Electric cargo bikes are picking up a lot of steam across the globe. Marketed as viable car replacements within the city, electric cargo bikes of today are capable of carrying some pretty impressive loads. Case in point: the new Cannondale Cargowagen Neo and Wonderwagen Neo. Both bikes are utility-focused bikes, but differ in terms of their cargo capacities and configurations.
For starters, both models are built atop a heavy-duty SmartForm C2 aluminum step-through frame, so they're accessible to riders of all shapes and sizes. Additionally, both bikes roll on heavy-duty 20-inch wheels and feature an 80-millimeter suspension fork to smooth out the bumps on the road. Apart from these, the Cargowagen Neo and Wonderwagen Neo are completely different bikes.
Let's kick things off with the Cannondale Cargowagen Neo. It takes the form of a longtail cargo bike with its main cargo compartment situated in the rear of the bike. It has a very impressive cargo capacity at the rear of 176 pounds (80 kilograms). This means you can haul around your week's worth of cargo, groceries, or even your kid on the way to school. All in all, it has a load capacity of 441 pounds (200 kilograms), making it a suitable daily commuter with impressive hauling capacity.
Up next, the Wonderwagen Neo offers even more cargo hauling capabilities. Unlike the Cargowagen, the Wonderwagen Neo has its luggage compartment in the front of the rider in the form of a giant plastic box mounted in the front. The luggage box can carry 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of luggage, groceries, or people, plus another 59 pounds (27 kilograms) of cargo on the integrated luggage rack at the rear. The Wonderwagen Neo makes use of a cable-driven steering linkage, too, a design that keeps the weight down low. In total, the Wonderwagen Neo has a load rating of 551 pounds (250 kilograms).
In terms of technology, the new Cannondale range of cargo bikes rely on Bosch's tried and tested Cargo Line. In the European market, it's limited to a top speed of 15 miles per hour (25 kilometers per hour), while in the US, a high-speed version allowing riders to hit speeds of 28 miles per hour is fitted on the bikes.
When it comes to pricing, the new e-bikes command a premium price tag in Europe. The Wonderwagen Neo 2 retails for 6,500 Euros, or about $6,976 USD, while the Wonderwagen Neo 1 is pricier at 7,500 Euros ($8,049 USD). Meanwhile, the Cargowagen is more affordable, with the Neo 2 selling for 4,700 Euros, or about $5,044 USD, and the Neo 1 retailing for 5,500 Euros, or approximately $5,902 USD.
