Ellio is the market leader in Belgium for speed pedelecs: a homegrown success story that KBC Autolease is delighted to support

Ellio is a very special Belgian success story in the bicycle industry. From its beginnings in the garage and living rooms of its two founders, the company has grown into Belgium’s largest manufacturer of speed pedelecs. Ellio’s Jorrit Heidbüchel talks about the company, including its growth and the top-class service it offers. It’s a fantastic project to which KBC Autolease is delighted to give its full support.

‘The origins of Ellio go back all the way to 2011,’ begins Jorrit Heidbüchel. ‘At that time, our founder Tomas Keppens was working at Toyota, in the R&D department. Passionate about cycling, he was amazed that there were no offerings available that genuinely focused on commuting. There were racing bikes and electric city bikes, but cycling as a full-fledged mobility solution was still in its infancy. So he then started developing a speed pedelec, based on Toyota's hybrid propulsion system. I got involved in the project in 2017, when I was a Master's student in Engineering Automotive Technology. My Master’s thesis focused on developing an initial working prototype of the speed pedelec. Els Collier from KBC Autolease, which is now one of our solid partners, even rode that bike!’

Jorrit takes us back to the pioneering years of the speedbike industry in Belgium. ‘We actually started in Tomas' garage and in the living room at my parents' house. Then, in 2018, we officially launched as a company, called IntuEdrive. First we had to build a bike based around the drive mechanism; that became the Ellio brand. In 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we built an actual production line. That was a difficult period, but bike sales were booming. Since then, we have grown into the largest speed pedelec manufacturer in Belgium, and we’re mentioned in the same breath as big brands like Riese & Muller and Stromer.’

Initially, Ellio had two models - one with a top speed of 35 km/h and one which could achieve 45 km/h. ‘But it soon became clear that most people wanted the fastest variant,’  says Heidbüchel. ‘So now that’s the only one we offer. However, for beginners, we can also enable a speed limiter to overcome any initial nervousness. The speed limiter can be disabled again later; most users do that after just a few minutes. Our first model, the 'Ellio Original', was a speed pedelec the like of which had never been seen before. Instead of simply equipping a traditional bike with a motor, battery, mirror and number plate, the Ellio Original was based on technologies from the automotive industry.’

That technology formed the basis for the building of a revolutionary speed pedelec. ‘Our bike had small wheels and a rather unusual design. That was absolutely our trademark,’ he says proudly. ‘But it’s a design you have to love; it’s not for everyone. So in 2023 we launched a new model: the Ellio Max. What sets Ellio apart from other speed pedelecs is its drive mechanism: it’s a speed pedelec powered by two motors and two belts, with a stepless automatic gear hub and features that no other speed pedelec has, such as cruise control and a coaster brake. Our after-sales service is also one of our trump cards, as is the fact that we think about ways to give lease bikes a second life.’

‘I had started working at KBC in 2001, but was given the opportunity to move to KBC Autolease in 2017 to focus on bicycle leasing, which was a new activity at the time,’ Els Collier from KBC Autolease tells us. ‘A week later, I got to know Jorrit and went to his house to see the development of the bike. I was able to follow the whole evolution from prototype through production line to mass product. I soon realised that Jorrit and Tomas, and their bikes, had huge potential. For me, Ellio is a success story and an example of how to put yourself on the map as a Belgian company. They work in a very customer-focused way, and offer excellent 'after-sales service'. That is super-important for a leasing company like ours. I also think it’s a very safe bike, especially for people who have little experience with such a high-speed bike. For example, it has a lower centre of gravity. We also use Ellio bikes as ‘courtesy bikes’, which enables customers to get acquainted with the brand.’

‘We have always developed our bikes based on the needs of the user,’ concludes Jorrit Heidbüchel. ‘We see leasing companies and dealers as partners, not as customers. Our customers are the end users of our bicycles. Lots of manufacturers see this differently, and consequently pay less attention to ease of use and maintenance. KBC was the first leasing company we contacted because, like us, they saw the link between bike leasing and automotive. KBC's support obviously helped us scale up and attract dealers.’ 

Written by YBRO Sports Writing