Ellio hail from Belgium and their e-bikes are doubly interesting. Not only do they restrict themselves to 28mph speed pedelecs but all their models are powered by two motors, a very large looking front hub motor and a less obvious mid-drive.
Whilst the technology behind Elio has been used on several models already, the company took the opportunity at Eurobike 2023 to unveil the most recent addition to their rapidly growing range of speedsters, the Ellio Max with a 1,150Wh battery designed for long range commuting.
Existing 28mph models include the Ellio Original and the load carrying Marty.
It's not entirely clear how the Max differs from the original other than in it's beefier looking, higher top tube frame design, but Jorrit Heidbuchel, co-founder and CEO sums the Max up in his own words as, "a comfortable, technologically advanced and high-quality mobility solution with a tough look and image. It is an ideal solution for commuting over distances of 10 to 100 kilometres per day."
Companies that make only speed pedelecs are few and far between, Switzerland's Stromer being the only example that springs to mind.
Why two motors?
Ellio say that the, "two electric motors work seamlessly together to form an intelligent two-wheel drive system. This system takes you effortlessly up to 45km/h. It also gives you the perfect traction and mobility on any terrain."
In more technical language, that means a system that employs a power split device (PSD) - apparently a system used in the automotive world by the likes of Toyota. The rider sets their preferred cadence speed and onboard software varies relative motor speeds, in effect meaning a fully automatic system that only requires the rider to decide how fast they like to pedal. The large direct drive front hub motor also allows for regenerative braking, putting some (though most likely not a great deal) of energy back into the battery when slowing down.
The clever sounding tech appears to have true real world advantages though. Early tests from reviewers in Belgium indicate it's one of the fastest, if not the fastest speed pedelec out there in terms of being able to maintain high speeds and also offer good acceleration due to the different performance characteristics of the two motors. You might be surprised to learn that some speed pedelecs are easier to get to high speed than others, but it requires a fair amount of motor power - all applied at the right time and in the right quantity - to both accelerate up to and maintain such relatively high speeds and initial feedback suggests Ellio have done a really good job in this regard.
As you might expect with such a heavy bike there are also powerful hydraulic disc brakes with 200mm rotors for plenty of stopping power.
Flanders, the 28mph hotspot
Belgium's Flanders region - where Ellio are based - appears to be the epicentre of speed pedelec sales right now. Apparently 12,846 of them were purchased there last year, accounting for 95% of sales in Belgium. Strong proactive measures by the regional government such as encouraging fast but safe segregated routes for them and financial disincentives for car purchasing and use are two possible factors (speed pedelecs are often touted as an effective replacement for longer car journeys).
Whilst sales of nearly 13,000 over the course of a year might not sound huge, it certainly is in comparison to sales of speed pedelecs in most other countries in Europe where they remain hampered by awkward to negotiate regulations and paperwork hurdles and restrictions as to where they can be ridden. Here's how things went when we tried to register a speed pedelec in the UK.
