Helsinki, 7th January 2020 — Equal bike, a new electric bicycle from a Finnish startup, is now available for preorder at equal.bike. The company is taking €100 deposits to reserve the e-bike. These deposits are fully refundable, and customers can finish configuring their orders as production nears in late 2021. However, deliveries are limited only to the European Union countries, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland.
The European e-bike market has seen a 20% year-over-year growth since 2012. According to the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry, close to 3,5 million electric bicycles were sold during 2019. In Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, every third bike purchased was electric. Meanwhile, in Belgium, the number of electric bicycles sold turned out higher than of regular ones.
And that is only the beginning. Per Manuel Marsilio, General Manager of CONEBI, the total market size is expected to double by 2025.
For many, e-bikes are a better way to get around the city: travel further, arrive sooner, with no sweat. Routes are more picturesque, and commutes — joyful.
For cities, cycling helps fight traffic congestion, space shortages, air & noise pollution. That is why governments invest heavily in new infrastructure and encourage bike usage. For example, the Île-de-France region recently announced €300 million financial support for the RER Vélo project, a network of nine protected cycleways linking the center of Paris with key suburbs. The UK government allocated €2,25 billion into promoting cycling & walking as an alternative to other transport modes. Meanwhile, Italians can get up to €500 in subsidies to buy a new electric bicycle.
"There are many brands that make or try to make premium e-bikes. You can also find cheap options, mostly flooded by rebranded ODM bikes. Both segments are highly saturated, but there's a huge gap in between. At Equal, we want to bring an elegant design and advanced tech to a modern-day commuter. Our bike looks beautiful, it rides like a dream, and comes fully equipped for safe urban trips. With a €1490 starting price, we want people to stop comparing the cost of a decent e-bike and a used car," says Andriy Sytnyk, co-founder & CEO.
The price for the Equal bike starts at €1490. The base model comes with a regular chain, and customers can upgrade to a Gates belt drive for an additional €250. Accessories like a kickstand, rear rack, and many others will be available for purchase as production nears in late 2021.
"If you want to build an innovative e-bike, you can't just use off-the-shelf components. You've really got to engineer it from the wheels up," - says Serhii Yatsuk, co-founder & CTO. "We in-house developed key technology, like adaptive pedal assist, removable in-frame battery, or mobile connectivity, and seamlessly integrated it into the bike. A lot of work has been done just for a single purpose: riding Equal leaves you with nothing to think about but the ride itself."