"In the first year, we're planning on 1,000 hoppers".

Hopper Mobility wants to build a hybrid of e-bike and e-car. What is it supposed to look like? And who actually needs it? We asked co-founder Georg Schieren.

Given their geographical proximity, it's probably inevitable that the major Bavarian cities of Augsburg and Ingolstadt are bound together in rivalry. Only 60 kilometers lie between them. The conflict is played out, for example, on the soccer field (Augsburg's advantage) or the ice hockey rink (Ingolstadt's advantage). So in sporting terms, the whole thing is largely balanced. In terms of world culture, however, Ingolstadt in Upper Bavaria was usually ahead of its Swabian rivals. This is where Mary Shelley's literary classic Frankenstein is set, in which an ambitious scientist creates a new human being from parts of the deceased.

But now Augsburg may soon have its own Frankenstein. They have the start-up Hopper Mobility to thank for that. The company, only founded in 2019, is working on a hybrid of e-car and e-bike. In just over a year, the vehicle, dubbed "Hopper," is expected to go into production. Recently, the company closed its pre-seed funding round. In an interview, co-founder Georg Schieren reveals how the idea came about and why his invention can help with the traffic turnaround in Germany's cities.

Mr. Schieren, the Hopper is supposed to be a cross between an e-bike and an e-car. Who needs something like that?

In our opinion, it can be useful for many people, especially in the city. With the Hopper, we want to combine the advantages of the car with those of the bicycle. In other words, a means of transportation that is comfortable, spacious and weather-protected like a car - but also cheap, environmentally friendly and agile, like a bicycle. You don't need a driver's license for the Hopper, you can ride on the bike lane and you don't have to pay car tax.

Why is that?

The Hopper is a bicycle in regulatory terms. To be considered a bicycle, a vehicle must be accelerated by an electric motor to a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour. In addition, only the self-generated power may be amplified.

So it's more bicycle than car after all.

Yes and no. As far as the bodywork and design are concerned, we are taking our cue from the car. The Hopper offers weather protection, you can spontaneously take someone with you and stow your purchases well, but the Hopper is still a bicycle, of course.

Isn't the Hopper much too heavy to be moved by muscle power?

Without support, the Hopper is indeed difficult to move. That's why the Hopper has a powerful electric motor and battery. It should weigh less than 100 kilograms in series production. The prototype is still a bit above that, but we are still adjusting that. In general, it must be movable even with an empty battery in order to qualify as a bicycle under traffic law.

When will the finished Hopper be available?

With our recently completed financing round, we are now building an optimized prototype. The current one is already running, but it's primarily a design prototype, so it's not yet suitable for test rides by external parties. We are also now testing various components from suppliers and looking at which ones we want to take into series production. In mid-2022, we will have completed the first near-series prototype, with which we will then also offer test drives. Six months later, we want to start series production, for which we will then raise additional capital.

Will you build the vehicle yourself or will this task be outsourced?

We are planning our own final production. The hopper should consist of as few parts as possible, under 200 components. That way we increase durability and can assemble it in a few hours with just a few employees. In the first year of series production, we plan to produce about 1000 hoppers.

How much will the good thing cost in the end?

The price has not yet been finalized, but it will be around 7,500 euros.

Not that little. Who do you think is the target group?

We see the Hopper in the private sector as an additional means of transport and as a replacement for the second car, because it is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and above all practical. Especially in big cities, it could perhaps even replace the first car. Just look at how strongly the market for cargo bikes is growing. We're in a similar segment there.

And in the commercial sector?

We're even working on the first pilot projects to use the Hopper there. We're thinking about food delivery, but also about sharing vehicles for large real estate projects. In general, the Hopper is a good addition to the vehicle fleet.

Thank you very much for the interview.

Georg Schieren is the co-founderof Hopper Mobility. He is responsible for marketing, sales and IT at the Augsburg-based company. Previously, he worked as a freelance web and graphic designer, among other things. Schieren studied economics at the University of Innsbruck.