MATE’s new cargo electric bike is called the ‘SUV’ because that’s how big it is
Electric bike maker MATE is perhaps best known for its compact folding electric bikes. But much like the automotive world, this e-bike company has bigger aspirations. And in the case of the upcoming MATE SUV electric cargo bike, those are aspirations are pretty darn big.
The MATE SUV e-bike is designed to haul so much that it needs an extra wheel, turning it into an electric trike.
But unlike most delta trikes we’ve seen (the kind with two wheels in the back), the MATE SUV is a tadpole trike with two wheels in the front.
That offers a double whammy of making the e-bike more stable and also offering a huge front cargo bucket that’s perfect for loading up with gear or kids.
Designed for the European market, the e-bike comes with European-level specs such as a 25 km/h (15.5 mph) top speed. Unlike in North America, most European countries have stricter e-bike regulations that result in lower top speeds.
And the MATE SUV is European through and through, as the company explained:
“Reimagined in Denmark, inspired by the Danish biking culture and engineered together with multiple award-winning Germano studio Zanzotti Industrial Design, this is the alternative that will change the way you move. The MATE SUV will redefine your journey and propel forward a movement of people who want to take back the streets.”
That’s exactly the type of job that this e-bike is designed for: taking back the streets from cars. And to do so, the MATE SUV was designed to be both functional and versatile.
That resulted in an e-bike that serves multiple roles for carrying everything from groceries to passengers.
As the company continued:
“Imagine the feeling of moving freely through the static obstacles of traffic. Imagine making the run for groceries fun again or taking the ride with your kids to a whole new level. Imagine never paying a parking ticket ever again. Imagine a vehicle that, for once, can challenge the way we move without selling out of the comforts of short commutes. Imagine if we together could ignite a movement of people who change how we get form A to anywhere. Imagine a carrier that can change to fit the purpose of many different needs. Imagine a vehicle that will move more than your goods. This is the SUV reimagined.”
The e-bike, which is built with a frame that uses 90% recycled aluminum, is designed to fit a wide range of rider heights from 160-210 cm (5’3″ to 6’10”). The front bucket is intended to carry either two children or one adult. If your precious cargo consists of things instead of people, the bike can fit up to 210 L (55.5 gallons). And a set of hydraulic brakes helps bring all of that mass to a stop quickly and safely.
For visibility, an LED light bar in the front and rear of the cargo area helps make sure other road-users see the e-bike and its occupants.
That mid-drive motor with built-in torque sensor better be powerful to move all of that cargo around, and it certainly looks up to the task with a 90 Nm torque rating. It may come with a 250W sticker on the side, but that’s just for regulations. This sucker is definitely putting out way more peak power than it’s letting on.
The included battery is also rated for up to 100 km (62 miles) of range per charge, meaning rider’s likely won’t be stuck pedaling without the support of electric assist.
In addition to building an effective cargo e-bike, MATE’s CEO Thomas Vuillez explained that it was just as important to build something that would be both cool and fun to ride:
“We wanted to bring something exceptional to the market as it is in our DNA to make e-biking cool and fun. The MATE SUV is something that was born out of our curiosity about how we move and to challenge the known ways of running errands and making short trips. The reliance on a car is considerable and reducing that is a growing need of the day.”
The MATE SUV isn’t in production yet (and its unclear if the company has any real prototypes or if these are all just digital product renderings). But that hasn’t stopped MATE from taking pre-order reservations.
Riders can already reserve their spot in line to purchase the MATE SUV for €49 (approximately US $52), which also grants them a 20% discount on the expected price of €6,499 (approximately US $6,850).
If MATE sticks to their current schedule, the company expects to begin delivering the e-bikes to customers in Q3 of 2023.
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Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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As “extreme” weather events become more commonplace, the demand for reliable and portable energy continues to rise. In response to that growing demand for dependable off-grid power, Volvo has developed the new PU500 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed to take electrical power when it’s needed most.
Designed to be deployable in a number of environments at a moment’s notice, the Volvo Energy PU500 BESS is equipped with approximately 500 kWh of usable battery capacity (up to 540 kWh total). More than enough juice, in other words, to power a remote construction site, disaster response effort, or even a music festival – anything that needs access to reliable electricity beyond a grid connection.
That’s great, but what sets the PU500 apart from other battery storage solutions is its integrated 240 kW DC fast charger.
“With an integrated CCS2 charger, the PU500 is designed to work with all brands of electric equipment, trucks, and passenger cars,” says Niklas Thulin, Head of BESS Product Offer at Volvo Energy. “This ensures that no matter what type of electric vehicle or machinery you rely on, the PU500 can provide the power you need, making it a truly flexible solution for any grid constrained site or location.”
The integrated charger in the PU500 has the impressive ability to charge a heavy equipment asset (be that an electric semi truck or something like a wheel loader) in under two hours. Its on-board capacity allows to fully recharge up to 3 electric HD trucks or 20 electric cars per day, making it an incredibly versatile disaster response asset.
Electrek’s Take
As we often say over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast, “just because you’re working for the power company doesn’t mean you have power,” and there are hundreds of scenarios where the extra power provided by something like the new PU500 would be useful. Its ability to be palletized and easily moved or swapped out of a larger BESS array, too, just add to its flexibility.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo.
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