The SunCycle is what happens when an electric-motorcycle pioneer designs a cargo bike. Its builder, Neil Saiki, designed early iconic mountain bikes at Santa Cruz Bicycles (Heckler, Bullit, Superlight) and in 2005 founded Zero Motorcycles, which became a world leader in electric motorcycles. After leaving Zero in 2011 he spent four years on battery technology and then started NTS Works in California.
The clever part is where the solar panel sits: on the lid of the front cargo box. It is flat, protected, angled toward the sky while parked, and adds almost no weight. The 60 W panel exceeded its rated output in tests, and in full sun it delivers more power than the motor uses on the low assist setting. So on a sunny day the battery can actually gain charge while you ride gently.
Behind it is a pedal-assist front hub motor (250 W EU / 350 W US) with internal gear reduction and a 36 V 14.3 Ah (517 Wh) battery. The battery uses NTS’s patent-pending lifetime rebuildable design, so cells can be replaced instead of throwing the pack away. A Gates carbon belt and a Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub keep maintenance low, and a patent-pending steering system makes the cargo bike handle like a normal bicycle.
It carries around 100 lb (45 kg) in front and 50 lb on an optional rear rack, enough for a full grocery run or a camping trip. Range is about 25 miles (40 km) on average, 40 miles on low power, before counting the sun. It went on sale in May 2014 for about $4,100.
Technical data
| Builder | Neil Saiki, NTS Works, California (founder of Zero Motorcycles) |
|---|---|
| Solar | 60 W panel integrated into the front cargo box lid |
| Motor | Front hub, internal gear reduction, 250 W (EU) / 350 W (US), pedal assist |
| Battery | Li-ion 36 V 14.3 Ah = 517 Wh, 4 kg, rebuildable |
| Range | ~25 mi (40 km) average; 15–40 mi depending on assist and hills |
| Drivetrain | Gates Carbon Drive belt, Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub |
| Weight | 31 kg complete (frame 10 kg) |
| Payload | ~45 kg front box + ~23 kg optional rear rack |
| Price / launch | $4,100, May 2014 |
Photo (prototype, 2013): Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sources: Electric Bike Report: interview with Neil Saiki · Electric Bike Report: NTS SunCycle