Orbea Kemen E

The Orbea Kemen might be that rare hybrid e-bike that can do it all.

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Spanish bike brand Orbea is calling the latest version of its Kemen utility e-bike an "SUV," and they say it's been designed to provide everything you need in terms of urban practicality— and just enough in the way of off-road chops to take you out into some of the rough stuff. If that sounds like a wining combination to you, you’ll want to keep on reading.

Available in both diamond and step-through frame styles, the Orbea Kemen features a triple-butted aluminum frame with smooved welds that make the bike look more like an ultra-expensive carbon bike while, according to Orbea, resulting in a lighter, sturdier frame. That frame houses the Kemen's battery, too, making it almost impossible to tell you’re on an e-bike at all and adding to the bike's already clean lines.

In its standard trim, the Kemen ships with 2.25″ wide tires, mudguards, a kickstand, a built-in trailer hitch, and a rear rack certified for up to 40 lbs. of stuff. With all that as part of the package, the Orbea Kemen might just be that hybrid city e-bike that can do it all … but if you still want something a bit tougher, the Kemen SUV spec. ups the ante with bigger, knobbier tires and a sturdier rack that can carry up to 60 (sixty!) lbs. of gear.

To put it in automotive terms, where the Orbea is a crossover like the Chevy Bolt EUV, the Kemen SUV is a more off-road capable— well, maybe not a Jeep Wrangler, but certainly a Cherokee.

Both versions of the Kemen ship with a Shimano Steps EP8 motor powered by Orbea's patented, 540Wh high-energy density battery that the company claims will give you more than five hours of riding time per charge (which really is a more useful metric than range, we think). Pricing starts at a relatively low $4599, which puts it in a premium league— but still places it at about half the price of top-shelf Pivot Shuttle or Greyp e-MTB.

Just right, in other words, for a stylish urban commuter who likes to explore the local forest preserves and pull the kids along for the ride. Which, as you’ll see below, seems to be the target market for this two-wheeled SUV. Do you think Orbea hit the mark, or is it a miss for you? Scroll on down to the comments and let us know!

Source | Images: Orbea.

I've been involved in motorsports and tuning since 1997, and have been a part of the Important Media Network since 2008. You can find me here, working on my Volvo fansite, riding a motorcycle around Chicago, or chasing my kids around Oak Park.

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