- The tubular bike comes in two guises, with a top speed of 53mph
- Its frame houses a removable battery that looks like a giant AA
- Prices start at €5,999 (around £5,200/$7,000/AU$10,600)
The story of Sol Motors is a long and slightly turbulent one, as the slightly bizarre, Pocket Rocket electric two-wheeler has been teased for many years but struggled to fully achieve lift off.
Now, the German innovators are ready to release their pipe-shaped urban transport into the wild, with pre-orders being taken now and delivery to anywhere in the world typically taking around 6-8 weeks from point of purchase.
Designed to be small, lightweight and practical, the Pocket Rocket comes in two guises that cover the full spectrum of license requirements in Germany (these will differ across markets).
The standard model, for example, has a peak power output of 6.5kW and is limited to a top speed of 45kph (just under 30mph), which makes it legal to ride on most moped or scooter licenses in Europe.
For those wanting more punch, there’s an S model that develops 8.5kW of peak power and can hit 85kph (or around 53mph), which will generally require an additional license.
Both models weigh just 87kg and offer an electric range of between 42 and 67 miles, depending on the version.
When it comes time to charge, the large tubular battery pack that is housed within the frame’s crossbar can be removed and charged in the house, office or apartment, with Sol even offering a stylish charging station to neatly hang the battery from.
What’s more, customers can buy additional battery packs for rapid swaps, although this will see the final bill increase other the tune of €1,695 (around £1,470/$2,000/AU$3,000).
Similarly, if you go wild with the online configurator, which offers a number of frame, fender and logo colors, the price starts to tickle the €8,000 (around £7,000/$9,300AU$14,200) mark.
Funky, fun but not for everyone
The emerging EV landscape has encouraged a number of start-ups to produce all manner of weird and whacky designs, but the Sol Pocket Rocket is up there with some of the strangest.
Why anyone would want to ride atop a drainage tube is anyone’s guess and ergonomically, it doesn’t look like a great options for particularly tall or very short users, as there’s not much in the way of adjustability.
But like Infinite Machine, which produces highly futuristic electric scooters and pedelecs, Sol Motors is offering something a bit different for those wanting lightweight, easy-to-maintain urban transport that turns heads.
Will it be the next big thing? Probably not. But will it raise a few smiles on the streets? Most definitely.
