Porsche Expands Its Electric Offerings With 2 New E-Bikes
With the new Cross Turismo wagon, Porsche is expanding both the Taycan lineup and its electric models. However, the Cross Turismo launch coincided with the launch of two other electric Porsches. Just like Triumph, Ducati, and Jeep before it, the German automaker is getting into the e-bike business.
Porsche has made bikes before, but they weren’t electric
Cars, electric and otherwise, aren’t the only things that bear the Porsche name. The automaker once collaborated with Harley-Davidson to make the V-Rod’s engine. It also recently worked with Acer to make a Porsche-branded laptop. And even before it had electric bikes, Porsche had a bicycle.
Actually, Porsche’s made several bicycles. The first production model, aptly named the ‘Porsche Bike S,’ debuted in 1996, PCA reports. And the Bike S prototype first appeared in 1990, PCA reports. Plus, although it now offers e-bikes, Porsche still makes non-electric bicycles, too, The Drive reports.
One is the Porsche Bike RX mountain bike. It has a carbon-fiber frame, hydraulic Magura disc brakes, and DT Swiss front air shocks. Plus, it rolls on 27.5” Schwalbe all-terrain tires and features a 20-gear Shimano XTR drivetrain.
The other bike is the Porsche Bike RS. It also has a carbon-fiber frame, as well as a carbon-fiber seat post, stem, and handlebars. Unlike the RX, the RS is a road bike, with no suspension. And while it shares the 20-gear XTR drivetrain and Magura disc brakes, it has narrow Schwalbe Marathon tires.
Predictably, these bikes aren’t cheap. The Porsche Bike RX costs $6700, while the Bike RS is just under $8300. However, the best carbon-fiber hardtail mountain bikes aren’t that much cheaper. The Cannondale F-Si Carbon 2, for example, costs $5550, Bicycling reports. And the carbon-frame Colnago C64 starts at just under $13k, Bicycling reports.
Meet the eBike Sport and the eBike Cross
The new Porsche e-bikes, the eBike Sport and eBike Cross, have some similarities to the earlier Bike RX. They have carbon-fiber frames, for example, as well as Magura hydraulic disc brakes and front suspension. However, they’re not purely Porsche’s designs, but the result of collaborating with German e-bike company Rotwild.
Being e-bikes, both the Porsche eBike Sport and eBike Cross have electric motors. Specifically, a Shimano XP8 motor that provides pedal-assistance up to 15.5 mph, The Verge reports. That puts these bikes in the ‘Class 1’ designation. And to monitor your speed and remaining range, both e-bikes have full-color displays. Plus, Supernova M99 LED lights, DriveTribe reports.
However, while the eBike Cross has a mechanical-shifting Shimano XT drivetrain, the eBike Sport has electronic shifting, Roadshow reports. But, while both e-bikes have Fox rear shocks, only the Cross gets a hydraulically-adjusting seat-post dropper, Engadget reports. That’s because, while the Sport is an “everyday” bicycle, the Cross is more of a dedicated mountain bike. That’s not to say you can’t hit a packed-dirt trail on the Sport, but it’s not as capable off-road as the Cross.
These e-bikes cost a lot, but they’re still the most affordable Porsches, Cycling Magazine says
Both the eBike Sport and eBike Cross will be available at Porsche dealerships starting in spring 2021. Buyers can choose from one of three sizes, all of which can fit on the Taycan Cross Turismo’s optional bike rack. But while they’ll technically be the “more affordable” of “the brand’s fully-motorized options,” Cycling Magazine reports, these e-bikes won’t be cheap.
The Porsche eBike Cross starts at just under $8550, while the Sport starts at $10,700. Considering you can get a Class 3 Aventon Level for about $1600, that’s quite a lot. However, there are pricier e-bikes, such as the $12,000 Trek Domane+ LT 9.
As for whether or not they’re worth their price tags, we’ll have to wait until they get here.
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