American startup Avero will print electric bicycles

Avero startup, based in Silicon Valley, has no fame in the world of cycling. However, this did not stop him from using his accumulated experience in 3D printing and manufacturing of composite materials to create the “world’s first” electric bicycle with a solid structure, writes the website “3dnews“.

The 3D printed bicycles will be sold under the Avero Superstrata brand. Potential buyers will be able to choose between the Superstrata Terra, which is a lightweight analogue of a regular bike for different riding styles, and the Superstrata Ion, an electric bike with a 250 W motor, a 252 Wh battery and a range of about 100 km.

The frame of the new bikes is made from one-piece thermoplastic carbon fiber. This means it is a one-piece piece, not a multi-piece welded structure as is the case with many standard bike frames. The developers claim that this approach and the materials used make the bike not only shockproof, but also incredibly lightweight. The frame weight of the Terra model is approximately 1.3 kg, while in the case of the Ion version this figure increases to 11 kg.

3D printing can be costly and time-consuming, but Superstrata CEO Sonya Vu ​​says it creates a strong, durable bike frame as well as a more custom design. It takes about 10 hours to produce one bicycle frame using this method. The manufacturer claims it can create up to 250,000 unique design combinations.

The developers have not yet had time to form all the supply chains for the components necessary for the production of bicycles on a 3D printer. Superstrata bikes are expected to appear soon on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform, where anyone can pre-order any model.

According to reports, the Terra will cost $ 2,799 after the start of mass production, while the electric version of the Ion will have to pay $ 3,999. As part of a fundraising campaign to launch production, pre-orders will be available for $ 1,799. Fundraising will begin this month with first deliveries scheduled for the end of the year.