Brompton unveils first electric, folding bike with smartphone app

Brompton Bicycle has unveiled its first ever electric, foldable bike, which aims to help commuters “go further without breaking a sweat”.

Brompton is the UK’s largest bike manufacturer, and is best known for its bike which folds up to a third of its size, originally designed in 1975 by Cambridge University engineering graduate Andrew Ritchie. The company now produces over 45,000 foldable bikes a year.

The Brompton Electric is also foldable, but has an additional battery contained within a bag, which is clipped onto the front of the bike. This can be removed and carried separately when the bike is folded up, to “add portability and reduce the risk of theft”, says the company.

It has been designed by Brompton’s in-house design team, headed up by chief design and engineering officer, Will Carleysmith, in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering. It took three years to make.

Technical features include: a 300Wh (watt-hour) battery, allowing the user to travel a distance of 25-50 miles; a “light” weight of 16.6kg for the bike and battery combined; a 250W (watt) motor; a sensor that enables “smooth” riding; and an accompanying smartphone app.

The app allows users to customise riding settings, and track their distance and bike service history.

The bike is available with a straight or “M”-shaped handlebar, with two or six speed functions, and in black or white.

It aims to “inspire more people to get out from under the ground and their cars, and back onto a bike to rediscover their cities”, says Will Butler-Adams, CEO at Brompton, and enable commuters to “go further by bike without breaking a sweat”.

The Brompton Electric will be demoed in London and events across the UK in July and August.

Budding riders can pre-order the bike online, which will be delivered from early 2018. It retails at £2,595.