Comments Off on Ellio conducts first test rides in the Netherlands
Belgian ebike brand makes its first moves in the Dutch market
This February Ellio held its first test riding and networking events on Dutch soil. With its vibrant range of electric bikes, Ellio aims to develop the most accessible speed pedelecs on the market and thus shape the mobility of tomorrow.
Over the past few years, the brand has gained a good reputation among speed pedelec fans in Flanders, thanks to their innovative look at a traditional mobility solution. This momentum is set to continue in the Belgian market as the company looks with equal enthusiasm to new horizons.
2023 is off to a strong start, and the team received a warm welcome at the B2B FESTIVAL in Den Bosch and the Fiets en Wandelbeurs in Utrecht. Ellio reports many positive reactions and excitement for the products, which were well received by the Dutch market.
The manufacturer shared: “Our ‘made and engineered in Belgium’ speed pedelecs are designed and built with one goal: getting people to their destination as smoothly, safely and quickly as possible, without the car! We look forward to contributing to a more sustainable and healthier future in terms of mobility in the Netherlands with our Ellio speed pedelecs.”
The Belgian manufacturer just reached the 1,000-bike milestone. With a rapidly growing community and big aspirations, what’s next for the brand?
What does the 1,000th bicycle mean to you? How do you feel about this?
Tomas: Fair? When we started [Ellio] I thought it would go faster. But even when we had the 7 plagues of Egypt over us, with corona, the supply chain collapsing, the crazy demand for bicycles, but also the collapse of the speed pedelec market due to working from home, the war in Ukraine… too much to mention actually… I never doubted, because what I had in mind is exactly what people appreciate in Ellio. That was only possible thanks to the wonderful team that I get to be a part of every day. I feel blessed by fate to have been able to fulfill my dream. But I keep dreaming… of more, of better. Even better!
Jorrit: It’s a milestone of course and that always feels good. It is a moment to look back at the road we have already traveled and I can say that I do so with great pride. At the same time, we also keep looking ahead, of course: 1,000 bicycles is just the beginning!
Past versus now. How did you see the mobility landscape evolve from bike 1 to 1,000?
Tomas: In the media, the speed pedelec is seen less as a risk and more and more as a solution. I also like that programs such as Kijk Uit (a Flemish television program regarding road safety) put the speed pedelec in the spotlight in a nuanced way.
Jorrit: In the few years that we have been active, bicycles have really evolved from leisure items to full-fledged means of mobility. This places entirely new requirements on the products. With a decent 25 km/h bike, you can safely ride to work every day, but for longer journeys or when designing a 45 km/h speed pedelec you really need more than just a decent bike. That has always been Ellio’s raison d’être, so of course, we are happy with this evolution.
What plans can we expect in 2023?
Tomas: Ellio, our first model, I dare call my baby. However, we are working with a whole team on the successor, Marty. This time Jander, a product developer at Ellio and responsible for the development of Ellio, will be the (young) daddy of our newest model. Can I call myself grandpa? With Marty, we will reach the next level of maturity, as a product and as a company. We all grow together. Full of passion to offer the ultimate mobility solution.
Jorrit: International expansion, an expansion of our product range to respond even better to the mobility needs of our customers and, of course, also strong growth in production numbers. Next year we want to be able to build 3 times as many bicycles as this year.
How has co-creation of the Ellio community contributed to today’s Ellio?
Tomas: At my previous employer, Toyota, we had a standard for every feature, situation, and step. Almost to the absurd. Even the brewing of coffee was almost standardized. At Ellio, we have something even stronger, being organic; that is the Ellio community. I never imagined that such a fantastic community could grow around our product in these dark times. The openness that is in Ellio’s DNA is answered with a positive drive to not only improve the product but to create a platform where Ellio riders help other Ellio riders.
Jorrit: From the outside, the 1,000th Ellio seems to be almost the same bike as the very first, but “under the hood” a lot has changed since then. The control of the drive and transmission, the display of the HMI, and numerous minor hardware changes have been implemented. All are based on feedback from our customers.
How has Bewel, the custom workshop responsible for the assembly of Ellio bicycles, contributed to Ellio’s success?
Tomas: Collaborating with Bewel was a conscious choice. Not from a social point of view, which is a nice bonus and I love it, but because they could provide the overarching services, the critical mass, that we didn’t have as a start-up. We sometimes received questions from prospective customers about why we didn’t work with a tailor-made company, but it is precisely the very structured working in Bewel that helps us to achieve our quality.
Jorrit: Thanks to Bewel, Ellio is produced close to home. This way, our developers can see for themselves how the products they design are built on a daily basis. This greatly benefits our development because we can implement improvements very quickly. At the same time, Bewel has a team of highly motivated employees with an almost obsessive focus on quality. The quality and consistency that Bewel has already achieved in the production of ‘just’ our 1000th bicycle is simply astonishing.
What would you like to say to the Bewel employees?
Thomas: I love you guys! I always love being with you and feeling your passion for my baby!
George: THANK YOU!! That’s obvious, I think.
Do you know how many km do you cycle on average per week?
Tomas: 200-250 km (and if I don’t make it, I’m really pissed!)
Jorrit: Not enough, I live too close to work. I cycle about 10 km to and from work every day, so about 60-70 km a week in total. But always with the Ellio of course!
Comments Off on Ellio develops Marty, pioneered for multiple cycling modes
Belgian brand Ellio has launched Marty, the cargo bike that can serve as a full replacement for the car. Marty was developed from the findings of an extensive survey among the Ellio community and Flemish workers. With Marty, Ellio wants to further respond to the needs of car users who want to make the “modal shift” to the bicycle. Commuting to work in combination with transporting children and shopping appears to be one of the main reasons for working people to take the car. With Marty, Ellio is the first to offer a real alternative.
An online survey conducted by research agency iVOX on behalf of Ellio was undertaken between 4 and 11 May 2022 among 1,000 working Flemish people, representative by gender, age and diploma.
The all-wheel drive E-bikes from Belgian-based, Ellio are notable for their unique design, with a low centre of gravity and unprecedented stability. In addition to the Ellio Elite, Enjoy and Essential, the brand is now releasing a new model called Marty. Marty retains the unique riding characteristics for which Ellio has become known, but also has a completely new frame that is also produced closer to home. Marty has been extended at the back so that groceries, children or extra luggage can easily be transported. The suspension is a first in the long tail bike market. As a result, shocks at higher speeds are absorbed perfectly.
Marty will be available in two versions that refer to their speed limits: Marty 25 and Marty 45. Ellio’s main focus will remain on commuting, but now opens up possibilities for combined stops. From May 31 you can reserve a Marty in one of the four new colours: Mint Green, Light Blue, Rust Orange and Black Matt. The new model will officially go into production in the summer of 2023. And why the name Marty? It is a nod to Marty McFly, a character from Back to the Future. After all, the “long tail bike” is not a new concept, but Ellio is making it the future with Marty.
“A cargo bike is nice for those who make short trips in the city, but you can’t call it a full-fledged alternative to the car because long distances are out of the question. With its large battery, the Marty 25 has an unprecedented range in the cargo bike market. Ellio goes even one step further with the Marty 45. It is the very first cargo bike that can really say it is a speed pedelec. The functionality of a cargo bike combined with the speed of a speed pedelec makes the model a worthy car replacement. ”
— Jorrit Heidbuchel, co-founder Ellio
With Marty, Ellio plays on combining commuting with shopping and transporting children. The design was extended at the rear and the brand developed attachments such as a children’s bench with footboard, and a cargo box to make combined routes feasible. No fewer than 7 out of 10 Flemings indicate that they sometimes make a stopover during their home-to-work journey. For example, 3 in 5 working Flemish people who do not only work from home, say that they sometimes combine their commute with shopping and 2 in 5 also combine this with picking up or dropping off their child(ren).
It is remarkable that almost half of the working Flemish would consider making their home-work journey by bicycle if it is suitable for combined routes. Marty thus responds to a social necessity and appeals not only to the active Ellio community, but to the Flemish in general.
The vast majority of Flemish people live within 40 km of their work. The ideal distance for Marty.
We are increasingly living close to work. For example, more than 2 in 5 Flemish (43%) indicate that they have to travel between 10 and 40 kilometres from their main residence to work. For this distance, Marty 45 is the ideal commuter partner. A similar proportion (38%) say their work is less than 6 miles from their primary residence, an appropriate distance for the Marty 25.
“For young families, the car is still too often the only option as a means of transport. Belgian legislation does not yet allow children to be transported on a speed pedelec. Ellio is therefore striving to apply a change in the law that allows children to be transported on a speed pedelec, provided that it does not go faster than 25 km/h. This way you can bring your children to school at a safe speed and drive straight to work on the higher speed of the speed pedelec. The potential for the modal shift is enormous!”
— Tomas Keppens, Founder Ellio
Sales info
From May 31, the model Marty will go on pre-order in 4 colors: Mint Green, Light Blue, Rust Orange and Black Matt. Marty can be reserved online through the Ellio website.
Comments Off on Ellio x Ahooga — Belgian bike brands join together to bring speed pedelecs to major cities
Belgians love cycling. It will therefore come as no surprise that the country has more than one innovative bicycle brand. Industry leaders: Ellio Bikes and Ahooga Bikes. The two young and ambitious bicycle manufacturers are joining forces to develop the Ellio Elite ‘Ahooga Edition’, a speed pedelec designed for future urban mobility.
With a shared vision on the potential of speed pedelecs in cities, Ahooga and Ellio join forces for the first time. Ellio from Leuven is best known for its progressive speed pedelecs with two-wheel drive and automatic gears. The Brussels-based Ahooga takes the city bike to a higher level with its designs. Because these two Belgian brands effortlessly complement and reinforce each other, a collaboration was inevitable. The result of this cross-pollination is the Ellio Elite ‘Ahooga Edition’, the high-tech Ellio speed pedelec in a custom Ahooga color. The ideal means of transport for the city.
The limited-edition bike will also be equipped with a built-in tracking system that prevents theft. With this collaboration, the bicycle brands hope to contribute to the integration of speed pedelecs in cities. Not only in Belgium, but also far beyond.
Jorrit Heidbuchel, co-founder Ellio – “Ellio and Ahooga share a vision of developing bicycles as a mobility solution, by making cycling fun, safe, and easy for everyone. We both see great potential for speed pedelecs as a full-fledged alternative to the car in large urban areas.
“For two small, but very complimentary Belgian players, it makes so much sense to complete our mission together, both in Belgium and abroad. Hence this collaboration. We are very happy with what the Ahooga team has done with our Ellio Elite bike “
The two bicycle companies also plan to continue working together in the near future. “This collaboration is very meaningful. Belgium is the beating heart of cycling. We are also among the countries with the highest e-bike penetration in the world. For Ahooga, using the best e-bike technology on the market, which is also Belgian, is a breeze. We were really impressed with the quality of IntuEdrive’s all-wheel-drive technology. It outperforms any available alternative in terms of power, range and safety,” said Tita Lambotte, Ahooga founder and CEO
The Ellio Elite ‘Ahooga Edition’ was on show at the Bike Brussels Fair in Tour & Taxis from 25-26-27 March.
The Ellio x Ahooga bike will be sold through the sales channels of both Ahooga and Ellio. It is expected in stores from April 2022.
Close contact between consumer and developer maintained through expanded showroom scheme
Building on the existing showrooms in Leuven and at Trans-Fair in Ghent, Ellio will soon invite customers to experience and test its products in West Flounders and at Mobiel in Kortrijk.
Having already expanded outside of its founding location in the Flemish Brabant via sales in independent bike shops, Ellio now aims its sights on allowing riders to buy direct without traveling to the Leuven showroom. Smaller showrooms in collaboration with existing bike shops will allow customers to experience physical products before ordering digitally through Ellio directly, maintaining direct contact between developers and riders.
“As a modern, high-tech company, we strongly believe in the short line between our developers and the Ellio drivers. For that communication, we are strongly committed to a digital sales and service model. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that Ellio is a physical product that customers should be able to view and try. The collaboration with Trans-fair and Mobiel allows us to combine both.”
Great news, production of Ellio’s started this week. It is therefore expected that early adopters of Ellio soon receive an update about their vehicle. News came that Ellio shall be organizing webinars about the use of speed pedelecs in daily life. Also, find a new blogpost by speed pedelec enthusiast Axel at Ellio’s website.
LEVA-EU member Ellio started production of their speed pedelec this week! In these extraordinary circumstances, production partner Bewel began the production of Ellio’s. Years of preparing and developing are now finally coming together. Ellio’s first customers will get an update on when their vehicle will be prepared for them as soon as possible!
Ellio is also announcing the start of Ellio webinars. For each webinar time an expert will be invited to talk about the use of speed pedelecs in daily life. Alongside their product, Ellio wants to provide information that will help to shape future mobility. Joep Kempen, CEO of bicycle leasing company ‘’Cyclis’’, shall be guest number one! Find out more about the webinar @Ellio.
Speed pedelec enthusiast Axel wrote a new blogpost on Ellio’s website. He covers two types of rides and explains that the speed pedelec has multiple user purposes. Besides commuting… read more @Ellio.
