GoKawiilis a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.
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I like the idea of a solar-powered electric bike, but I don’t think anyone should buy the new Phosgo Go5 — not yet, anyway. This “world’s first AI solar e-bike” promises to “eliminate range anxiety,” and is sold by a new brand out of China hoping to make a big splash by selling direct-to-consumer through a global crowdfunding campaign. So many red flags here.
According to a media kit the company sent me from a generic gmail.com address, Phosgo is a joint venture between Jiaxing Dazhe Solar Energy and Shenzhen Honglianda Technology. Dazhe provides the flexible solar technology pioneered by someone identified only as “Dr. Li,” while Honglianda delivers an established supply chain and e-commerce expertise.
Phosgo is selling two 8-speed, aluminum-frame models in the US and Europe built around Bafang mid-drive motors, the company tells me, although a motor from Ananda is clearly visible in some photos. The base Go5 has a “super early bird” price of $1,999 while the beefier Go5 Ultra starts at $2,799. The prices will supposedly double in the future but that’s a FOMO marketing tactic typical of these campaigns. It launches on Kickstarter Saturday, July 27th.
All the bikes are fitted with a total of four 50W circular solar panels inside the wheels, made of BC (back contact) cells. BC solar cells make sense here because they move all the electrical contacts to the inside of the panels giving them a uniformly sleek look without those visible grid lines. BC panels should also deal with partial shading caused by cars, buildings, trees, the bike frame, and the rider better than traditional panels. The solar components account for about 8 pounds of these roughly 50-pound bikes.
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