"The Lion's Den" (Vox): Hopper Mobility combines e-bikes with e-cars

Created: 2022-09-02 13:15

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

Small, practical and environmentally friendly: Hopper Mobility wants to impress at “Die Höhle der Löwen” with a kind of comfortable electric cargo bike.

E-bikes are becoming increasingly popular - you can cover longer and steeper routes with little effort.

And the whole thing is also quite environmentally friendly.

The problem: When it rains, you get wet - which isn't exactly great on the way to work.

In addition, little can be transported on a bicycle - so if you have to go shopping for a family, it's difficult.

The start-up Hopper Mobility from Augsburg (Bavaria) believes that it has the right solution for these problems: The founders at “Die Höhle der Löwen” (Vox) want to convince investors with a special electric cargo bike.

A start-up from Augsburg wants to convince investors in “Die Höhle der Löwen” with the Hopper e-cargo bike.

© RTL/Bernd-Michael Maurer

"The Lion's Den" (Vox): Hopper Mobility combines e-bikes with e-cars

The start-up was founded by Martin Halama (32), Georg Schieren (24), Torben Müller-Hansen (24) and Philipp Herrmann (33).

Their three-wheeled Hopper (one wheel in the back, two in the front) is supposed to be the optimal mix between the environmental advantages of a bicycle and the comfort of a car - and is of course primarily intended for use in the city.

The vehicle passes as an e-bike and, according to the start-up, is therefore allowed to ride on the cycle path - so nobody has to fear a fine here.

On the road, the hopper would probably be more of an obstacle: the maximum speed is 25 km/h.

Up to this speed, the rider is supported by an electric motor, similar to an e-bike.

"The Lion's Den" (Vox): The focus of the Hopper is on practicality and comfort

But the focus of the electric vehicle, which is somewhat similar to the Renault Twizy, is not on maximum speed, but on practicality and comfort: the driver sits much more comfortably than on a bicycle and also has a roof over his head to protect him from rain and protects against wind.

In addition, the hopper has a trunk with a volume of 220 liters.

Alternatively, there is space for a second seat.

Thanks to its relatively compact dimensions (2 meters long, 0.88 meters wide), the hopper also fits into small parking spaces.

The battery can be removed and charged from a standard household socket.

The electric cargo bike is also optionally available with a solar roof – which is reminiscent of the concept of the Sono Sion electric car.

According to the start-up, the solar cells give the vehicle a range of five kilometers per hour in full sunlight.

According to Hopper Mobility, the vehicle, which weighs around 120 kilograms, has a total range of 60 to 120 kilometers.

Thanks to 90-degree rear wheel steering, the hopper has a turning circle of just two meters.

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"The Lion's Den" (Vox): The start version of the hopper is already sold out

However, the hopper also has its price: The starter version (pilot hopper) costs 7,299 euros – but according to the website it is already sold out.

The first e-cargo bikes are to be delivered from Augsburg at the end of 2022.

Now the founders are hoping for a deal with an investor from DHDL: they want one million euros for 12 percent of the company shares.

Will that work?

Viewers will find out on Monday evening at 8:15 p.m. on VOX or on RTL+.