US e-bike firm Kent Bicycles has become the latest manufacturer to release an e-bike aimed at children. The Kent Torpedo is on sale for $498 in Walmart.
It’s safe to say that not everyone’s entirely on board with the idea of children’s e-bikes. However, here in the UK (where legally you need to be over 14 to ride one) a number of firms have been selling them for a while now – including major names like Scott, Cube and Moustache.
These are typically 24” or 26” mountain bikes, but the Kent Torpedo is particularly striking because it’s a 20” bike.
Electrek reports that the steel-framed Torpedo sports a 180W 24V rear hub motor with a 125Wh battery. Needless to say, it’s pedal assist, so it’s definitely a bike and not a mini e-motorbike thing.
It also features six gears and front suspension.
You get three power modes. And they’ll probably be needed.
One of the challenges of producing a viable e-bike for children is that while the size of the bike may be smaller, the equipment needed to provide motor power doesn’t necessarily scale in the same way.
A 180W motor is relatively small and so is a 125Wh battery, but the Torpedo still weighs in at nearly 18kg. That’s quite a bit for a child to shift when there’s no power left.
Kent reckon the battery is good for 15 miles of range, but that will obviously depend on terrain and power usage.
If there’s one thing worse than running out of battery before you’re home, it’s surely your young child’s heavy e-bike running out of battery before you’re home.
There might be a use for less able kids.
