9.8 kilograms is unusual even for a conventional adult bicycle. Such low weight is still the exception for electric bicycles. The sports car manufacturer Lotus is causing a stir with the now announced Type 136 e-bike. The British Pedelec is made entirely of carbon fiber. The gear unit weighs just 1.2 kilograms and the motor weighs just 300 grams. However, the futuristic equipment has its price: the “First Edition” of the Type 136 costs 25,000 euros, while a more mass-market version, which should be available from spring 2024, goes on sale from 17,950 euros.
The black and gold First Edition will be built 136 times and is equipped with a Campagnolo Super Record Wireless shifting system and a Bora Ultra WTO 60 wheelset from Campagnolo. The total individual value of these components is around 6,500 euros. Lotus specifies the battery capacity as 193 watt hours, which should be enough for around three hours of motor support. Since the Type 136 is apparently a Pedelec, the maximum speed with motor support on public roads is limited to 25 kilometers per hour.
In order to lower the price of the Type 136 a little later, the e-bike will be released at a later date with a different wheelset from DT Swiss and shifting systems from Sram, either the Red or Force model. The motor and battery remain unchanged.
The Type 136 pays homage to the company’s earlier cycling history in the 90s. It all started in 1992 with the Type 108 road bike, with which former cyclist Chris Boardman won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games.
Incidentally, Lotus cannot secure a record for the lightest e-bike with the Type 136: According to “Handelsblatt”, a custom-made bike by Professor Marc Siebert weighs only eight kilograms. An electric racing bike from Dennis Freiburg from the TU Dortmund is even lighter, as he was able to reduce the weight to 6,872 kilograms – and is therefore even in the Guinness Book of Records.
Aside from individual projects, the Lotus Type 136 is particularly competitive with the Domestique from the Monegasque manufacturer HPS: According to the manufacturer, the e-racing bike only weighs 8.5 kilograms, making it probably one of the lightest series e-bikes in the world. The price is currently 14,400 euros.
Source: Lotus, Handelsblatt, Lotus [2], Freicycle, HPS Bike
