The electrical bicycle and e-motorcycle firm SONDORS is teasing one thing new, and it appears loads like an electrical filth bike.
SONDORS simply despatched out a teaser e mail to its followers explaining that the “Subsequent SONDORS product launch is coming quickly.”
There aren’t many particulars in regards to the new mannequin supplied, aside from that the approaching product announcement is described as being “MetaBIG.”
The play on phrases invokes the SONDORS Metacycle, a small format electrical motorbike first introduced by the corporate in early 2021 and finally rolled out to customers in late 2022.
The Metacycle makes use of a solid aluminum body that provides it a particular body cavity. The corporate initially said that three equipment can be obtainable for the cavity, together with a storage field, Stage 2 charger, or an auxiliary battery.
It’s not clear if the upcoming product will likely be constructed on the Metacycle body, however CEO and founder Storm Sondors advised Electrek throughout a Wheel-E Podcast interview that the corporate was engaged on a number of fashions that will be based mostly on the Metacycle platform.
An electrical filth bike can be a probable possibility, although it may very well be equally possible that SONDORS develops some sort of electrical path bike in keeping with the Sur Ron Gentle Bee or different off-road mild electrical bikes.
The teaser picture doesn’t reveal a lot, however we do see off-road tires in addition to a particular disc brake guard that’s usually solely discovered on filth bikes. The bike additionally sports activities a beak-style entrance fender generally discovered on filth and journey bikes, in addition to a reworked entrance headlight.
The Metacycle in its present type makes use of a rear hub motor, which isn’t supreme for off-road using. However then once more, it’s not precisely the best choice for road using both and that hasn’t stopped SONDORS from promoting 1000’s of the sunshine electrical commuter bikes.
The corporate just lately introduced a “credit score” of US $2,500, lowering the worth of the US $6,500 electrical motorbike to simply US $4,000 earlier than transport.
The credit score apparently helped SONDORS snag 1,000 reservations in per week for the bike, on prime of a reported 2,000 items already shipped.
Regardless of the ramp up of deliveries, SONDORS has confronted harsh criticism over the Metacycle’s rollout. Complaints have run the gamut from the bike not dwelling as much as its unique efficiency specs to issues over construct high quality to an lack of ability to succeed in customer support with a purpose to obtain well timed solutions. Many early reservations holders have had hassle cancelling their reservations and receiving refunds, with a number of ready a number of months to listen to again from the corporate about pending refunds.
The corporate has a protracted historical past of constructing lofty guarantees with optimistic supply timelines. However except for its three-wheeled electrical automobile venture, SONDORS has typically delivered most of what it guarantees, although often a number of months not on time.
The observe has irked riders who aren’t used the the corporate’s moderately “distinctive” working methodology, usually leaving annoyed riders questioning after they’ll obtain their new e-bike or e-motorcycle. So if historical past is any indication, it could be a good suggestion so as to add a couple of months to no matter supply timeline SONDORS touts upon the disclosing of this new journey.
