By Janaki Jitchotvisut, RideApart
Robobike delivery is expected in early 2020.
Robots
have been a beloved staple of pop culture for a long time. If you hear
about them in the news, chances are it’s either “the robots are taking
our jobs,” or else it’s Boston Dynamics demonstrating the robots that
are clearly going to take over the world. What I’m about to tell you will seem positively quaint by comparison.
New electric motorcycle
manufacturer ETran has just unveiled its first bike for sale, the Kraf.
At an event held in the company’s hometown of Bangkok, Thailand, in
early September 2019, the company proudly displayed its very first
model. Also, according to the company’s website, the whole structure is
“designed to be strong, lightweight, welded 100 percent by robots.”
Assembly line robots are of course nothing new, but they’re also not
usually listed as a selling point.
The initial 2019
Kraf will be sold as a limited-edition model, with a carbon fiber body
exclusive to this run. Only 300 individually numbered bikes will be
made, and ETran says it will deliver them sometime in Q1 of 2020. You
also get “24-hour after-sales service,” and it’s unclear whether this
will be operated directly by the company or outsourced to local
contractors in your area.
Now, for the stats. ETran
says the operating range on a single charge is 180km, or just under 112
miles at a speed of 75kmh, or 46.6mph. Top speed is 130kmh, or almost
81mph. It comes with a fast charging option, and can allegedly charge to
full in just two hours using that optional Type 2 fast charger. You can
also just plug it in at home like you would any other device, and get a
full charge in four hours.
The Kraf comes in seven
colors: Jersey Red, Jersey Blue, Jersey Icey Lime, Tactical Green,
Tactical Black, Tuxedo Silver, and Tuxedo Black. The dash features a 7”
touchscreen that supports 3G and 4G wireless data connections, and also
offers GPS as standard. Stopping power is provided by disc brakes, front
and rear—though no specifics have been given about the nature or
configuration of these brakes.
These figures sound
pretty great if you’re in a congested metropolitan area, but what will
this limited edition cost you? The price is listed as 150,000 Thai baht,
which equates to US $4,934. For the moment, it’s only available in
Thailand, and there’s currently no information about plans to extend its
availability elsewhere.
