We all know of Jeep as an American car manufacturer with solid products in the SUV category. The firm, however, is now showing interest in micro-mobility vehicles and a proof of that is its recently launched all-terrain electric mountain bike in collaboration with QuietKat which is now available for pre-orders. Its highlight? A jaw-dropping price of USD 5,899 (~Rs 4.3 lakh).
This price tag easily makes Jeep¡¯s new e-bike the costliest in its segment. In fact, the difference in the price is more than double, considering a very capable electric mountain bike would cost you around USD 2,000 (Rs 1.46 lakh) tops. But before you judge it for its exorbitant price tag, know that Jeep is claiming it to be ¡°most capable off-road electric mountain bike there is¡±.
Rightly so, as the Jeep e-Bike is powered by a Bafang Ultra mid-drive motor that promises 750W of power and an enormous 160 Nm of torque. Electrek notes that this power might be limited due to e-bike regulations on speed and power in the US. That is because at its full capacity, the motor is able to produce double the power mentioned here - 1.5 kW.
Other highlights of the electric bike include a Fire-Link suspension to take on any sort of terrain. The e-Bike promises a range of 64 km in one charge and a possible top speed of 60 kmph. The top speed might be electronically limited though, again, citing the regulations around e-bikes in the US.
With the new e-Bike, Jeep joins a growing list of automobile majors foraying into the micro-mobility segment. Superbike maker Ducati unveiled its electric mountain bike Mig-RR last year. Even technology firms like Xiaomi have started coming up with their own offerings in the segment.
So as the new-found interest in the electric bikes gains momentum, we can only expect more major OEMs joining this list. That being said, an electric mountain bike for more than Rs 4 lakh is still tough to fathom.