Volkswagen has stepped outside the car world to launch what it calls one of the safest e-bikes ever made, bringing several safety technologies borrowed directly from its cars onto two wheels. The Volkswagen Smart eBike has been developed together with premium e-bike brand n plus, and it is priced from around 4,500 dollars, going up to about 6,599 Australian dollars for higher specifications, putting it in the same price range as an entry level motorcycle.
The standout feature is Volkswagen’s Smart View system, which combines a radar sensor with a rear facing camera, similar in concept to the blind spot warning systems used in modern cars. Mounted on the rear mudguard, the radar continuously watches traffic up to 70 metres behind the rider. If a vehicle is approaching quickly, an orange alert appears on a live video feed shown on a small OLED display mounted at the front of the bike, giving the rider an early warning, especially useful in situations where approaching traffic is hard to hear, such as on windy or quiet roads, or when the approaching vehicle is a near silent electric car.
The bike also has yellow light strips running along its frame that brighten automatically when the radar detects an approaching vehicle, and these lights double up as turn signals and brake lights, working together with lit up Volkswagen badges on the front and back.
On the performance side, the Smart eBike uses a 490 watt hour removable battery offering up to 162 kilometres of range, weighs about 27.5 kilograms in its medium size, and is built with a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain paired with a 250 watt motor producing 85 newton metres of torque.
Riders can also add optional heads-up display glasses for around 700 dollars, which project navigation directions, speed, battery level and radar alerts directly into the rider’s field of view. It is not yet confirmed whether the bike will be officially sold in Australia, though the website is currently taking refundable deposits ahead of deliveries expected in the last quarter of 2026.
