Watt Wagons' New Hound Is A Rugged, 200-Mile, Off-Road E-Bike
The Supercharged version of the Hound has a max power output of 3.5 kilowatts.
Electric bicycles are becoming more purpose-built than ever before. We've seen it with high-end cargo bikes that can haul hundreds of kilos of cargo, as well as commuter e-bikes that are as light as a feather. This time around, Watt Wagons, an American manufacturer of utilitarian electric bikes, has presented the Hound, a rugged, go-anywhere adventurer that can just about go anywhere.
Watt Wagons prides itself in producing electric bicycles which are high-performance, low-maintenance, durable, and reliabe – all things that are ideal in the event of a Zombie apocalypse. The brand's newest model, the Hound, seems like the perfect candidate for the job, thanks to its rugged styling accentuated by fat tires, a large rear cargo bay, and numerous storage compartments. On top of all that, it boasts a whopping 200-mile range.
Watt Wagons offers two Hound e-bike models: standard and supercharged. Both types have the same frame and practical features, yet they perform differently. Under real-world settings, the basic Hound has a decent 52-volt, 17-ampere-hour battery that can provide a throttle range of 30 miles and a pedal assist range of 80 miles. The Supercharged variant, on the other hand, has a large 52-volt, 60-ampere-hour battery with a capacity of 3,210 Watt-hours. According to the manufacturer, this model has a 100-mile throttle-only range and a 200-mile pedal-assist range.
There is also a variation in the motors between the two Watt Wagon Hound models. The base model is outfitted with a Bafang Ultra motor capable of producing 1,000W of power. The Supercharged variant, on the other hand, comes with an advanced Bafang Ultra motor that uses an X1 controller rather than the standard controller. This improvement boosts the motor's output to 3 kilowatts nominal and 3.5 kilowatts peak, or around 4.7 horsepower - nearly as powerful as a 50cc pit bike.
More Fun On Two Wheels:
Naturally, the Hound is far too powerful to be use legally on public roads. Watt Wagons emphasizes, however, that the Hound is designed primarily for off-road use. It'll make for the perfect companion when going on adventures in the woods, as it has enough cargo space to store all your camping gear. Watt Wagons has also ensured that the bike is as reliable as possible by giving it a tall ground clearance, a suspension fork, and fat tires to roll over all sorts of obstacles.
In terms of pricing and availability, it's no surprise that a bike like the Hound commands quite a premium. Even in base trim, the bike's $5,499 USD price tag is more than lots of other off-road-focused cargo bikes out there. If you opt for the Supercharged model, expect to pay an even higher price of $7,999 USD. That said, if a purpose-built, off-roading e-bike is what you're after, then the Hound will surely fit the bill perfectly. Deliveries for the bike are expected to commence in April, 2023.
Sources: Electrek, Watt Wagons
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