Ukrainian startup Delfast is making electric bikes that cover greater distances than some of the renowned Tesla electric cars — for which the company even got a Guinness World Records title.
And it’s not only about battery life: some of the Delfast bikes — there are already 12 different models — ride at a speed close to 80 kilometers per hour.
They are so speedy and reliable, that the Mexican police have been using the bikes for patrolling. Delfast says that it is now negotiating a deal with the U.S. police that is interested in purchasing its bikes. The startup itself has gained such popularity for its innovation that it claims to be worth $15 million.
And now the company has announced it is releasing a cross-country bike called Cross Dirt that it says is suitable for riding through mud, sand, gravel and snow.
The 4,700-euro bike has off-road tires and is equipped with a 5,000-watt rear hub motor that allows to speed up to 80 kilometers per hour. Apart from the motor, the bike has a regular bike pedal in case the battery runs out of power.
Depending on the type of battery customers choose, the bike can ride between 120 to 180 kilometers on one charge and can weigh from 55 to 62 kilograms. The bike can hold a person who weighs up to 135 kilograms.
Similar to all other Delfast bikes, the Cross Dirt has a GPS tracker and an anti-theft system. Additionally, the company sells LED headlights, seatposts and other parts.
“As this is a new niche for our company, we will explore the customers’ comments carefully — as we have done many times — and work to improve the model,” Delfast spokesperson Anastasia Bondarchuk Yarova told the Kyiv Post.
Daniel Tonkopiy and Serhii Denysenko founded the company back in 2014 when they tried to launch a logistics business in Kyiv that would deliver everything within one hour — on electric bikes.
However, their bikes had low-capacity batteries at the time and the business failed. Tonkopiy says that once he bought an e-bike with an alleged 80-kilometer range for a test drive but it ran out of charge in 30 kilometers. The company tried to modify bikes they bought from third parties but they ended up being too heavy.
So instead, the two entrepreneurs started making their own bikes in 2017. And in that same year, their bike received a Guinness World Records title, riding 367 kilometers on one charge. For this record, Tonkopiy thanks the smart battery management system that Delfast patented. With the help of algorithms, the system monitors the condition of the battery and automatically selects the optimal mode of work; for example, it can save energy by adjusting the power depending on the surface one drives along, according to the startup.
Riding the wave of publicity, the startup crowdfunded money through U.S. platform Kickstarter in order to officially launch: 75 backers pledged Delfast $165,800, even though the company was initially seeking to collect only $50,000.
Now Delfast Bikes has an office in innovation park Unit.City in Kyiv while its main sales activity is done through their office in the United States, while the bikes themselves are manufactured in China.
Tonkopiy wants to make Delfast bikes in Ukraine, but for this he needs to build a factory which would cost at least $6 million.
And while the company is looking for investors, Delfast is currently selling its bikes around the world across 40 countries, including in the European Union; more than half of the company’s customers, however, are from the U.S.
Ironically, being the product of Ukraine, Delfast bikes haven’t gained popularity at home.
“Delfast is a well-known brand in Ukraine, but our country is not yet ready for large-scale use of electric bikes,” spokesperson Bondarchuk Yarova told the Kyiv Post. “Therefore, we mostly focus on foreigners.”
In a YouTube interview with blogger Alexandr Kolb, Tonkopiy said the company’s current value is $15 million. However, Delfast wouldn’t disclose any information about the annual turnover and profit of the startup, saying only that the company has already broken even.
