Vello Bike: E-folding bike weighs less than 10 kg and offers almost infinite range

With the Vello Bike, the Austrian manufacturer of the same name has a hot iron in the fire in the field of e-bikes. The e-folding bike weighs just 9.9 kg and also uses recuperation to enable an almost infinite range.

The Vello Bike in detail

Weighing just 9.9 kg, Vello has created what it claims is the world’s lightest electric folding bike a bike. Normally e-bikes, among other things due to the installed motor, bring significantly more weight on the scale. Not so the Vello Bike, whose frame weighs just 1.9 kg and is made entirely of titanium. Optionally, the Vello Bike is also available with an electric drive, in which case it weighs just 6.5 kg.

The folding process takes just 8 seconds. The manufacturer uses 20-inch wheels with a small folding size of 57x79x29 cm. In addition, the bike offers control via the specially developed app, which also comes with Bluetooth connectivity and offers an electronic motor lock. Tracking in case of theft is also possible via the app. An external remote control with boost function is also offered as an option.

Infinite range thanks to KERS system

Another innovative feature of the Vello Bike is the battery. Here, the manufacturer relies on KERS technology (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) – a system that motorsport fans may already be familiar with from Formula 1.

Thanks to recuperation, the battery does not need to be recharged. For this, the e-folding bike uses the energy when braking or going downhill to supply the battery with energy. According to the manufacturer, this should enable a “virtually infinite range”. In turbo mode, the fully-charged battery lasts for 50 kilometers.

Motor assistance is adjusted to the optimal cadence thanks to the inclination sensor, similar to an automatic gear shift. Optionally, Vello bikes can be equipped with Schlumpf Drive bottom bracket gears – Speed-Drive for urban areas or Mountain-Drive for rural climbs. Speed-Drive is said to enable speeds of more than 25 km/h, while thanks to Mountain-Drive, even climbs up to 17 percent gradient should present the e-bike with no difficulties.

Prices and availability

The manufacturer has not yet revealed when and at what price the Vello Bike folding e-bike will be available in stores. The Vello Bike+ Titan, which is also made of titanium and weighs 12.9 kg, comes in at 4,490 euros, while the eBike without titanium is priced at 3,290 euros. Speed Drive or Mountain Drive can be added for an extra 300 euros.