IN BRIEF
Austrian manufacturer Vello is the first to fit the brand-new Bosch Hub Line hub motor to a folding bike. Housed in the rear wheel, it claims 45 Nm of torque and 400 W of peak power. The Via+ carries over the Chromoly steel frame of the Bike+ and its 20-inch wheels, for a contained weight of between 16.5 and 16.9 kg. Two versions are on the programme: the Tour, with a chain and a 10-speed Shimano Deore derailleur, and the Urban, with a belt and a 2-speed gearbox. Prices start at €2,990.
| Model | Vello Via+ — Tour and Urban versions |
| Motor | Bosch Hub Line (rear hub), 45 Nm, 400 W peak |
| Battery | Bosch PowerMore, 250 Wh (1.5 kg) — up to 500 Wh with two batteries |
| Weight | 16.5 to 16.9 kg |
| Wheels | 20-inch, 40 mm Schwalbe Big Apple tyres |
| Drivetrain | Tour: chain + 10-speed Shimano Deore · Urban: Gates belt + 2-speed UTgear gearbox |
| Frame | Chromoly steel, folding (wheels swung inwards) |
| Price | From €2,990 |
Its very first hub motor had barely been announced and Bosch is already watching it head out on a bike. Austrian manufacturer Vello is the first to fit a folding bike with the new Hub Line, on a model called the Via+. It comes in two variants — Tour for the adventurous, Urban for the city — on 20-inch wheels shod with 40 mm Schwalbe Big Apple tyres.
A folder that hides its motor well
Vello did not start from a blank sheet. The Via+ borrows the Chromoly steel frame of the Bike+, which has already been through the hands of the specialist press. The house speciality: this frame does not really fold. It swings its wheels inwards, an unusual mechanism that keeps the tubes slim, the stiffness good and even leaves room for a little rear suspension. As a result, only the battery gives away the bike’s electric nature.
The first hub motor signed Bosch
The real novelty hides in the rear wheel. The Hub Line is the first hub motor from the German motor maker, which until now has stuck to mid-drive units. It announces 45 Nm of torque and 400 W of peak power, clearly better than the Bike+’s Zehus motor and its 40 Nm for 250 W. There is no torque sensor here, but Vello promises natural pedalling thanks to other sensors.
On a folding bike, weight counts double. The motor weighs 2.3 kg, on top of which comes 1.5 kg of battery. All in, the Via+ settles between 16.5 and 16.9 kg — around 3 kg less than an electric Brompton G-Line. Vello has made a shrewd choice: using Bosch’s PowerMore add-on battery, light and compact, as the main battery. It makes do with 250 Wh, but two can be fitted to climb to 500 Wh. Beyond 25 km/h, where the assistance cuts out, the motor is meant to offer no resistance to pedalling.
Tour or Urban, two ways to ride
The Tour is aimed at all-round outings. It relies on a chain drive and a 10-speed Shimano Deore derailleur, a level of kit rarely seen on a folding bike. Enough to take on hilly terrain, or to slip the bike into a car boot or a camper van for the holidays.
The Urban, for its part, owns its city calling. Gone is the chain: in its place a Gates belt, cleaner and virtually maintenance-free, paired with a 2-speed UTgear gearbox sitting against the Bosch motor. The gear range is inevitably narrower, but the package fits everyday journeys better.
The Bosch ecosystem in your pocket
A Bosch motor also means the Smart System. The Via+ is controlled from the eBike Flow app: smartphone navigation, regular updates and the eBike Alarm anti-theft alarm via the new Connect Module. On the equipment front, Vello stays understated but complete — Supernova front and rear lights powered by the battery, Shimano disc brakes, an integrated smartphone mount, a side stand and an adjustable stem. Mudguards and a rack remain optional.
In the end, the Via+ has everything of an accomplished electric folder without tipping into price excess: the range opens at €2,990. It is not cheap, but the equipment and Bosch’s in-house motor justify the bill. Above all, this Vello serves as a full-scale test: it is the first bike to show what Bosch’s hub motor really has in it.
