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Hopper: The e-bike that’s coming for your city car
February 18, 2025
The Hopper is not your typical e-bike. It’s weatherproof, with a roof and windows to keep you dry, a steering wheel like a car, and even space in the back for two kids or a week’s worth of shopping. Think of it as a tiny, electric city car - only it’s technically a bike, so you don’t need a driving licence, MOT, or insurance. And you can park it pretty much anywhere.
Here’s the thing: two out of three Germans rarely or never ride a bike. Here in the UK, 25% of car trips are under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles - most of those with only one or two people onboard. That’s a lot of people who could be ditching the car for shorter trips but don’t, mostly because they don’t want to get wet, don’t feel safe, or just find bikes impractical for their lifestyle. The Hopper aims to change that by ticking all those boxes.
It’s no bigger than a cargo bike, so it can go in cycle lanes, but it’s designed to be as comfy and familiar as a small car. And it promises to be fun to drive too. With its 90-degree rear wheel steering, it can do a U-turn on the spot.
And because it’s so compact - just two metres long - it can park across regular car parking spaces, freeing up room in crowded city centres. Imagine how much more space we’d have for parks, playgrounds, or wider pavements if more people swapped their cars for Hoppers.
Don’t be fooled by its diminutive size. The Hopper has a surprisingly roomy 300-litre storage space, which is plenty for a weekly shop or thew school run – the back fits two kids.
It’s got some mod cons too. The windscreen has a heater to stop it fogging up in winter, and the rear window is designed to stay clear with passive ventilation. You get powerful LED lights and if your phone’s running low, just plug it into one of the two USB ports on the dashboard.
The Hopper is an invitation to rethink city travel - to make it cleaner, quieter, and a lot more fun. But will people buy them?
In Germany, a grant of up to 3,500 euros on cargo bikes helps make the Hopper’s 12,000 euro price tag a bit more palatable, but it’s still a substantial outlay compared to a conventional city car. For vehicles like the Hopper to really take off, they’ll need to be available through lease or share schemes that spread the cost. At the same time, cities will need to actively discourage short urban trips by conventional cars - whether that’s through congestion charges, limited parking, or other disincentives. If we can get that balance right, the Hopper could help our cities thrive.
Insurance for e-bikes
We cover all road-legal electric bicycles as standard. If the output of your electric bicycle does not exceed 250 W/15.5 mph, we’ll cover it and also include Cycle Rescue as standard. If your e-bike develops a mechanical fault, puncture, or even a flat battery, you can call on our breakdown team 24/7.
Every ETA cycle insurance policy includes the following as standard:
• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue (breakdown cover for your electric bicycle and you)
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)
Read a full list of everything we include as standard.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.
Information correct at time of publication.
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