The 62MPH eROCKIT “Human Hybrid” Electric Motorcycle Is Pedal-Operated
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The eROCKIT is claimed to be the world’s fastest e-bike, with a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h), but just calling it an e-bike doesn’t make it so, even if it’s pedal-operated. eROCKIT calls it a “Human Hybrid®,” and it certainly is a unique approach to 2-wheeled e-mobility, however, about the only thing this electric motorcycle has in common with an e-bike is its pedals.
This light electric motorcycle from Germany’s eROCKIT AG features a 5 kW (16 kW peak) brushless permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the rear wheel via a belt drive, coupled with a 52V 7.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is said to give the bike a range of up to 80 miles (130 km) per charge. The charge time for the eROCKIT is claimed to be 3 hours (from 20% to 80%) or 6 hours (0% to 100%) via a 230V input.
“The eROCKIT is the absolute upgrade of a bicycle: rapid, electric acceleration and intuitive, pedal-controlled operation paired with an award-winning design. The Human Hybrid® drive enables unprecedented interaction with the vehicle. Maximum emotions and driving pleasure combined with great innovative power and sustainability.”
The way that the company’s “hybrid” drive is set up is completely different from a standard e-bike, as the pedals are not directly driving the belt and hence the rear wheel, but are instead used to regulate the speed of the eROCKIT.
The company describes it this way:
“The eROCKIT is characterized by the human hybrid drive. The electronics register the muscle power used and multiplies it by a factor of +50. Within seconds you can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) with just a few steps on the pedals.”
As far as that claim of being the “fastest street-legal” e-bike, well, that’s a bit of a stretch, at least in terms of how e-bike is defined (which is debatable, as motorcycles are often referred to as motorbikes or similar, and riders often called bikers). However, as eROCKIT puts it, “eROCKIT is actually the only vehicle that you can legally “cycle” on the autobahn. The bike is approved for road traffic, has a large number plate and can be driven on all public roads and motorways. The sidewalk, bike or hiking trails are of course taboo.”
So yes, it is a “bike” and it can be “pedaled,” but an electric motorcycle by any other name is still an electric motorcycle, and the 286 lb (130 kg) eROCKIT, like any other motorcycle, needs to be registered and insured, etc., and the rider needs a motorcycle license in order to legally drive it on the road. The eROCKIT is the equivalent of a 125cc motorcycle (L3e), so the same regulations that apply to those motorcycles apply to the eROCKIT.
According to the company’s website, the eROCKIT will retail for €12,900 (~$13,950), and pre-orders for the bike are being accepted with a €250 reservation fee, and after the purchase contract is signed and the configuration of the bike is finalized, the customer’s eROCKIT “enters the production process.” Additional info is available from eROCKIT.
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