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The new model has been specifically designed to deal with the demands of a family unit, and is able to carry up to 180kg of cargo whilst remaining only 180cm long.
With Tern’s best-in-class folding technology, it packs down small enough to fit in a VW Touran or an urban apartment. It adjusts to fit riders from 150 to 195 cm and sports a Bosch Performance motor, with up to two batteries. The bike comes fully equipped with integrated lighting, a rack, mudguards, a double kickstand, two XL panniers and retractable passenger foot pegs.
“Most of the e-bikes on the market today basically look like standard bicycles with motors and batteries grafted on,” said Tern team captain Josh Hon. "That means that all of the valid compromises that were made in designing a muscle-powered vehicle are carried over to the e-bike, where they don’t make as much sense. The Tern GSD is the result a fundamental insight; when you design a bicycle around an electric drivetrain, you don’t need to compromise key functionalities like comfort and cargo capacity to optimize for speed.
“With a Bosch drivetrain, 20” wheel bikes ride just as fast as 700c bikes but thanks to smaller wheels, deliver punchier acceleration. The smaller wheels also allow us to maximize cargo capacity. With top speed removed from the optimization equation, we were free to design the GSD with a comfortable Dutch-bike riding position. Best of all, we were able to fit all this goodness into a package that’s only the size of a standard city bike.”
“One of our guiding insights was that cargo bikes are most useful in city centers, but they’re correspondingly difficult to manage and store,” added communications manager Galen Crout.
“Dense urban centers bring cargo bikes to life – where groceries, schools and work are all within a bikeable distance, but they’re also where houses are small and where bike theft is a persistent problem. We’re creating the compact utility e-bike category to let people in cities enjoy the benefits of cargo bikes without the limitations.”
Tern’s patented adjustable stem, special cockpit geometry and super low step frame make the bike simple to handle and ride, even for very small riders. For taller riders, Tern integrated an expanding cockpit and handlebars that can be adjusted for height and reach.
The GSD fits two children in Thule Maxi child seats or one adult passenger. Additional carrying capacity can be added with lower deck supports, a rear tray and a front tray. Tern will open source the frame attachment point dimensions so riders with an interest can also design and build their own custom cargo accessories.
The bike will be available in stores in the first quarter of 2018.
