Ants are among the strongest animals in the world. They can carry several times their body weight. How much exactly is stated in different ways. Sometimes there is talk of 50 times, sometimes even of 100 times. But what does this have to do with ebikes? Well, the manufacturer Antric has not only borrowed its company name this little insect. It also advertises with the slogan “Inspired by nature”. More importantly for us, however, the revised version of its four-wheeled cargo bike has recently been released. Let’s see how it fares in this animal comparison.
Antric Evo 1
From spin-off to part of a global group of companies
Antric is a spin-off of a former university project, as is often the case in many other industries. Young people with plenty of brains have an idea for something that could make everyday life, the job or even both easier for a certain group of people and at the same time be economically viable. So they develop the project further, set up an independent company and turn their idea into reality.
This is exactly what the team led by founders Moritz Heibrock and Eric Diederich did. They left Ruhr University Bochum and founded Antric GmbH in 2020. Two years later, production of the premiere, named Antric One, began. In the same year, the US company Cenntro Electric Group Ltd. acquired a stake in Antric. It invested 2.5 million euros, announced the production of the cargo bike in its own factory in Germany, took over the reins for global marketing of the vehicle and also secured 25 per cent of the company shares. Antric is now apparently fully owned by the Cenntro Group. In any case, Gregory Hancke also manages the business of Antric GmbH alongside Cenntro Automotive Europe GmbH.
Not a complete change
Basically, Antric One and the new Antric Evo 1 are very similar. It seems as if the manufacturer has worked on certain points without wanting to change the concept fundamentally. As a result, the new version continues to roll along on four wheels. In addition to its unmistakable softshell covering, the cabin continues to offer one or two amenities for riders. And the container can cope with quite a bit of payload, both in terms of volume and weight.
Antric has opted for a fully-fledged seat for greater riding comfort.
A difficult endeavour
If you take a look at what exactly has changed, it is obvious that the requirements for the redesign could have been quite tricky. Until now, the compactness and enormous transport capacity of the Antric were considered two of its major assets. As the Evo 1, the cargo bike is now narrower and lower than its predecessor. However, smaller dimensions also quickly mean a loss of storage space. And this should probably be avoided.
Based on the information available, it is clear that the engineers have managed this kind of squaring of the circle. On the outside, the new Antric has lost seven centimetres in height and 18 centimetres in width. At the same time, the interior dimensions of the cargo area have only changed marginally. The load volume has decreased slightly from 2.3 cubic metres to 2.2 cubic metres. The payload is down from around 300 kilograms to 291 kilograms. This figure always includes the weight of the rider.
Thanks to its width of 99 centimetres, you can easily fit between two traffic bollards with this cargo bike.
In practice, this mini-shrinkage should have virtually no effect. A Euro pallet or alternatively two standard high mesh trolleys still fit into the container of the cargo bike. Riding the Evo 1 should even be a little easier than with the Antric One. After all, it is now only 99 centimetres wide, which improves manoeuvring in particularly tight spaces – for example when riding between two traffic bollards. In terms of height, Antric is now under the important two-metre mark at 1.95 metres. This will also pay off at doors, passages and entrances to certain underground car parks.
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- The Cargobox is explicitly tailored to the dimensions of a Europallet.
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- Alternatively, two of these large trolleys will fit inside.
Increased riding comfort
The manufacturer has also taken care of the passengers. Side windows that are pulled further inwards protect the riders better from wind, rain and snow. The windproof and waterproof softshell that surrounds the cabin keeps out what the windows cannot. As standard, there is an entrance and exit on the right-hand side with reduced traffic. On request, this can be realised for the left side as well as for both sides. Given the intended marketing in countries with left-hand traffic, this is not a completely surprising detail.
The cockpit features classic bike components as well as modern on-board electronics.
Ergonomically shaped pedals are designed to provide more endurance when riding the Evo 1. Their contact surface for the feet appears much larger than that of conventional flat pedals. You can adjust the distance to them in five stages. The footwell also features a new solid parking brake that can be locked and released with the left foot. Antric has also made improvements to the handlebars. You can now adjust the height of the handlebars to suit your height.
Large, ergonomically shaped pedals are designed to make riding throughout the day easier.
Ebike system reflects ecological awareness
Antric has retained the drive system in its current form. Each of the 16-inch wheels is individually suspended in the full-suspension chassis. The electric motor supports you with its 250 watts in continuous operation up to a maximum speed of 25 km/h. You can go forwards in one of a total of five support levels. And of course, reverse gear is a must for a vehicle like this.
The drive draws its energy from the AES SuperPack LongLife battery. With 1,440 watt hours, it offers a capacity that sounds immense. However, it also needs it. If both slots in the Evo 1 are filled with a battery, this results in a range of 50 kilometres according to the manufacturer. And that can quickly add up in city traffic when delivering parcels. Conveniently, the vehicle’s hunger for energy can be satisfied quite easily. The batteries can be removed in no time at all and replaced with two freshly charged ones.
Logistics service provider Dachser is one of the companies already using an Antric e-cargo bike.
In contrast to many other ebikes, lithium iron phosphate batteries are used here and not lithium-ion batteries. Compared to their more popular counterparts, the former can withstand considerably more charging cycles, which significantly increases their service life. Antric speaks of at least 3,000 charging cycles for an AES SuperPack LongLife. In addition, lithium iron phosphate batteries require neither cobalt nor nickel. Both are toxic heavy metals. Not to mention the fact that cobalt is extracted in some parts of the world under questionable human rights conditions. However, the ecological and economic advantages of these batteries also increase their purchase costs accordingly.
More expensive than parts of the competition
This could be one of the reasons why an Evo 1 with cargo box and a battery SuperPack costs at least 20,274 euros. With the Mubea U-Mobility Cargo Pack, a comparable cargo bike is available for around 5,000 euros less. And the price of the Citkar Loadster, which is no longer in production, was also much closer to the 10,000 euro mark. Despite everything, the sum for the Antric is probably a serious calculation. Even if that is quite a lot of money for an e-cargo bike that can’t even compete with an ant. The Evo 1 weighs 282 kilograms empty with battery. This contrasts with a transportable payload of 291 kilograms. With this ratio, victory clearly goes to the ant. Congratulations.
E-cargo bike Antric Evo 1 at a glance
- Motor: serial drive, 250 W
- Battery: AES SuperPack LongLife
- Display: large-format information display
- Brakes: four hydraulic disc brakes in two brake circuits
- Unladen weight incl. battery: 282 kg
- Payload incl. rider: 291 kg
- Load volume: 2.2 m³
- Maximum permitted total weight: 670 kg
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 2983 mm x 999 mm x 1951 mm
- Price: from 20,274 euros
Pictures: Antric GmbH; Dachser SE