Pininfarina launches ‘luxury’ e-bike

For almost 85 years, the name Pininfarina has been associated with the design of some of the world’s most breathtaking cars. The badge regularly adorns the side of Ferrari’s, Alfa Romeo’s and Maserati’s and not so famously Ford's, Cadillac's, Volvo's and MG's. Now the family-owned Italian design house has branched out into the world of two-wheeled bicycles and is offering a house brand e-bike they are calling the Pininfarina Fuoriserie.

The bike is best described as a fusion of a retro-styled design coupled with the benefits of modern lightweight construction techniques, all mated up to an in-hub e-drive propulsion system for those of you that want to exercise but not that much. Inspired by the tailor-made cars of the 1930’s, the interlaced leather used on the handlebars and saddle is similar to the Pininfarina-designed 1936 Lancia Astura Bocca. 

The bike was built by famed bike manufacturer, 43 Milan, and has a chrome-plated, hand-welded chromoly steel frame that is wrapped with a walnut briar-root wood veneer on the crossbar. The rim braking system is from Campagnolo Veloce mated to Nokon Carl Stahl articulated aluminium brake cables, all sitting on a pair of aluminium rims from H Plus Son with 700 x 28c Kevlar-reinforced Panaracer Rimbo tyres. 

The bike's designers looked to the German company, Supernova, for the hub-powered dynamo lighting system that has a 250 lumen front head light. Pedal power is augmented with a 250 watt ZeHus Bike+ rear hub motor that should allow for a 25kph top speed, with the battery being recharged by pedaling, via the regenerative braking system or by plugging it into a power point. 

There won’t be many of these delightful bikes being made - perhaps only 30 - although there will be two versions: one without the electric motor priced at about US$7500 and one with the electric hub priced at US$11,000. Can’t afford one? Well neither can we but that won’t stop us from drooling over it…

image: pininfarina.com