French automaker Peugeot is certainly not a newcomer to the electric bicycle world like many other automakers that have only begun dipping their toe in the e-bike waters. Peugeot has a long history producing bicycles that dates back over a century under its PEUGEOT Cycles division. Now the company has just released its latest line of electric bikes and they sure are headturners.
Among the three new e-bikes models are a city commuter e-bike, a long tail cargo e-bike, and a front loader cargo e-bike.
All three offer modern design takes, though the commuter bike is the most eye-catching of them all.
The company explained that the new e-bike models will usher in several new features to Peugeot’s lineup:
“At the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, PEUGEOT Cycles will expand its range of electrically assisted bicycles with several new innovative models benefiting from the best connected technologies. These, through a new dedicated smartphone application, offer users when it is launched, among other things, adaptive electric assistance, an anti-theft system, an alarm, bike geolocation, real-time navigation, weather forecasts at destination, route statistics, etc.”
The newly revealed Peugeot city e-bike, known as the Digital E-Bike, features an exaggerated downtube that bisects a disconnected and minimized top tube.
A mid-drive motor appears to be tied into the rear wheel by a belt drive system, which replaces a classical chain drive found on most of Peugeot’s other e-bikes.
The bike features tight-hugging fenders, swept back handlebars and hydraulic disc brakes.
Peugeot’s longtail cargo bike, named the Digital e-Longtail, is described by the company as “a bike whose elongated rear can comfortably accommodate up to two children or a load, particularly suitable for family use.”
The bike features a more classically-designed front end with a stretched rear able to accomodate a long rack with a pair of padded bench seats. A child carrier is designed to hold kids or cargo on the long rear rack, and a wheel skirt keeps small, dangling feet from contacting the rear wheel.
A full wraparound running board on either side of the rear wheel looks like it will work in concert with protrusions on the upper rack deck to allow the e-bike to be parked vertically on its tail, similar to the popular Tern cargo e-bikes. This would help the bike take up considerably less space in a garage or apartment.
The third e-bike on display by Peugeot is a front loader e-bike described as “a bike with an extended front wheelbase to accommodate a crate for transporting up to three children or heavy loads, suitable for family or professional use.”
Listed as the Digital e-Front Load, this type of cargo e-bike is quite popular across Europe where it is used similarly to the way SUVs and large cars are used in the US: for moving several children around town or carrying a large amount of cargo such as when grocery shopping.
Peugeot hasn’t announced prices for the new e-bikes yet, but the company will be showing off the new designs next month at the PRO-DAYS show from July 2 to 4, 2023, in Paris Exhibition, Porte de Versailles.