In the fight against the Russian invaders, the Ukrainian army resorts to unexpected methods: two e-bike manufacturers are cooperating with the soldiers to enable rapid attacks on Russian targets.
The Ukrainian e-bike manufacturer Delfast has permission from the army: finally you can talk about how the fast electric bikes are helping in the war against Russia. Company founder and CEO Daniel Tonkopi shared two pictures of his e-bikes, model Top 3.0, on social networks. You can see: All-terrain mountain bikes with huge batteries and mounted transport boxes for NLAW anti-tank guided missiles.
80 km/h, 300 km range
E-bikes are actually small motorcycles. According to the manufacturer, the Top 3.0 reaches a top speed of up to 80 kilometers per hour and has a range of over 300 kilometers. To do this, the bikes rely on a 72-volt battery with 48 ampere hours, which drives a 3000-watt motor in the rear wheel. In fact, the Delfast can still be operated with pedals, but it is also possible to only drive with the throttle grip. Without a rocket launcher, the price for such an e-bike is around 7000 euros.
For the army, the electric bike seems to be establishing itself as a useful tool. A feedback from the troops reads: “The bike was great and can really work for mobile groups. We plan and use it for reconnaissance missions and attacks on tanks.”
800 meter deployment distance
In order to damage Russian tanks, the e-bikes carry transport boxes from so-called NLAWs. The abbreviation stands for “Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon”. And indeed, the weapon systems are very transportable: When ready to fire, a NLAW weighs around 12 kilograms, of which the rocket accounts for almost 7 kilograms. The maximum deployment distance of current models is around 800 meters, if the missile misses the target, it flies a maximum of 1000 meters before it detonates. The unit price is between 30,000 and 37,000 US dollars.
The NLAW system works according to the fire-and-forget principle, so it finds the target after it has been shot without further intervention by the soldiers. So all the armed forces have to do is dismount, get the gun out of the box, take aim, pull the trigger, pack up and drive on. In connection with a fast e-bike, which is also suitable for off-road use, this combination becomes a deadly and almost inaudible weapon.
The Ukrainian e-bike manufacturer Eleek is also involved in equipping the army. In a video, the commander of the Georgian National Legion can be seen on an Eleek Atom. As with Delfast, these are extremely fast e-bikes with a motor output of around 3000 watts and large batteries. The manufacturer states that an Eleek Atom reaches around 100 kilometers per hour and only has to be plugged in after 150 kilometers. The price for an Eleek in the “Military Edition” is 3,440 euros.
The idea of armed two-wheelers is definitely not new. As early as World War II, soldiers used armed motorcycles and scooters – even if these vehicles were much louder. The military anti-tank scooter Vespa 150 TAP, better known as the “Bazooka Vespa”, which was built in the 1950s, is legendary.
Sources: Twitter, Facebook, Delfast, Twitter [2], Forbes
