Brompton splices power with lightness in the new Electric T Line, a featherweight e-bike

It’s 50 years since the archetypal city bike made its debut. Andrew Brompton’s original folding bike design has spawned a range that’s sold over 1 million units since 1975, and the company’s products are still proudly made in London.

Appropriately enough, this half-century year is also being marked with a new cutting-edge product, the company’s lightest ever e-bike, the flagship to a revitalised electric bike range. The Brompton Electric T Line takes Brompton’s ultra-light, titanium and carbon framed T Line model into the electric age, keeping weight down despite the addition of a specially designed rear hub motor and a detachable 345Wh battery.

In total, the Electric T Line promises up to 90km of range, but Brompton aficionados will seek out another metric to celebrate. All in, battery included, the newly electrified machine weighs in at 14.1kg. Admittedly that’s a big hike from the original’s svelte 7.45kg, but given that batteries are easily amongst the heftiest component of any electrically powered vehicle, Brompton’s designers and engineers have done well to keep the T Line portable.

That battery pack is easily detachable too (the bike weighs 11.2kg without it), making it simple to plug in and charge at a desk or in the sitting room. It goes without saying that the celebrated Brompton folding mechanism is unaffected, with the electrical system creating a new ‘Walk Assist Mode’ that can power the wheels while the bike is being walked through stations or pedestrian areas.

The Electric T Line is a flagship in an updated range of e-bikes, all of which incorporate Brompton’s own proprietary e-Motiq system. Already available on the G Line Electric, it will soon be the power unit incorporated into the C Line and P Line models.

In addition to the custom motor, the e-Motiq System works with a new handlebar control to track ride data, power assistance settings and the lighting controls. The control works in collaboration with the Brompton Electric App, which adapts range predictions according to your riding style. Finally, there’s a new Start Assist Mode to provide an instant boost of power for joining traffic or tackling steep gradients.

According to Will Carleysmith, chief design & engineering officer at Brompton, the new range of e-bikes is the company’s ‘answer to the evolving way we live and move. We’ve kept everything people love about Brompton – the portability, the engineering, the joy of the ride – and added the intelligence and lightness to make it easier, smarter, and even more fun.’

The Electric T Line uses titanium and carbon components to keep the weight to a minimum yet can still be folded and stashed in less than 20 seconds. Tested to destruction at Brompton’s own facility, the new e-bike has a three-year warranty on its electrical system, along with a vast range of Brompton accessories and frame finishes.

Brompton Electric T Line, from £5,799, more information at Brompton.com, @BromptonBicycle