Does NIU have a new electric vehicle in the works? It certainly sounds like we may have a new NIU on our hands next week, based on a teaser sent out by the Beijing-based e-mobility brand.
With the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA 2021) coming up next week, NIU looks prepared to expand its extensive lineup.
NIU currently offers a wide range of models from low-speed city scooters to more capable 80 km/h (50 mph) scooters.
Last year the company even unveiled an electric motorcycle with a claimed top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).
But what could the leader in the smart electric scooter space be cooking up now?
As the company explained in a teaser on its website:
“This year at EICMA we continue to expand our urban mobility portfolio and meet the needs of a wider range of urban commuters than ever before! From our high performance vehicles to our micromobility solutions, we have plenty to showcase at the largest 2-wheel event in Europe.”
The clues are a bit vague, but intending to “expand our urban mobility portfolio” certainly sounds like a new vehicle.
Then there’s the goal to “meet the needs of a wider range of urban commuters than ever before” part.
Considering NIU’s electric vehicles range from low speed options on the 25 km/h (15 mph) end to its upcoming high-speed electric motorcycle on the 160 km/h (100 mph) end, there’s not much room left to expand there. It’s hard to imagine NIU releasing an even higher speed bike than that.
On the other hand, while we’ve seen the company’s RQi electric motorcycle briefly since its first unveiling, we have yet to get a more recent look at the three-wheeled TQi canopy scooter concept that NIU unveiled at CES 2020.
The NIU TQi could thus be ripe for an official launch. With a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a range of up to 150 miles (241 km), the scooter falls into a similar performance range as the company’s current leading two-wheeled electric scooters. But its covered design and three-wheeled setup for increased stability certainly fits the bill to “meet the needs of a wider range of urban commuters than ever before.”
While the TQi sounds like a reasonable guess, NIU has certainly surprised us before. We’re not counting anything out for the unveiling.
Electrek will be in Milan to cover NIU’s launch directly from the show floor next week.
For anyone not in the area and who can’t visit the show in person during its public days, NIU will host a livestream unveiling on November 24 at 1:40 p.m. CET.
More info on the livestream is available on NIU’s website.
And if you just can’t wait to get more NIU content, feel free to join me on a ride of my own NIU scooter in my review video below.
It may not be as cool as whatever they are going to debut in Milan next week, but it’s mine!
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