Zoomi Life

The iZip Express 2009 electric bicycle is a new high-end e-bike from Currie Technologies’ iZip brand. iZip is one of Currie’s two electric bike brands - the other is eZip, which sells lower-priced e-bikes.

The Express is iZip’s high-end model for 2009. It’s a pedal-assist electric bicycle, which means the motor supplants your pedaling while you drive the bike. Driving a pedal-assist e-bike is definitely a pretty cool feeling - it feels a bit as if you’ve got two people running behind you pushing the bike as you pedal.

The iZip Express electric bicycle is equipped with a huge 750W rear-hub brush-less motor, which should get most people up the steepest hills with very little exertion. The motor itself is powered by a 36Volt, 18aH Lithium-Ion battery which takes about four hours to recharge. Depending on your bike’s power setting (see below), you can expect to get anywhere from a 30-60 mile range on a single recharge.

The bike has a top speed of 20mph without pedaling (you can ride the bike by using the twist throttle mounted on the handlebar instead of pedaling).  With pedaling, you can expect to go faster. The bike’s intelligent controller has different settings that effect the bike’s top speed and available power, giving you differing levels of power-assist settings: so if you prefer to do most of the work while the bike assists you only slightly, you can switch the bike into ‘Economy’ mode. Or, if you’d rather have the bike do all the work, switch to the ‘Turbo’ setting for maximum performance.

The bike itself has a funky, beach-cruiser look to it - this is definitely a very popular bike frame style, especially in Southern California right now. The iZip express will be available in April 2009 at a not-so-cheap retail price of $2,999.  You can pre-order the bike now from iZip’s website.

Here’s a video of an interview given by an iZip representative talking about the new iZip Express:

For those of you who are interested, here are the bike’s technical specs:

• MOTOR: 750W of Power from a Hi-Torque DC Neodymium Magnet Motor
• BATTERY: Lithium-ion Cells In Power Pack w/Advanced Power Management 36V / 18AH Pack Rechargeable Cells, UL + CE Safety Tested
• CHARGE SYSTEM: UL Listed Currie Smart Charger with LED Status Display
• CONTROLLER: Exclusive Currie Evo-Drive™, 36 Volt with Power Gauge Function and Variable Power Boost
• TOP SPEED: 20+ mph / 32+ km (Rider Weight, Rider Input and Terrain Contingent) in Turbo Mode
• RANGE: Turbo Mode: 31 miles / 50 km, Standard: 45+ miles / 72+ km, Economy: 50+ miles / 80+ km (Rider Weight, Rider Input and Terrain Contingent)
• DRIVE: Exclusive Evo-Drive™ Proprietary Planetary Differential Combined w/SRAM RD-X.7, SL-X.7, PowerGlide 950 11-32T 9-speed, Shimano FD-M580-E, 27-Speed Drivetrain
• BRAKES: Avid BB7 Disc Front and Single Digit 5 Rear, FR5 Levers
• WHEELS: Alex EST19 26″ Double Wall Alloy Rims with Stainless Steel Spokes, QR Front and Rear
• TIRES: Currie Kenda E-Street 26 x 1.5″, Slime Self-Sealing Flat Tire Prevention System
• HANDLEBAR / STEM: Alloy Forged Stem and Street Bars with Dual Density Grips
• FORKS: Alloy Suspension, Fender Eyelets
• USER CONTROLS: Battery Gauge, Power On/Off Switch, Power Mode Switch, Charger Plug
• SADDLE: VL-3126, Micro-Adjust Suspension Post
• FRAME: Exclusive Currie Aluminum Alloy, Fender and Rack Mounts
• CRANKS AND PEDALS: Shimano 44/32/22T, with Chainguard and Torque Sensor Function; Alloy Non-Slip VP-611 Pedals
• NET WEIGHT: 62 lbs / 28 kg w/18 1/4AH Batteries; 53 lb / 24 kg w/12AH Pack
• SIZES: M, L