The eFlow line is Currie’s highest end, most feature rich offering. The E3 Nitro model comes in standard and stepthrough frame styles and is available in five different sizes to achieve the best possible fit for riders of all types. It’s hard to miss this bike, the oversized seatpost/battery design is very original in the world of electric bikes. It’s meant to balance weight front to back and be easy to remove and charge on location. That, along with the quick twist-off LCD computer unit makes this bike great for commuting. It’s part of a “next generation” of truly purpose-built electric bikes that are lighter and more well thought out.
Very few Currie-made electric bicycles offer hydraulic disc braking or regenerative braking. But if you’re interested in this bike and comparing it to other high end offerings, do consider the ride style carefully. The E3 Nitro is not a cruiser bike and the more aggressive flat handlebar and narrow seating position create a ride that feels less comfortable going over bumps at high speed. Look at the seat, it’s small and relatively hard, just like a road bike. Thankfully, there’s a headset shock built into the frame and that definitely smoothes things out! The flip side of not being as smooth as some other bikes however, is that this bike pedals well, coasts efficiently and gives you more control over steering.
One thing I love about the E3 Nitro is how easy it is to remove the battery pack and LCD computer unit. The seat post just slides up and then forward, easily disconnecting from the bike. Once it’s off, a piece of plastic covers the post hole to keep dust and water out. There are even measurement lines painted onto the side of the seat post so you can see exactly how far down to position the battery before each ride. A negative here is that the oversized seat post gets a bit scraped up over time going up and down (you can see this in the video above) but most of the wear is submerged when riding so it’s not a huge deal. Since you don’t have to take the battery off to charge it, maybe yours will never get scraped up? In that case however, do lock your seat to your bike so nobody steals the battery.
The computer on this bike displays distance, speed and time and lets you choose from one of three pedal assist modes. It works much like a Segway and once you’re parked, it twists off so you can keep it out of the elements. It also makes stealing the bike or just messing around with it at the bike rack a lot harder. Considering the higher $3,995 price tag on the E3 Nitro, it’s great to be able to protect the components like this. For a comparable bike that costs a little less, I like the Easy Motion Neo Cross which also has a removable Lithium-ion battery, advanced LCD computer and front shock with road-style tires (though it lacks regenerative braking).
The 500w motor on this bike is super strong and I love that it’s gearless. Most hub motors use gears to help you up hills but these create friction when coasting, are a bit noisier and can wear out faster. You trade some torque with gearless designs but for most riders that won’t be an issue. It also works well for regenerative braking and that means the bike can go further and you can slow yourself down going down hills without wearing out your brakes so quickly. Just squeeze the brake levers gently and regenerative braking will activate.
Currie really created something unique here with the seat post battery design. Not only is it easy to remove and adjust, it also positions weight more towards the middle of the frame improving handling. The fact that the battery is mounted so high however makes it a bit less desirable than downtube designs in my opinion. Keeping the center of gravity low when bike riding or doing any other agile motion-oriented activity is a good thing because it makes recovery easier when tipping side to side.
Overall, I like where this bike design is headed but would have liked a thinner seat post tube with fewer batteries to decrease weight. In the world of electric bikes there are some very unique battery designs evolving, just check out the Faraday Porteur. Since the eFlow E3 Nitro has regenerative braking built in, I wonder if fewer batteries could still do the trick while improving the aesthetic and reducing weight. I also think Currie could have added “regen modes” so you could charge the battery when coasting down large hills without holding the brake lever down. This is something the BionX systems do and I really like it. The eFlow E3 Nitro reminds me of the first iPod from Apple; they were really cool, if not amazing, when they came out. But over time they got a lot lighter, cheaper and easier to use. I can’t wait to see Currie do the same thing over the next decade.
A less expensive, slightly stripped down, version of the eFlow E3 Nitro costs $500 less. 500 Watt gearless rear hub motor with regenerative braking, strong 36 volt 11 amp hour…...
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