Tailwind: New E-Bikes at HP Velotechnik

In 2021 recumbent bike specialist HP Velotechnik is significantly expanding the range of electric motors for its trikes / Also at the start: Shimano’s world novelty EP8

Kriftel. The vote is clear: In the current season, almost 60 percent of customers have ordered their recumbent from HP Velotechnik with electrical support. That is remarkable, because: With the models from the German manufacturer, the customer can freely choose whether he wants his Scorpion or Gekko with or without an engine. All the more reason for fans of additional power from the socket to look forward to the 2021 novelties: Five different motors are available for the trikes from HP Velotechnik, including two new systems and the Z20 RS motor update from Neodrives for the 45 km/h fast S-Pedelec Scorpion fs 26.

The two new motors are from the Steps series of the component specialist Shimano. One of them is the EP8 system, which replaces the E8000 as the top model and is currently being launched by the Japanese with a huge worldwide campaign. The second system, the E6100, closes the gap in HP Velotechnik’s product range to the proven entry-level model E5000. It is the perfect addition to the Shimano engines: For the new season, batteries are available which, at 630 Wh, provide a full 50 percent more power than the standard battery.

High performance in all areas

The new STEPS flagship EP8 is a real powerhouse. The motor produces up to 85 Newton meters, working on the recumbent wheel at the front, on the bottom bracket boom. The maximum assistance ratio is 400 percent, and the developers have reduced internal pedal resistance by 36 percent. Compared to its predecessor, the EP8 system has been slimmed down by 300 grams. Even at maximum power, the engine remains incredibly quiet.

Designed by Shimano for the MTB sector, the EP8 fits just as well into the requirement profile of a touring or trekking trike. At its heart is a system control that can hardly be topped in terms of variability: Within the support modes Eco, Trail and Boost, parameters such as response behavior or maximum power can be set precisely to the Newton meter. This works wirelessly via smartphone or tablet. An additional advantage is that two different profiles for two drivers can be saved in the digital memory – or the individual driver can easily switch from commute to world tour at the touch of a button.

Fully automatic and plenty of pulling power

The second new Shimano system, the STEPS E6100, positions itself between the top model and the most affordable motor at HP Velotechnik, the E5000. In contrast, the E6100 offers 50 percent more power at 60 Newton meters. This is particularly interesting for those who are often on the road with a heavy load or who frequently ride in undulating terrain. Those who opt for the E6100 can enjoy an additional gain in comfort: The engine in the Scorpions and Gekkos from HP Velotechnik is exclusively installed in combination with the Shimano Nexus Di2 hub gears. This 8-speed hub with its fully automatic transmission takes all shifting operations off the rider’s hands. When stopping at traffic lights, for example, the all-round carefree package automatically shifts into a low gear. The Di2 also always changes to the most efficient gear. For all those who prefer to be the boss at the gearshift lever themselves: The Di2 can of course also be shifted manually at any time.

Climate Neutral at Work with High Speed

Uncompromising up to 45 km/h: With the new Z20 RS motor from hub motor specialist Neodrives, the potential of the Scorpion fs 26 S-Pedelec is exploited in a way never seen before. 20 kilometers to work in half an hour – and still relaxed in a suit right at your desk? For riders of the speed trike from the factory of recumbent bike specialist HP Velotechnik is not an issue. The drive system from the German engine manufacturer, which will be available from November, underlines the outstanding riding characteristics of the full-suspension racer. The predecessor models of the S-pedelecs Scorpion fs 26 have already been awarded one of the most coveted prizes in the bicycle industry, the Eurobike Award, twice in 2012 and 2018.

Daniel Pulvermüller (Chief Engineer HP Velotechnik) was already fascinated by the power of the new rear wheel hub motor after the first test ride: “The Neodrives system provides full thrust assistance up to the maximum permitted assistance speed. This fits perfectly with the overall characteristics of the Scorpion fs 26 S-Pedelec“. Because in the fast trike the pilot will find safety technology that is unique in bicycle construction: For the first 45 km/h fast e-bike of the multi-lane class L2e-P, which is approved in Europe, HP Velotechnik has developed the turn indicator WingBling, which meets the German Road Traffic Licencing Regulations (StVZO). The oil level indicator for coupled brakes is also a must in Europe. The German TÜV has made this a condition for the approval of the tricycle, which is legally equivalent to a motor vehicle.

According to Neodrives, the range is up to 60 kilometers, depending on driving style, topography, ground and weather conditions. So the good news for all those commuters who buy green electricity from their supplier is that for just 30 cents they can fully charge the “tank”, a lithium-ion battery with 651 watt hours of energy content, in a climate-neutral way. The double battery option, which HP Velotechnik has been offering for its trikes since 2013, doubles the range. The rider also benefits from the structural peculiarity of a hub motor that has an energy recovery function (recuperation), for example when riding downhill.

******** Background HP Velotechnik ********

HP Velotechnik, founded in 1993 by Paul Hollants and Daniel Pulvermüller, manufactures approx. 2,000 recumbents per year in the factory in Kriftel near Frankfurt with 50 employees (including six trainees) and is thus market leader in Europe. The bikes are built individually by hand according to the customers wish and sold in specialist bicycle shops. All signs point to future growth: HP Velotechnik exports more and more bikes and trikes to more distant regions such as Australia, Japan, or South Africa. This successful business strategy was honored in 2017 with the “Hessian Export Prize”, which is jointly awarded by the State of Hesse and the Hessian Chambers of Crafts and Industry and Commerce. Most recently, the recumbent bike manufacturer received an award from the German Social Democratic Party (SPD): The grouping of the Working Group of the Self-employed in the Party presented the “AGS Award for Innovation 2019” for the “innovative mobility” of the bikes.

HP Velotechnik has developed 15 recumbent models that cover the entire range from everyday bikes to racing bikes. All models are available with powerful electric motors on request. Recently, the models from the Scorpion series caused a sensation, winning the renowned “Eurobike Award” design prize three times in a row. Most recently, in 2013 the trike Scorpion fs Enduro and in 2014 the Scorpion plus 20 as a therapy trike. The last time the Scorpion fs 26 S-Pedelec won this award at the world’s most important bicycle trade fair Eurobike was in 2018 as a vehicle in the fast class with pedal assistance up to 45 km/h.

Even as schoolchildren, the company founders Hollants and Pulvermüller became national winners of the JUTEC Youth and Technology competition of the Association of German Engineers – the foundation of the development from a garage laboratory to one of Germany’s most innovative bicycle companies. Since 2006 HP Velotechnik has been awarded as one of the three best bicycle manufacturers in Germany by the industry association VSF several times.

Tailwind: New E-Bikes at HP Velotechnik

In 2021 recumbent bike specialist HP Velotechnik is significantly expanding the range of electric motors for its trikes / Also at the start: Shimano’s world novelty EP8

High performance in all areas

Fully automatic and plenty of pulling power

Climate Neutral at Work with High Speed

Delta tx: Serial Production Started