The new FW11 electric bike has a lot going for it. It’s fast. It’s a two-seater. But perhaps the most remarkable part is just how massive the battery is, offering more range than almost any other retail e-bike.
The battery on most e-bikes is somewhere in the 500-700Wh range. Something along the lines of a 48V and 14Ah battery is quite standard these days. You’ll see them on everything from popular e-bikes to e-trikes.
But the WildeWay FW11 folding e-bike more than doubles it with a 48V 32Ah battery. For those keeping score at home, that’s a 1,536 Wh battery. It’s also removable, though the 20 lb (9 kg) battery won’t be easy to lug around by hand very far.
According to the company, that’s enough battery for a 60 mile (96 km) range on throttle only, and well over 100 miles (160 km) on pedal assist.
Throttle-only ranges are usually calculated around the Class 2 top speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h), and that would be fitting for the FW11 as well. The only problem is that the FW11 doesn’t stop at just 20 mph; it can actually reach 30 mph (48 km/h) on both pedal assist and throttle.
The bike can presumably be limited to lower speed limits (a common feature among fast electric bicycles), which would be the responsible thing to do for anyone anticipating riding this in bike lanes and around other cyclists or pedestrians.
Even if you’re sticking to lower speed limits, the 750W continuous power rating of the motor and 1,000W peak power rating will surely help the bike accelerate quickly.
Since the FW11 e-bike is outfitted with a rear seat and foot pegs for a second passenger, that massive battery will come in handy while carrying heavier loads.
Most two-person e-bikes don’t come with twice the battery, though there are of course exceptions.
The rear rack is only rated for 110 lb (50 kg) though, so perhaps consider it more of a small girlfriend/wife or kiddo seat.
Still, it’s a pretty nice feature to see included.
In fact, the bike itself is rounded out by some pretty nice features. There are hydraulic disc brakes, front suspension, suspension seat post, full LED light package, fenders, and a 7-speed Shimano transmission.
The price is even quite fair, especially considering it basically has more than two standard e-bike batteries on it. At just $1,399, it is priced at less than many e-bikes with much more limited ranges.
There are actually two models available. The FW11 is a step-over frame, while the FW11S is a step-through frame.
Both are available either on Amazon or directly from WildeWay’s site.
Electrek’s Take
I don’t know much about WildeWay yet, though I’m looking to get my hands on one of these e-bikes to test it out for a complete review. We rarely see such long range e-bikes, so it’s an interesting addition to the market.
For the vast majority of people, I think this much battery is overkill. But for delivery riders, couriers, and other folks who use their bike all day for work, this could be a great option to avoid swapping batteries in and out partway through the day.
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