NTS Works, which last year brought us the 2×4 Cargo Bike as an electric bike option, is back again with a new offering which combines solar and pedal power to propel it forward. Known as the SunCycle, it is set to price for around $4,100 when it goes on sale in April.
The NTS SunCycle is a cargo bike with a powerful solar panel that’s integrated into the “aerodynamic” cargo hold. Solar power that’s harvested during an up to eight hour recharge time can be stored in a special onboard battery that, originally designed for large applications like cars and motorcycles, comes with a special lifetime warranty under which it “can be rebuilt and upgraded with the latest battery technology for half the cost of a new battery.”
image via NTS Works
The electric bike’s hub motor can offer pedal assistance as needed for an average range of up to 25 miles before the battery is depleted. The level of motor assistance available is adjustable from the display panel. On a hill, for example, you push a button to increase the amount of motor assistance and once you “crest the top you can set it back.”
For those concerned riding an electric cargo bike might be a clunky experience, NTS said it has worked around this issue through a unique steering system. It is said to make the SunCycle ride like a regular bike, but “carries cargo low over the front wheel. The patent-pending steering mechanism – unlike anything currently available in the biking world – places the cargo load directly over the front wheel for the best possible balance, handling and maneuverability in tight urban environments.”
Those behind this solar cargo bike and the others in the NTS line up know a thing or two about electric vehicles in general as they were involved in the founding of electric motorcycle pioneer Zero Motorcycles.
