the whaTTfornow electric bike features twin transmission for on-demand torque

french startup whaTTfornow has invented a new transmission system for electric bikes which combines the classic chain transmission with an electric one that doesn’t offer permanent assistance. instead, it delivers a strong on-demand torque that enables the bike to accelerate from 25 km/hr in less than three seconds.

images by whaTTfornow

‘we wanted to go back to real cycling and not an electric assistance bike,’ said whaTTfornow founder francois guers. ‘you have the regular classical bicycle mode when you don’t want to use the electricity but when you need electrical assistance, you can get big power.’

the whaTTfornow electric bikes feature a powerful motor that promises a torque of up to 160 Nm, which is two to three times more than what is currently available on the market. the pedaling assistance is activated via a trigger found on the handlebars and features three different power boost modes, each delivering more torque than the one before. once the user reaches the desired speed, pedaling classic mode can be restored.

‘the electric transmission allows the user to transmit bigger torque to the rear wheel,’ guers continued. ‘torque produces acceleration. since electric bikes are limited to 25 km/hr, the objective is to reach the top speed as fast as possible. this acceleration is equivalent or sometimes bigger than a regular motorcycle.’

whaTTfornow is currently offering four different models: MTB, VTC, urban and gravel — all of them offering double transmission.