British electric bike label Estarli will soon launch a £3,000 electric cargo bike dubbed the ‘Longtail’, the brand’s first foray into utility bikes and one that will come with own-label accessory add-ons.
Sold in the middleground between the new Mycle Cargo and Tern’s much-sought GSD platform, the Estarli electric cargo bike has an impressive spec for the price, managing to include an Enviolo stepless gear transmission alongside the Bafang m400 mid-motor, which offers 80Nm of torque delivery to the Gates Carbon Drive belt.
All of that accounted for, the Longtail will carry 220kg of load, inclusive of the rider and the front racking that comes as standard.
As with many of the cargo bike platforms on the market at present, the Longtail will come to life when accessories are tacked on and some prototype examples of what will be available were spotted at this week’s eBikeSummit in Oxford.
‘We spotted a gap in the market at this price point for a mid-drive Longtail,’ co-founder Alex Francis told Cycling Electric, adding, ‘it is in part a response to demand in the market for these bikes, but also a little bit of my youngest child being ready for doing the school run on the back of a bike. We’re excited to be a part of that trend.’
With the bikes designed and assembled in Berkhamsted, we’re told that room on the production line is currently being made to begin production of the Longtail, which in the first instance will come with a single 700Wh battery, but at a later date will be ready to accommodate a dual-battery setup with space for a spare kept behind the seat tube.
Estarli intends to develop a broad infrastructure of accessories for its cargo bike, but for now we’re told the launch ready goods will revolve around a ‘Family Pack’ that has a cage, padded seating and boarded steps mounted at the rear axle. Of course you’ll be able to customise further with other branded products that are compatible with the longtail platform.
Elsewhere on the spec sheet we spotted wired-in Buchel lighting, a Suntour XCT fork up front to take the edge off road noise and big balloon style Schwalbe Super Moto X tyres. Bottle cage mounts feature on the top tube so you can bolt on other accessories.
Stock of the Estarli electric cargo bike will first be found in selected Electric Bike Shop stores, as well as with Electroheads, though as production expands so too will the retail footprint.
Like what you see from Estarli? Why not check in with our recent review of the commuter model too. If it is a cargo bike you are instead focused on, take a look at Cannondale’s head turning debut in the sector.