French startup Moonbikes has created a new all-electric snowbike making it available throughout the United States. The MoonBikes are the first-ever ultralight, electric snowbikes created to offer riders an entirely new way to traverse snow-covered trails and explore the outdoors in the winter months.
The Snowbike is equipped with a track on the rear wheel. In front, however, instead of the wheel, there is a small snowboard. Powered by a 3 kW electric motor that puts out 170 Nm of torque, the fun-looking snow transporter blasts up to a top speed of 42 km/h (26 mph).
The single quick-swappable 2.5-kWh lithium battery pack offers up a maximum of one hour of use on sport mode or 1.5 hours of use with easier riding in Eco mode. There is also the 5 kWh dual battery variant that doubles the figures on autonomy. Recharging can be done by connecting a cable directly to the snowbike or by removing the battery to recharge it at home. It takes about 5 hours and 45 minutes to fully charge (3 hours with a fast charger, available as an option).
The MoonBike can be operated in temperatures down to -25 ºC (-13 ºF). It weighs just 87 kg with one 13 kg battery included and can handle a maximum rider weight of 120 kg. The second battery adds another 12 kg of weight to the Moonbike. The snowbike is capable of climbing slopes of up to 40 degrees and making its way through powder snow up to a maximum depth of 30 cm.
Like a bike, a MoonBike is just 70.5 cm wide and can pass through doorways and be transported on a hitch carrier or in the bed of a truck. Thanks to its size, ultralightweight, and low center of gravity, a MoonBike is easy for anyone to ride.
The price of the MoonBike starts at $8,500 – buyers can place a $250 deposit via the MoonBikes website. Deliveries are expected to commence in mid-January.
