BIKE/BOARD

Vanpowers Debuts Two New E-Bikes

February 7, 2024

Vanpowers debuted two new e-bikes at CES. One is a gravel bike, the other a hardtail mountain bike. Both offer their “smart system”, which integrates a range of safety features, including hub motor lock, emergency SOS, vibration detector, real-time GPS tracking, and geofencing. The smart system helps mitigate the risk of bike theft while also offering a higher likelihood of recovery in the event of theft.

“We’re excited to reveal our newest innovations, the GrandTeton and UrbanCross, at CES 2024,” announced Darik Duan, Head of Research and Development at Vanpowers. “These additions not only broaden our intelligent e-bike lineup but also motivate us to continue to push the boundaries of smart e-bike technology to enhance rider safety and security.”

UrbanCross

The UrbanCross is available in two variants: the Ultra and the Pro. It’s a lightweight gravel/road bike aimed at urban commuters and gravel enthusiasts. It features a flared gravel handlebar and gravel frame geometry on an aluminum frame. They describe it as “rich mounting capability”, which refers to the three bosses on each side of the carbon fiber fork, as the one inside the frame triangle holds the battery. There is a picture of a bag hanging from the top tube.

There’s a Shimano GRX groupset, likely meaning the 11-speed drivetrain as well as the hydraulic disc brakes on the Ultra. The Pro steps down to a Shimano CUES 9-speed derailleur and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. They claim it has a range of up to 60 miles.

It has a 36V, 250W hub motor with 40Nm of torque. The battery is a 36V, 345Wh unit on both e-bikes and comes with a 1.45” color TFT-LCD with Bluetooth connectivity to the Vanpowers app, which offers OTA updates.

Both bikes feature aluminum rims that run CST 700C 40C gravel tires. The frame and fork can handle up to a 45C tire. The handlebar, stem and seatpost are all carbon.

GrandTeton

Like the UrbanCross, what Vanpowers calls their “all-mountain electric mountain bike”, comes in two variants, also called the GrandTeton-Ultra and GrandTeton-Pro. I don’t buy the mountain bike moniker completely. It’s more of a hardtail fat bike, with 26”x4” CST tires and a non-descript 120mm-travel suspension fork.

Both have 6061 aluminum frame, Shimano CUES 9-speed drivetrain, and double-walled aluminum rims. Both also have a 691Wh battery and a 1.9” color TFT-LCD with Bluetooth and adaptive brightness. And largely, that’s where the similarities stop to drop off.

The Ultra has a Bafang M560 48V, 500W mid-drive with a whopping 130Nm of torque. That’s 10 more than a full-size TQ motor! The brakes are Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm rotors. This one has a dropper seatpost with 125mm of travel.

The Pro steps back with a nameless 750W rear hub drive. The brakes are Ronglun hydraulic disc brakes with 203mm brake rotors. No dropper for the Pro, it has a traditional post with a quick release. Interestingly, this is the only one of the bikes with a throttle. The Ultra doesn’t have one.

Claimed range for the GrandTeton is 110 miles with the optional power bank. It can handle a weight of up to 400 lbs (rider plus cargo).

Torque Sensors

These Vanpowers e-bikes all have torque sensors, which makes for a far more natural power delivery and feel than bikes with just a cadence sensor. The bikes sense your actual leg power input, and then give you back power to match.

Innovative Tech

All four bikes have motors with locking mechanisms and 4G and GPS real-time tracking, with a vibration detector that can ping your phone if anyone bumps or tries to take your bike. You can even set a geofence to let you know if the bike moves in or out of specific areas. There’s even an emergency SOS system that sends a signal and your precise location to your pre-selected emergency contact.

That’s some pretty impressive anti-theft and safety tech. I’m actually impressed, and would love to see more of this on other bikes in the future. It makes your e-bike less desirable. What they haven’t said yet is if there’s a subscription fee after a certain amount of time for cellular data use.

And The Price Tag?

I know, I know, you want to know what they cost. As of now, the company hasn’t provided the price for these bikes. That will likely be announced closer to launch in late 2024.