While electric bicycles are a favorite among city-dwellers and enthusiasts alike thanks to the added range they provide when compared to the good old bicycle, e-bikes' supposed reduced environmental impact has long been a subject of heated debate. Sure, e-bikes are a lot more sustainable than cars in the sense that they're zero emission vehicles, and are surely make use of less resources than cars—even electric ones.
Nevertheless, most e-bike companies are indeed businesses who, at the end of the day, are looking to rake in the biggest profit. Along with this comes the perceived need to upgrade—something we've seen ravaging the consumer tech industry pretty much since the dawn of time. It's exactly this planned obsolescence that leads to mountains of e-waste occupying the landfills across the globe—and herein lies the issue of electric bicycles.
As is the case with most cheap electronics, bottom-dollar e-bikes included, once something breaks, say, the battery, people usually just toss the entire thing into the dumpster, as these products were never really meant to be repaired. One e-bike manufacturer based in Bordeaux, France, wants to change all of this by creating an e-bike that's completely repairable. This means you can replace only what's broken, thereby minimizing waste and optimizing cost.
Jean Fourche may sound like a chic, exclusive brand of designer bags, however, it's a new e-bike manufacturer based in France. With practicality and sustainability in mind, the brand enters the e-bike market with just one model. Thanks to a very deliberate design, the bike can be configured to suit the needs of riders of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.
As mentioned earlier, the bike has sustainability in mind, and is fully serviceable with just the necessary parts being replaced when needed. For example, the battery used on the electric bicycle can be opened with some basic hand tools, and only damaged or expired cells need to be replaced. This means that the original housing, mounting points, and hardware continues to be in use. Even the motor, which is produced by French company Virvolt, has been designed with the same philosophy in mind.
In terms of technical specifications, the mid-mounted motor has a nominal output of 250 watts, and produces 80 Nm of torque. As for the battery, it has a total capacity of 430 Wh, and promises a range of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) on a single charge. While these specs may not seem all too exciting, remember that Jean Fourche has engineered its e-bike to stand the test of time, and pretty much last forever, so long as it's well looked after. The entirety of the bike is designed and assembled in France, and it retails for 2,290 Euros, or approximately $2,496 USD.
Sources: Clean Rider, Jean Fourche