The world’s first electric bike with USB Type-C charging is unveiled

Estonian company Ampler has announced the Nova and Nova Pro electric bicycles. Their main feature is that the battery is recharged via a USB Type-C interface built into the frame, which can also be used to charge various gadgets if necessary.

Image source: Ampler

Nova electric bikes use relatively small 48V 336Wh integrated batteries (removable for maintenance only) that can be charged from 0 to 100% in three hours using USB-C PD 3.1 at up to 140W.

By comparison, most bikes with similar batteries take about five hours to charge, and about two hours with 300W+ chargers. With 240W USB-C chargers already shipping, it’s safe to assume that USB-C for bikes will remain a viable interface for the foreseeable future.

Ampler has reportedly tested the new bikes for compatibility with less powerful Ikea and MacBook chargers that support the older USB-C PD 3.0 standard. If you don’t have one, you can purchase Ampler’s original 140W charger separately for €80. While the bikes’ USB-C interface can be used to charge a variety of gadgets, they only support charging at up to 15W.

As for the bikes themselves, the Nova costs €2,990, while the Nova Pro costs €3,490. They are available with Step-over (for men) and Step-through (for women) frames and a standard 250W motor that allows for a top speed of 25 km/h.

The standard Nova comes with wide 27.5-inch wheels, a chainring and a 9-speed transmission. The Nova Pro is available with a single-speed Gates Carbon belt drive or a 10-speed Shimano Deore transmission.

Both the Ampler Nova and Nova Pro bikes are now available for pre-order in the EU. It is unknown whether they will be sold outside the region.