The new ease of driving

Back to the beginning. In 2019, Hannes A. H. Krieger and René Renger founded a start-up that is rethinking urban mobility. The name is NOVUS. The word comes from Latin and means innovative. And it is precisely this approach that drives the two automotive designers from VW. And they immediately showcased it in the form of the NOVUS One at the CES technology fair in Las Vegas. It is as light as a small scooter and as powerful as a heavy motorbike. A new premium lifestyle for tomorrow. It will take four years for the final production version to hit the roads, with the market launch scheduled for spring 2026. 

The NOVUS One offers the performance of a motorbike, whilst being as light and intuitive to ride as an e-bike. Here’s what makes it special: the Lightbike architecture features a self-supporting carbon frame and hub-driven motor. Weighing 121 kilograms, the NOVUS One weighs significantly less than comparable motorbikes, most of which tip the scales at over 200 kilograms. The vehicle offers two software-adjustable performance modes: the scooter mode and the motorbike mode. And the performance is impressive too: It accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h in under two seconds, and doesn’t stop until it reaches 130 km/h. Peak power is 25 kW (33 PS), whilst in Performance mode up to 430 Nm of torque is available. The 6.2 kWh battery provides a range of up to 150 kilometres and charges from 0 to 80 per cent in 90 minutes. It also features over-the-air updates, smartphone integration and Keyless Go. Production takes place in Germany and Europe.

According to NOVUS, it has required only a fraction of the capital that vehicle manufacturers typically need to begin deliveries in Europe from spring 2026 . The next step is set to be a bigger one: the market launch in the USA is planned; at the same time, NOVUS intends to expand into further European cities and, by the end of 2027, bring the NOVUS Two into production – a high-volume model designed to make the light bike category accessible at a lower entry price. This is being financed with a sum in the tens of millions of dollars, led by the investment firm 468 Capital. The new shareholder ecosystem now comprises over 30 investors, including Eric Bach, former Chief Engineer at Lucid and Director of Engineering at Tesla, Martin Hoffmann, former CEO of On, as well as founders and executives from Adidas, Audi, BMW, Chrono24, Mercedes-AMG and Xiaomi. Racing driver Sophia Flörsch is also on board. Incidentally, there is no two-wheeler manufacturer amongst them.

And what convinced these investors? “The NOVUS One is the most coherent vehicle concept I’ve seen in years. It’s urban mobility without compromise or narrow-minded thinking,” says Eric Bach, for example. And Martin Hoffmann explains his involvement as follows: “The best consumer brands succeed through desirability, not through technical specifications. And this desirability stems from innovation that disrupts an industry. To me, the NOVUS One is the first city vehicle to generate this kind of pull.”

→ novusbike.com