VELLO e-bike folds in 8 seconds, weighs under 10 kilos, and recharges by braking

meet vello electric bike

Bike company VELLO has developed a bike design that folds in just eight seconds and weighs around 9.9 kilos for the electric model, and 6.5 kilos for the non-electric one. The company compares its weight and portability to just a little more than a six-pack of bottled water and a hand-carry suitable bike. The functional electric bike has an electric motor with a built-in battery. The company installs four sensors and the KERS technology (kinetic energy recovery system) that is known from F1 cars, allowing the VELLO E-bike to recharge while braking or going downhill. When fully charged at electric charging stations or power outlets, the folding e-bike can last from 50 kilometers at maximum engine power to nearly unlimited using its full-recuperation mode.

images courtesy of VELLO

Ultra-lightweight electric bike from vello

All VELLO folding e-bikes, including this new ultra-lightweight electric VELLO bike, are equipped with the all-in-one rear-hub motor and have large 20-inch wheels with a small folding size. The additional slope sensor integrated in the electric motor functions similarly to a gear shift and adjusts the motor assistance automatically for optimal cadence. It can also be connected to the company’s app to show the riders the current health of the e-bike and other information regarding the speed and location of the rider through GPS technology. The folding e-bikes also come with an electronic motor lock and a theft-location system, and can be conferred an external remote control with a boost function.

VELLO electric bike folds in 8 seconds, weighs under 10 kilos, and recharges by braking

Vello electric bike can be customized

Riders can add more customization to the e-bike as the VELLO bikes can be equipped with the Schlumpf Drive gear system meaning Speed Drive for urban settings or Mountain Drive for rural ascends. With the gearing Speed-Drive, the integrated electric motors can speed well beyond the 25 km/h limit without problems while with the Mountain-Drive steeper climbs of up to 17% can be tackled easily. London’s Royal College of Art graduate, industrial designer, and VELLO company founder Valentin Vodev comments ‘with its patented lightweight 1.9 kg full-titanium VELLO frame and 8- seconds-folding mechanism, we have managed to push the boundaries for lightweight folding electric bikes.’

its kinetic energy recovery system allows it to recharge while braking or going downhill

Development in the bike industry

The company notes that the weight of 9.9 kilos is drawn from the off-the-shelve standard component parts and believes that this sets a milestone in the bike industry. Vodev adds that in addition to the company’s folding bike models, VELLO has also already established itself as an innovative folding bike brand in Germany and France, so the next logical step for the company is to expand to the cradle of folding bikes in the UK. In fact, the Austrian bike manufacturer presented its first folding e-bike that is under 10 kilos during the London Cycle Show on April 22nd, 2022 at the VELLO stand in the event.

its weight can be compared to six-pack bottled water