In much the same way that all roads lead to Rome, there’s no dictum for how you lay out your urban lifestyle. That’s the thing with privilege, where we’ve got ample choice in our day-to-day lives to pick what we throw in our basket at the organic shore, how we get across town, or what job we do. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to make good choices—and good by what standard.
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What is right and what is wrong?
We’re bombarded with supersized promises and flaky, green-tinged marketing slogans from brands designed to emotionally appeal to us to pick a certain product (i.e., theirs!) and help the environment along the way. This approach is most blatantly targeted at one specific audience: namely us, as in people who care about the planet. As DOWNTOWN, we appreciate fine things in life, want to make positive changes for the planet, and are happier when moving from A to B without emitting much else other than style. You too, presumably. But do our good intentions automatically translate into reality? Not always. So, at what point does it fall apart? In our essay “How green is the scene?”, we face up to reality. Without having all the background information, it’s incredibly difficult to make the right decisions in this world, which is precisely why here at DOWNTOWN, we’ve set ourselves the mission of actively shaping how urban mobility looks. This is an ideology-free zone, without a hint of greenwashing, we promise. Expect facts, straightforward purchasing advice, realism, pragmatism, and a glint in our eye. What else: exciting insights, a few sour-tasting disappointments to contend with, but also eye-opening surprises. And this is exactly what you will find in our extensive reviews of electric cars and bikes contained within this issue.
The Highlights
- Cargo-, compact- and commuter-bikes in Test – 9 new hot bikes for the city
- Urban Hero! – 7 reasons why the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor makes for better urban biking
- How green is the scene? Is our bike culture sustainable?
- VW ID.BUZZ – BUZZword for a Busworld?!
- Tesla Model 3 – What is the most affordable Tesla yet capable of?
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All EVs & bikes in this issue
CaGo FS 200 Vario Cover Pro | Canyon Roadlite:ON CF 9 LTD | Kalkhoff IMAGE C.B ADVANCE+ | KETTLER PINNIATO HT COMFORT | Moustache Lundi 20.3 DUAL | Muli Motor st | Riese & Müller Multitinker Vario| Specialized Tero X 6.0 | Smart #1 | Tesla Model 3 | Trek Fetch+ 2 | VW ID.BUZZ
What’s this issue got in store?
It’s not just gourmets who know that when it comes to the question of pizza or pasta, there is a lot more to consider than you might immediately think. The same goes for ebikes. Which is the hottest brand, which is the right model, and which motor and components do you need? We tested 9 exciting cargo, compact and commuter bikes to help you answer these questions!
Slimmer, lighter and yet still powerful: The new Bosch Performance Line SX motor promises to enhance the riding pleasure for ebike enthusiasts. We put the new Bosch motor through its paces in the maze of roads, and on the steep climbs in Stuttgart’s busy city traffic, discovering 7 reasons why this ebike is an urban hero!
The bike is the icon of emission-free mobility par excellence. But just how sustainable is our passion for bikes really? We took a fresh look at 6 aspects of cycling, including some new eco-friendly approaches, and reflected on the way we want to get around in the future.
The new VW ID.BUZZ – hotly anticipated by campers, VW bus fans, parents, and businesspeople. It’s a charming and futuristic homage to the T1, but can it deliver technically? We drove it 4,000 km across Europe to find out where it excels and where it doesn’t!
At the launch of the Tesla Model 3 in March 2016, Elon Musk reportedly raised $ 135,000,000 through pre-orders. Almost three years later, the first Model 3 rolled onto German roads. While the pre-orders didn’t all follow through, the Model 3 is a success story, nonetheless. We found out whether its popularity is deserved.
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Enjoy reading!
