Esquire (UK)

The Gogoro Eeyo “sports car” e-bike

Eeyo is the lighter, faster, greener e-bike

- By Johnny Davis

With its eye-catching marketing (“Feel like you’re riding a bike, not a battery”), headturnin­g design (your choice of “cloud blue” or “lobster orange”) and focus on agility over utility, the Eeyo 1 is a new e-bike that has more in common with a Roadster than a Raleigh. Indeed, manufactur­ers Gogoro call it “the sports car of e-bikes”. “It’s designed to be super-sporty,” says vice president of communicat­ions Jason Gordon. “Up to this point, e-bikes have been these cargo-haulers, for families to go to the grocery store. A lot of people want a more aggressive, fun ride.”

Previously known for its colourful electric scooters, the company’s first foray into the booming electric bike market comes in two versions. The Eeyo 1 uses carbon fibre for its frame and aluminium for the rims, handlebars and seat post, while the Eeyo 1S uses carbon fibre throughout. That gives them an ultralight weight of +/-12kg respective­ly — about the same as a small dog.

Both are powered by a hub on the back wheel containing a battery, electric motor and sensors, giving Eeyo its clean look and a significan­t point of difference from most e-bikes where the centre of gravity tends to be behind the front wheel; not ideal for climbing hills. There’s a top speed of 30kmph and a range of around 88.5km in “eco” mode or 65km in “sport”. Other features include over-the-air updates that will allow new functional­ity in the future and an automatic motor block (“autolock”) as soon as the rider walks away. Yes, not unlike a sports car.

 ??  ?? Above: the ultralight, carbon fibre Eeyo 1S e-bike by Gogoro retails at $4,599
Above: the ultralight, carbon fibre Eeyo 1S e-bike by Gogoro retails at $4,599

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