Electric personal commuting vehicles have gained a strong following in the recent years, thanks to the convenience and ever evolving technology that’s being developed. Milltex is one such company who has tried its hand at developing an electric bike, with a difference – the Spero.
The Spero is an affordable e-bike that has been built for the Indian consumer specifically. And like all other electric bikes, it is battery powered thanks to a motor that has been fitted on the rear. But where this bike gets its novelty from, is the fact that it is self-regenerative, meaning that as the user pedals, they are contributing to recharging the motor as well, whenever it is not in use.
The bike has two modes – electric and manual. In electric mode, the bike can move as fast as 15 miles per hour in ten seconds, using the handy 5-speed digital gearbox. For manual pedalling, users can get their dose of exercise, as well as charge the bike on the go. There is also a special cruise mode that is built-in so that if the user is constantly riding at a specific speed, the feature will kick in and the bike will keep moving without the user needing to pedal.
The highlight of this electric bike is how it can charge. Either the cyclist can manually pedal and recharge the bike, or the user can remove the battery – a very capable 48-volt lithium ion battery – and bring it towards a charging outlet and charge it through any standard charger. In three hours, the battery can be charged up to 80 percent. The company’s website also mentions that the bike comes with some nifty safety features like an all-digital display which provides necessary data to the user such as air pressure, speed, charge level, distance covered and other info.
The bike by no means compromises on looks either. It looks like a professional mountain bike with nice, thick tyres and also some great color schemes to make it stand out. Disk brakes, suspension, headlights, a handy phone charger and a host of other features make this a very compelling reason to buy. It also comes in three variants depending on power, according to their crowdfunding page at Fueladream.com – the E30, which has a range of 30kms on a single charge; the E60, which has a range of 60kms on a single charge; and the E100, which can go up to 100kms on a single charge.
The bike is a little pricey, but for the features offered and the advantage of being eco-friendly, it does seem worth it. Crowd funding prices go as low as Rs 29,900 ($443) for the base variant and Rs 50,900 ($754) for the highest, while the retail price will start at an expensive Rs 55,500 ($823) for the base model and Rs 84,900 ($1259) for the top end.
The bike’s fundraising campaign reached its goal and received 129 percent of the funding on Fuel a Dream – India’s answer to Kickstarter. Although it might be a little late to procure one of those early bird discounts now, it will be worth the investment, considering what’s on the offering. Even the parts of the bike can be easily be sourced and replaced locally, making the maintenance hassle-free.
We are expecting a lot of people to be on the roads with one of these soon.
