Vässla is following up its scooter-like “the Bike” with “the Pedal,” a true e-bike with an added torque-sensing pedal assist.
Swedish e-mobility startup Vässla has offered up a couple of interesting ride options before, like the Bike that looks as if a scooter had a futuristic baby with a moped. Now Vässla has launched the Pedal, which will be a true e-bike but with an added torque-sensing pedal assist.
The launch coincided with World Car Free Day on Sept. 22. Vässla said in a statement: “On September 22, World Car Free Day encourages people around the globe to replace their cars with green mobility for one day. The day gives a great opportunity to demonstrate how our cities can look and feel without cars, and how much pollution affects our lives. As Vässla’s mission is for every day to be a car free day, they announce their latest addition to their fleet – the Vässla Pedal, encouraging more people to replace heavy non-environmental friendly vehicles with light electric bikes.”
The beefy, single-frame tube contains all the wiring and the battery, giving this e-bike a clean look while also sitting in the liminal space between a step-over frame and a step-through frame. This helps give it the unisex design the company was aiming for that could fit nearly all rider heights and allow an entire household to share one e-bike. The 24-inch wheels are also a bit smaller than your traditional 26-inch wheels, making the ride more comfortable for shorter riders.
The removable battery can last for 100 km (62 miles) of range, which definitely is a longer range than the throttle-powered e-bikes we see here in the U.S. That’s because of the focus on pedal assist in European models, and here the Vässla Pedal uses a torque sensor to measure the rider’s pedaling force to apply an efficient and responsive motor assist level based on the rider’s own level of force.
The rear hub motor is capped at 250 W, but it still gives off a hearty 45 Nm of torque. To keep the bike low-maintenance, the Pedal incorporates a belt drive with single-speed operation as well as hydraulic disc brakes.
Though this will most likely only go on sale in Sweden, there are two options for riders who are interested in the Vässla Pedal. One is to pre-order the bike on the Vässla website, at a cost of €2,990 ($2,930) with deliveries starting in March 2023. The other option is to subscribe to the bike instead, which does open up your options a little. Vässla Club is currently available in Madrid, Paris, and Stockholm, with plans for monthly, half-year and yearly subscriptions. Subscriptions in Madrid, for example, start at €69 ($68) per month, while Parisian subscriptions start at €79 (about $77) per month.
Video: Introducing Vässla Pedal
SOURCE | IMAGES: VÄSSLA.
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