Plagued by traffic jams and looking for an ecological alternative for your daily commutes? With the Hopper, a hybrid of e-bike and car, a creative company from Augsburg is launching a completely new, comfortable type of vehicle. The advantages of the hopper are obvious: thanks to a combination of pedal drive and electric motor, the hopper saves between 97 and 100 percent of the CO2 emissions that a car would cause, depending on the power source. The kilometer price is at most 10 percent of the cost of a small car.
Thanks to the canopy and two front wheels, the occupants stay dry in all weathers and the hopper always stays on track. In addition to the driver, another person (or two children) can sit on the back seat. In addition, a trunk offers space for luggage (70 liters, with the rear seat shifted even 220 liters).
With its bicycle registration, the innovative vehicle can be ridden wherever bikes are permitted: on cycle paths as well as on roads. The main difference to classic cargo bikes is the level of comfort: The Hopper has comfortable seats and is steered with a steering wheel. With a turning circle of less than two meters, unlike many cargo bikes, it can also negotiate the tightest corners.
At up to 25 km/h, the Hopper is faster in the city than classic motorized private transport, because traffic jams and detours can often be avoided, and finding a parking space is also child’s play. The range of at least 60 kilometers (can be extended to double the distance with a second battery slot) is easily enough for most inner-city routes. Incidentally, a special charging infrastructure is not required: the batteries can be charged at any socket. With the extended version, which will have a solar panel on the roof, the hopper will be self-sufficient for much of the year.
The final prototype is currently under construction, reservations can already be made today. The price will be well below that of the cheapest e-car. According to the current status, public funding of the purchase is possible.
The founders are a young start-up team from Augsburg, consisting of engineers with extensive experience in the automotive industry, as well as experts in business and IT, with the aim of making a significant contribution to decarbonization and at the same time giving as many people as possible access to individual mobility create.