Pedal-electric Hopper may be the German “car” you didn’t know you wanted

May 18, 2024

27 2 minutes read

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The pedal-electric, semi-enclosed, bicycle/car-hybrid thingies are now coming thick and fast. One of the latest to hit our radar is the Hopper, which has already been turning heads on streets around Germany.

First announced as a concept in 2020, the vehicle is manufactured by Hamburg-based startup Hopper Mobility.

Similar to the Veemo, it’s a three-wheeler with an open-sided body that provides a fair bit of weather protection while also placing the rider in a comfortable car-like driving position. Because it’s legally considered an ebike, the Hopper can skirt traffic by traveling in bike lanes and on bike paths. That said, it can also go on the road with the other vehicles.

The Hopper measures 212 cm long by 115 cm wide (6 ft, 11 in by 3 ft, 9 in)

The rider’s pedaling power is augmented by a 250-watt rear hub motor, taking the Hopper up to a top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph). The motor is powered by a removable 30-Ah/48V/1,440-Wh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, which is claimed to be good for a range of approximately 65 km (40 miles) per charge. An optional rooftop solar panel should help boost that figure.

In order to minimize maintenance and mechanical complexity, the Hopper utilizes an electronic pedal-by-wire system instead of a traditional chain-drive drivetrain.

Such systems work by having the rider spin up a generator as they pedal. Doing so converts their mechanical energy into electrical energy, which is fed into the motor. That motor converts the electrical energy back into mechanical energy, which is used to turn the wheel.

The Hopper has two 20-inch bicycle tires in the front and a 10-inch scooter tire in the rear

Hopper buyers can opt for a Passenger model, which places a second seat behind the rider’s seat, or a Cargo model that replaces the back seat with a lockable 300-liter cargo compartment. Both versions can handle a maximum passenger/payload weight of 160 kg (353 lb), and reportedly tip the scales at about 120 kg (265 lb).

Some of the vehicle’s other features include a full lighting system (with two 550-lumen headlights); a steering-wheel-integrated touchscreen control center; a windshield defogger; a parking brake and wheel-immobilizing security system; plus two USB ports for charging mobile devices. Covers for closing off the sides of the vehicle are in the works.

Plans call for at least 60 Hoppers to be built in the First Edition run

Thanks to European Union funding, about 30 Hoppers have already been built and placed in the hands of test users in order to generate real-world feedback. That feedback influenced the design of a First Edition commercial version of the vehicle, which is now being offered to German customers for a preorder price of €13,500 (about US$14,677).

Production of the First Edition line should begin later this year. The company is currently working on extending availability to other countries.

You can see the Hopper in action, in the video below.