2020 Novus electric motorcycle is not all there, pre-orders at RM214,852, excluding tax and delivery

While we are used to seeing electric motorcycles (e-bikes) with massive battery packs, the 2020 Novus e-bike strives for a minimalist, almost nothing-is-there design. The brainchild of founder and chief executive officer René Renger, previously a designer at Volkswagen, Novus hails from Germany and is priced at 44,047 Euros (RM214,852) and pre-orders are now being taken with a fully refundable deposit of 1,000 Euros (RM4,880).

Made from carbon-fibre sculpted in a trapezoidal frame weighing 7 kg with an all-up weight of 75 kg including the battery, the Novus is designed as lightweight personal transport in an urban setting. A a single-seater with a maximum rider weight of 125 kg, the Novus – meaning ‘new’ in Latin – delivers a maximum power of 18 kW (24hp) from its hub-mounted electric motor with a maximum of 200 Nm of torque and a governed top speed of 120 km/h .

Power delivery is controlled via an app on the rider’s smartphone, which also enables locking of the Novus via NFC for true keyless operation. Three power modes are available for purchase – ‘Base’, which limits power to a maximum of 40 percent of motor capacity, ‘Power’, delivering 70 percent and ‘God’, which unleashes maximum power.

The frame houses all the major components on the Novus, including the battery pack and various controllers, with the hub motor located in the carbon-fibre rear wheel, held in place by a carbon-fibre swing arm. A carbon-fibre girder fork mounts the carbon-fibre front wheel, with 90 mm of suspension travel.

A monoshock holds up the rear end of the Novus, tucked away in a frame recess, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound and providing 110 mm of travel. Braking is done with a single disc on the front wheel, stopped by a hydraulic calliper.

No range numbers or charging times were provided by Novus, but a good guess would be 120 km of range and about 4 hours charging time, as is typical of most e-bikes in this segment. What do you think? Are e-bikes such as the Novus viable in the coming trend towards two-wheel electrification?