Infinite Mobility’s E-Cargo Bikes Are Solar Powered – CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!


Infinite Mobility, a Norwegian startup, is developing electric cargo bikes with onboard solar panels that could potentially power a full day’s worth of riding just by parking them in the sun.

A production version of a full-sized solar-powered EV is still probably years away, and even the smaller EVs with decidedly non-typical configurations, such as the Aptera with its onboard solar panels, have yet to make it into production, so we are more likely to see effective solar-electric transport solutions coming from the micromobility sector. An e-bike or e-cargo bike, even when carrying a payload, is much lighter than a standard EV, its battery is a fraction of the size and weight of an EV battery, and it doesn’t need to reach high speeds or have a massive range, so their power requirements are much easily met with solar. However, a standard e-bike doesn’t have much space for mounting solar panels, whereas an e-cargo bike could incorporate panels on its cargo box, and that’s the approach taken by Infinite Mobility.

The first model is the INGA, a 2-wheeled bakfiets-style cargo bike that the company says was “designed from the ground-up to enhance every aspect of your daily life.” Assistance comes from a rear hub motor paired with a 36V 16.5Ah battery, which is said to give a range of up to 60 km (37 miles), and the top assisted speed is limited to 25 km/h (15.5 mph). Maximum payload is 250 kg (551 lb).

Its cargo area, the Solar Box, features 160W of solar mounted to it, which PV Magazine says are built with Maxeon/Sunpower interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells. According to the company website, these high efficiency solar cells can provide enough electricity to operate the e-bike all day long. “Just a few hours of sunlight are enough to sustain your daily mobility and logistics needs!”

The second model is the LØKKA, a 3-wheeled e-cargo bike that is geared toward commercial use, as it can be configured with either a one cubic meter rear cargo box or a 1.5 cubic meter rear box, with a 250 kg payload capacity. The larger size allows for the mounting of 550W of solar cells, which the company says enables the e-cargo bike to “operate for several months without requiring a battery recharge from the grid.”

Infinite Mobility LØKKA e-cargo bike

There is no pricing listed for either the INGA or the LØKKA, although the company has a contact form to request quotes for its bikes, and it also looks like Infinite Mobility is actively seeking distributors, so reach out to them if solar micromobility is your thing.


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.


Latest CleanTechnica.TV Video


Advertisement



 


CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.