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Elian Ultimate e-Cargo replaces your car with a fun, gravel-ready cargo e-bike

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike
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Elian Cycles already had the uniquely high-performance Classic Cargo bike, with its signature hub steering design. Now working with premium Swiss bike shop & cargo specialists Obst&Gemüse to celebrate their 10th anniversary, Elian developed the ultimate cargo bike, pairing their lightweight, made-to-measure steel space frame design with an e-bike motor assist, plus extra tire clearance to head off the tarmac with your load.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo

It’s hard to argue a better application for an e-bike motor assist than in a cargo bike that will be hauling around some heavy freight. And with Obst&Gemüse based in Basel, Switzerland at the base of the Jura Mountains, 95% of the bikes they sell come with an electric motor to conquer the hilly terrain.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike
c. Obst&Gemüse

So the limited edition Elian Cycles + O&G Ultimate e-Cargo bike was developed as a premium car killer. It is a totally custom bike, made in The Netherlands, and with that comes a hefty pricetag – 13,000 Swiss Francs to be precise (~ $13,000 or 11,500€).

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

But if you are talking about offsetting the need for a car, especially in pricey Switzerland, maybe that becomes more palatable.

Elian Ultimate e-Cargo – tech details

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

What do you get for 13,000 Francs? A fully custom-sized, made-to-order cargo bike frameset TIG welded & fillet brazed from lightweight steel tubing with a large, low load platform and clearance for up to a 45mm tire on the 27.5″ rear wheel (or 50mm+ on the 20″ front.)

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

That opens you up to riding pretty much any surface, whether you are hauling kids or groceries in or out of town.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

At the heart of the Ultimate e-Cargo is the patented Elian Steering Hub, central hub steering system. Elian developed & builds the linkage-based steering setup in-house to provide smoother, more reliable handling control under load and when braking, also lowering weight over a conventional fork design.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

The drive system is a Maxon MX25 Boost rear hub motor getting weight low and back to balance with the front load platform. Power is supplied from a seat tube mounted BX 500Wh battery pack for pedal-assist speeds of up to 25km/h.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

The bike comes built up with a premium kit, including Chris King headset & BB, plus a full SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 drivetrain giving you a huge gear range to go with the e-bike assist. Cockpit is equally fancy, with Shimano Zee hydraulic brakes on ENVE carbon vars, stem & seatpost, plus a carbon structured Fabric Alm Ultimate saddle and Spurcycle’s excellent bell.

Obst&Gemüse + Elian Cycles Ultimate e-Cargo Obst&Gemuese+Elian limited edition e-bike custom cargo bike

The bike comes in this limited edition matte army green powdercoat with raised Elian & O&G branding on the toptube. Only 20 of the Ultimate e-Cargos will be made, and O&G & Elian Cycles quote a delivery lead time of 8-12 weeks.

Elian.ObstUndGemuese.ch

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17 Comments
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Paul S.
Paul S.
5 years ago

Wow. Incredible bike. Being hand made in Switzerland, it will never be cheap, but it would be nice if they came out with a lower cost version at some point. If there were a way to get the price down closer to an Urban Arrow, I’d definitely be interested.

John
John
5 years ago
Reply to  Paul S.

This really has no traction over say a packster with dual battery. Seriously need to rethink the price.

Woody
Woody
5 years ago

There’s no greater feeling than doing an offroad hike-a-bike with your e-cargo! ‍♂️

OTT marketing aside, it’s a cool bike

TomM
TomM
5 years ago

This might be the finest slicing of the bike market that I have ever seen. The photos of the rider shouldering the bike and riding up rooted and rocky singletrack are hilarious. Is it April 1st?

dontcoast
5 years ago

no motor spec… looks like a basic hub drive…probably <350W judging by size.

Bummer, with that pricepoint you'd expect Bosch PCX or better.

Michel Röthlisbereerger
Reply to  dontcoast

The Motor is a Swiss Maxon MX25 Boost engine, sounds and feels like a Concorde, pretty awesome we think!
And strong enough to climb Gravel Climbs and even more…

dontcoast
5 years ago

Ok now i’m curious about the ride feel of this hub.

Still, a small hub drive seems like it may have trouble with gearing on gravel climbs with cargo?

Frame is beautiful, steering is innovative…still seems like a tough sell against a RM load for example. But being a sucker for unique bikes I like what they’re doing.

Bob
Bob
5 years ago

Gravel Cargo, will the BS marketing ever find shame. i am still waiting for left and right hand drive models. that way the Brits and their old empire can have a bike built for them. Cause everyone knows that all bikes built now are left hand drive.

craigmedred
5 years ago

are cheap, simple bike trailers now outlawed in Switzerland?

Rolling Resistance
Rolling Resistance
5 years ago

45mm tire clearance without mudguards is not nearly enough for winter or muddy roads especially when hauling heavy cargo. Why are all the cargobikes with such narrow tires?

Bob Log
Bob Log
5 years ago

Gravel…. 1x…. cargo… hand-made steel… e-bike… BINGO!

In all seriousness though, that’s a nice vehicle there. I’d love to come across one at a price that I could justify.

JBikes
JBikes
5 years ago

Why is the stack seemingly so low? Do people want aggressive road/xc positions on cargo bikes?

Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict
5 years ago
Reply to  JBikes

It’s to assist you in getting as aero as possible while hauling your freight. It’s all about marginal gains.

OriginalMV
OriginalMV
5 years ago

If it truly is a custom-sized frame made in the Netherlands and assembled/sold in Switzerland, CHF 13.000 as a complete bike seems pretty reasonable. The Maxon system and the parts aren’t cheap either. Really the only disingenuous aspects of the article are 1) the assertion that a potential buyer is trying to save money over automobile ownership and 2) the photo that shows the rider with the bike on his shoulder, implying that a person would willingly portage an e-cargobike.

Jan
Jan
5 years ago

Now, let Henry Ford rethink the production concept,
Narrow tires are never appropriate to heavy loads.

Fritz Wüthrich
Fritz Wüthrich
2 years ago

any chance to combine it with a pinion gear instead of read wheel shimano? Of course there will be addtl. cost

Fritz Wüthrich
Fritz Wüthrich
2 years ago

Can you pls share more specs incl. weight, length etc?

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