With its XDuro models, Winora is one of the pioneers in terms of ePerformance. We tried to find out exactly what this is all about and asked Susanne Puello, Managing Director of Haibike, for an interview.
Ms. Puello, back in 2010 you presented the first bike called the XDuro. A long time for e-bikes. What has changed significantly since then?
The success of the XDuro series is based on the fact that we took the development of a sporty mountain eBike seriously right from the start. Even with the first model, we didn't want to convert a mountain bike and retrofit it with a motor, but to develop an off-road-capable eBike that is agile to ride and with which you can also ride rough terrain.
We have remained true to this guiding principle to this day. You won't find a bike in our range that doesn't live up to its promises. From next season we can offer an off-road range that covers suspension travel classes of 120, 150 and 180 millimeters and all three wheel sizes. We have also expanded the successful eTrekking and eCross area. New from 2014 are the XDuro eRace models. The XDuro-Superrace, the new racing machine for the city and the XDuro-Race, a thoroughbred bike that is street legal and supports up to 45 kilometers per hour.
# Susanne and Felix Puello in conversation with Angela Markel. The Chancellor opened the Eurobike this year.
Where is the journey going? What will the models look like in 2018?
ePerformance bikes are very complex vehicles and don't have much in common with a classic bike. Development time and product life cycles have increased significantly in this category. In five years, our bikes will be equipped with more powerful systems, battery capacity will continue to increase and the bikes will become lighter. In addition to an even deeper range, an independent market will develop within the next five years, which will range between bicycles and motorcycles.
The XDuro series is a noticeably important range of models for Haibike. What are you betting on? What can an XDuro do that another e-bike might not?
Classic eBikes offer considerable added value in modern mobility, such as inner-city mobility, commuting medium-long distances or the effect of cycling much more than with a classic bicycle, and will continue to shape the streetscape in the future. In general, these properties tend to have a compensatory character, the eBike works for me and I get to work without sweating, can transport more luggage, etc.
The XDuro series is the first eBike range that does not implement the compensating character, but rather a sporty approach. We are talking about ePerformance in this context: the driver of an XDuro will continue to give 100 percent and push himself to the limit. The XDuro does not have the task of compensating for an alleged weakness of its driver, but on the contrary supports the power input.
Interestingly, many XDuro riders tell us that they use the XDuro to work out even more than they do with their classic mountain bike. In the meantime, the term Superman effect has become established for us, because every driver will break his previous limits in uphill and in range, the fun behind it cannot be described in words.
The orientation seems very sporty - so is an XDuro expressly not a wheel for the new e-mobility? Who is the target group – especially a futuristic looking XDuro Race?
On the contrary! I don't think the new e-mobility shows any "converted cars" or "bike" more. Expressive vehicle classes are now emerging with high design standards that embody a new lifestyle. eBikes like the XDURO Superrace or the Urban with a semi-integrated lighting system are pioneering for the new e-mobility in urban centers. The target group of this mobility are style-conscious young people who are open to new things.
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