Futuristic eBike developer awarded over £139,000 funding from Innovate UK

CrownCruiser has been awarded £139,970 to support development of the Rapture eBike as part of the dedicated Covid-19 innovation recovery fund.

The eBike is designed to encourage more people to adopt green transport. Built with a lightweight and durable carbon-fibre monocoque in place of the traditional double-diamond bike frame, the Rapture has been engineered by the start-up in conjunction with a specialist in high tech engineering, PES Performance in Sheffield.

The Innovate UK grant will enable CrownCruiser Motors to set up an operations and assembly centre in Sheffield, working in partnership with Sheffield City Region to build, promote and sell the Rapture.

CrownCruiser Motors has designed Swap-and-Go battery stations to be located around cities so that Rapture users can switch a depleted battery for a fully-charged power unit in 12 seconds. This innovative infrastructure will make eBike usage more accessible and agile for commuting, exercise and leisure.

Founder of CrownCruiser Motors and brainchild of the Rapture, Adebola Adeleye, said: “This moment is many years in the making, driven by a deep passion to develop an eBike that would revolutionise sustainable transport. With the Rapture, we will bring a design and quality of materials that has never before been produced at such an attainable and affordable pricepoint.

"To achieve that, we are harnessing some of the UK’s best design and engineering expertise to bring the Rapture vision to life. With the help of Innovate UK’s funding, we are on track to make this vision a reality.”

Dame Sarah Storey, Sheffield City Region Active Travel Commissioner, said: "Electric bikes are proving to be an important factor in enabling more people to cycle in the Sheffield City Region. Throughout this pandemic bike shops and manufacturers have been overwhelmed by the demand for all bikes, but demand for eBikes has been significant. This Innovate UK funding helps Sheffield to lead the development and assembly of the superbly crafted CrownCruiser eBikes, which will be an important part of delivering additional capacity to consumers and to build the skills base in the region."

Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, is investing up to £191 million to fund single and collaborative research and development projects as part of the Sustainable Innovation Fund over the next two years. The aim of these competitions is to help all sectors of the UK rebuild after the effects of Covid-19.

Innovate UK executive chairman Dr Ian Campbell, said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.

CrownCruiser, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported by this fund is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”