected via the ergonomically conveniently placed on the battery keypad. Smart: A USB port even charges the cell phone on the go. Five LEDs indicate the charge status. The standard charger included in the scope of delivery recharges the battery to 100 percent in just over four hours.
Practical: To better distribute the weight when carrying, Brompton has integrated the battery in a shoulder bag. As standard, the bike comes with the 1.5 liter Essential Bag. Optionally, there is also a City Bag with a capacity of 20 liters. Everything that Brompton riders need in the city really fits in there. With just one click, the 2.9 kilogram battery bag can be conveniently detached from the folding bike. This means that the e-bike (folded, of course) and battery can be easily transported separately on public transport, by train or car and, thanks to the intelligent folding mechanism, stored theft-proof in the smallest of spaces at home, in the office under the desk, in a café or in the trunk — a big advantage over conventional e-bikes. Sophisticated: Due to the low pedaling resistance, the Brompton Electric also plays out its advantages without drive assistance.
As standard, each Brompton Electric comes with mudguards, Essential Bag for the battery and a 2A charger. There is a choice of two or six gears, 2 handlebar variants (M or H), as well as different saddles and seatposts. The Brompton Electric is available in Black Gloss, Bolt Blue Lacquer and Turkish Green. The Brompton Electric is available in Brompton Junction Stores and at selected dealers from 3,320 euros (2-speed variant) and from 3,495 euros (6-speed variant).
