The Mate SUV electric cargo bike comes to replace your expensive car

Mate, the darling of Indiegogo that burst onto the scene in 2016 with a cheap and fun folding electric bike, has just shown off a working prototype of its first electric cargo bike. The Mate SUV, as it’s called, is aimed at families looking to replace a car, something that’s not only possible, but preferred in bike-friendly cities like Copenhagen, where Mate was founded.

Electric cargo bikes aren’t cheap, unless you compare the price to a car. AAA now nails the average annual cost to own and operate a car at more than $10,000 per year in the US. These estimates range from £3,556 in the UK to €7,392 in Europe. These recurring costs make the Mate SUV a bargain at €6,499 (about $6,900) when it finally ships in September 2023. The Mate SUV will be manufactured and assembled in Italy and initially sold in the EU and UK .

For that money, you get the European standard 250W motor with a top speed of 25km/h (16mph) and a range of up to 100km (62 miles) from what looks like a single battery setup. The Italian-made Oli Edge engine is mounted mid-ride where it can produce up to 90Nm of torque to propel the rider and two small children forward, or whatever you choose to stuff into its 210L of cargo capacity . Dual hydraulic disc brakes help stop everything under control.

The SUV Mate is equipped with a carbon belt drive, rather than a messy chain and derailleur, connected to an Enviolo Heavy Duty hub with internal gears. The bike weighs 49kg (108lbs) before adding accessories like a child seat, all-terrain tires and an all-weather roof. It comes with integrated front and rear lights to make it road legal, as well as an LED light bar that frames the front box. Rounding out the specs is live location tracking, unspecified “theft protection” and a USB socket to keep the phone powered up.

It’s an interesting electric charging e-bike from a company that has been transformed through external investment and management. You can try it yourself when the Mate SUV roadshow starts in a few months in some European cities.