Audi swaps four wheels for two and revs into electric mountain bike market

Car manufacturer says it's committed to sustainable mobility

Audi

Published: March 7, 2023 at 4:37 pm

Audi has swapped four wheels for two with a limited-edition electric bicycle.

Audi says its new electric mountain bike takes inspiration from its RS Q e-tron Dakar racer, which won four stages of the Dakar rally in 2022.

The electric mountain bike will be available as part of Audi's Genuine Accessories range and is the next step in the brand’s “effort to offer alternative means of e-mobility”.

The e-tron electric bike uses a Fantic battery and will be available in three sizes. Pricing will start at £8,499.

Why has Audi made an electric bicycle?

Audi is committed to "sustainable premium mobility". - Audi

Like many car brands, Audi is beginning to take the electric car market seriously. It announced last year that, as of 2026, it will launch solely electric cars onto the global market, gradually phasing out combustion models by 2033.

Audi says it delivered more than 100,000 electric cars to customers in 2022, a 44 per cent increase over the previous 12 months.

Audi UK director Andrew Doyle frames the electric bike through the lens of Audi’s commitment to “sustainable premium mobility”.

“The Audi electric mountain bike [produced] in cooperation with Fantic is another fantastic example of how we can expand our mobility offering to customers that extends beyond the award-winning models they drive,” says Doyle.

Electric bicycles are arguably the greenest mode of transport and are far greener than electric cars when you take into account the lifecycle emissions and the extracted materials – particularly the lithium used in batteries – required to make and power each type of electric vehicle.

Enduro inspiration

The electric bike has 180mm of suspension travel. - Audi

Audi’s new bike is best categorised as an electric enduro mountain bike.

The suspension comes in the form of an Öhlins shock and fork with 180mm of travel, which lives up to the enduro mountain bike potential.

However, Audi says the bike is suitable for gravity riding and touring, too.

Audi says the bike’s geometry is relaxed, though it hasn’t supplied specific figures.

Brose motor and Fantic battery

The Audi mountain bike features a Fantic 720Wh battery, which is integrated into the frame. This powers a Brose S-Mag 36 Volt 250 electric bike motor with 90Nm of torque.

The bike provides four levels of assistance: Eco, Tour, Sport and Boost.

Audi says Eco is calibrated to deliver maximum efficiency and range, while Tour provides a ‘notable’ boost.

Sport is calibrated for sport cycling, which presumably means use beyond commuting and leisure riding, while Boost delivers the maximum amount of assistance for hilly routes, according to Audi.

There is a digital display on the handlebar, which shows data such as speed and battery level.

SRAM, Renthal and Mavic components

Audi has specced its electric mountain bike with a range of components from the likes of SRAM, Renthal and Mavic.

The bike has a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain with a 34-tooth front chainring and an 11-51-tooth SunRace cassette.

It uses a mullet wheel setup with tubeless-ready Mavic E-DEEMAX mountain bike wheels. It rolls on a Vittoria e-Mazza front tyre and e-Martello rear tyre.

There are In.CA.S mountain bike disc brakes with a 220mm front rotor and 203mm rear rotor.

The 800mm bar and 40mm stem are courtesy of Renthal and the mountain bike grips are from Switch. There is a dropper post with a Selle Italia Novus Boost EVO saddle.