DaHon presents Cargoe T5 – a folding scooter!

When a brand that specializes in folding bikes releases a cargo bike, they give away… a folding scooter! This is what DaHon, one of the leaders in folding bikes, dares to offer in 2024 with its Cargoe T5. The scooter is foldable, but also equipped with an electric drive, which makes it suitable for really busy… A real five-legged sheep, worthy of being dissected on Welz!

Folding electric scooter? We see compact SUVs…

Cargo bike is good but bulky, thanks! This observation, shared by many people, is countered by a number of bicycle manufacturers. This is evidenced, for example, by the proliferation of compact cargo bikes in catalogs in recent years.

In this little game, some manufacturers are more cavalier than others and conduct experiments that may seem incredible. At DaHon, a California-based folding bike manufacturer, we’ve taken a different approach to the compactness issue.

Its “compact” cargo variant is actually a large three-wheeled electric vehicle called the Cargoe T5. No savings on loading volume and useful weight: 200 kg please. The California-based brand’s new 2024 product boasts a strong utilitarian vocation. So what is originality? Well, the scooter in question is built on DaHon know-how and is therefore foldable.

Scooter DaHon Cargoe T5: folded 35% more compact

Specifically, this is the rear of the DaHon Cargoe T5, which folds with a quick manipulation. Watch the video above, which gives you an idea of ​​the cinematic quality. Thus, the three-wheeler would lose 35% of space, according to DaHon.

Bi-axial articulation would limit the length of the bike without increasing its width, which would be a great achievement. Thus, the manufacturer claims a length of 127 cm (instead of 203 cm when unfolded) and a constant width of 94 cm.

The idea is to make the Cargoe T5 less bulky once it arrives at its destination, as well as making it easier to use in small spaces such as elevators. A jockey wheel shaped roller that extends from the tip of your foot allows the folded bike to be maneuvered like a cart. At least on a flat surface. However, don’t feel like you’re carrying it up the stairs alone unless you have someone helping you lift the 50kg kit.

The shipping box separates from the frame and does not fold. The brand explains that the rest of the disassembled bike can be placed there. On paper, this proposal is quite interesting: it involves mechanically disassembling the bike using the appropriate tools. A situation that we will not encounter often… It’s a pity, because the DaHon Cargoe T5 stored in the back of the car thus becomes transportable in the trunk of a station wagon.

Quite an entry level mechanism

With a distinctly low center of gravity, a large-section aluminum single-beam frame and 24-inch front wheels, the DaHon Cargoe T5 scores points in terms of agility, even if only a test drive can settle the matter. . In any case, we hope that reliability will not leave much to be desired, as we have seen recently from some manufacturers.

The electric assistant is based on the DaHon central motor, but its specifications are not specified, except for the “standard” power of 250 watts. A Samsung battery with a capacity of 20 Ah and a voltage of 48 V (equivalent to 960 Wh) will provide a range of 125 km. The SunRace five-speed shifter coupled with an unknown-brand disc brake system produces somewhat entry-level mechanicals.

The 200 kilogram payload includes cyclists and will be concentrated on the front axle. For this purpose, the traction steering is also designed with electric power assistance.

Price and availability in France are unknown.

Even if the height of the saddle and handlebars are adjustable, the size of the cyclist behind the wheel must be within the minimum 145 cm and maximum 185 cm specified in the technical data sheet. A big limitation for the Northern European market and for the physique of basketball players in general…

As expected, DaHon is planning a series of accessories, in particular for transporting children: child seats and a canopy that protects them from bad weather will be offered for sale.

It remains to be seen where and whether the DaHon Cargoe T5 bike will be available in Europe, which the brand has not announced at the time of writing. Some DaHon models have been announced for several years without appearing at dealers, so it’s best not to get carried away. The same observation applies to the price of the beast, which remains unknown.

About DaHon

Nothing to do with Honda in Verlan… DaHon was born in 1982 under the guidance of David Hon (Yes. Hon, did you get it?), a doctor of physics. A scientist complains every time he has to load his bike into his car when he leaves his California campus. While the Bromptons were making their first trips across the Atlantic, he imagined his first folding bicycle. His brother Henry, an industrial engineer, quickly joined the business and financed the first plant.

If the DaHon brand is based in California, then the bicycles, as is often the case, are manufactured in Asia at the brand’s factories. Folders sold in Europe are produced in a Bulgarian factory. Please note: Regarding distribution in France, after several years of stagnation, the company seems determined to return the brand to the roads of France.

Bicycles are definitely part of the Hon family DNA, as Joshua Hon, David’s son, later launched his own brand of bicycles: Tern. A brand that is often mentioned on Weelz! Among the compact cargo bikes, the Taiwanese brand also offers folding bikes.