World-renowned motorcycle designer Erik Buell’s electric bike company FUELL has just launched two new models of e-bikes, known as the Flluid-2 and Flluid-3. These US-assembled electric bikes aren’t just claiming to be the longest range options on the market but are also said to offer “a unique riding experience setting them clearly ahead in the crowded e-bike industry.”
The new e-bikes are designed to be true car replacers for many riders, as CTO Erik Buell explained:
“We used the knowledge gained from our initial foray into the electric bike market with Flluid-1 to develop a superior urban transportation solution, making sure that Flluid-2 & 3 are true and viable alternatives to cars.”
That first electric bike was already an impressive model in its own right, but the FUELL Flluid-2 and Flluid-3 look to be raising the bar even further.
The Flluid-2 is described as an “ultra-long-range powerhouse” with its two removable battery packs totaling 2 kWh of capacity. That doubles the battery capacity of the first-generation FUELL Flluid-1 and enables an impressive range of up to 225 mi (362 km) on a single charge.
For an easier-to-mount step-through option, the Flluid-3 offers a single 1 kWh battery that should be enough for anyone that can live with a still-impressive 110 mi (177 km) range.
Both models offer throttle-enabled 750 W continuous-rated Valeo mid-drive motors, though the throttle is limited to just 6 km/h or 3.7 mph in Europe for regulatory compliance. The motor will also carry a 250 W rating in Europe, though both the EU and US versions are listed at 130 Nm of torque, making the motor one of the strongest mid-drives available on retail e-bikes.
The FUELL Flluid-2 and Flluid-3 will both reach 20 mph (32 km/h) in the US or 25 km/h (15 mph) in Europe. A speed version of each model will be offered, known as the Flluid-2S and Flluid-3S, which will reach speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h) in both the US and EU models.
Both bikes include automatic shifting with a 450% gear range, electric bike-specific road tires, integrated LED lighting, front suspension, fenders/rack package, and a Gates Carbon Drive belt-drive setup instead of a typical bicycle chain.
The e-bikes are designed to fit a range of riders from 5’1? to 6’5? (155 to 195cm) and are “geometrically optimized to provide stable, confident, yet incredibly nimble steering and handling.”
Both the FUELL Flluid-2 and Flluid-3 come standard with low-maintenance components, including hydraulic disc brakes and belt drivetrains.
As Buell explained, his goal with the design of the new bikes was to create a high-performance two-wheeler that would be as easy to use as a car and with a similar range:
“The creation of the FUELL Flluid-2 & 3 e-bikes was a complex and demanding journey that took many years of research and development. We faced a lot of challenges on our way such as creating e-bikes that comfortably fit customers from 5’ tall all the way to 6’4” tall, packing 2,000 Wh of battery into the frame without getting it too massive, providing a ‘just right’ balance of agility and confident handling to the riding experience, etc. I am proud to announce that we have successfully overcome all these challenges, developing e-bikes that meet the needs of today’s urban commuters.
“Many e-bike customers are coming from driving a car or motorcycle and are not current bicyclists. This customer is looking for an e-bike that is simple and easy to use as their motor vehicle with a similar range.”
The models are launching on Indiegogo via a crowdfunding campaign, with early bird prices starting at US $3,999 for the Flluid-2 and $3,699 for the Flluid-3. Both of those figures mark a discount of over 30% off of the MSRP for each model as part of the promotional launch pricing.
We generally don’t cover products launching on crowdfunding campaigns unless they come from reputable companies that have already demonstrated the ability to deliver products to customers. In this case, Erik Buell is a highly respected figure in the motorcycle world and has gained prominence in the electric bicycle world for the well-received FUELL Flluid-1 electric bike, which has been making successful deliveries for the last two years. While that doesn’t guarantee the success of a crowdfunding campaign, it stacks the deck in riders’ favor.
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