If there’s two cool pieces of green technology that have greatly improved my day-to-day life, they’re probably electric bikes and solar-powered portable power stations. I’ve reviewed plenty of both, and they’re even better when you combine them. Take the case of the Mokwheel Scoria, which straps an inverter onto an e-bike to create a mobile power station.
The Mokwheel Scoria looks like a typical step-through fat tire e-bike. And in many ways, that’s just what it is.
But what really sets this thing apart is the optional inverter and solar panel combination that turns it into a rolling battery that can be recharged from the sun.
To see what I mean, check out my video review below. But don’t stop there! Keep scrolling for the rest of my review.
Mokwheel Scoria video review
Mokwheel Scoria tech specs
- Motor: 750W rear hub motor
- Top speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
- Range: Claimed up to 96 km (60 mi)
- Battery: 48 V 19.6 Ah (940 Wh)
- Weight: 36 kg (79 lb)
- Max load: 181 kg (400 lb)
- Frame: 6061 aluminum
- Suspension: Front suspension fork
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
- Tires: 20″ x 4″ fat tires
- Extras: Color display with speedometer, wattmeter, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, 7-speed Shimano shifter, odometer, tripmeter, front and rear LED lights, half-twist throttle, includes rear rack (with wooden surface) and front/rear fenders, kick stand, front of bike has mount for optional rack
- Price: $1,999
Portable power on an e-bike
Let’s start with the main attraction.
The base model of the Scoria, which is priced at $1,999, doesn’t come with the extra goodies. You can fork over $2,398 to get the version with the add-on inverter, or $2,997 to get that bundle plus a folding 200W solar panel.
The inverter has a cable that allows it to plug directly into the e-bike, sharing power between the two.
On the power station, you’ll find a pair of 120VAC outlets as well as several USB-A and USB-C outlets. There’s even a full power 100W USB-C outlet.
This would be the perfect setup for bikepacking or camping, since you could run appliances off the AC outlet and keep your USB devices charged up as well. When you come to a rest, you can recharge the bike via the folding solar panel, or use it on multi-day camping trips as you begin to drain the bike’s battery over time. With a 960Wh battery on the bike, you’ve got a lot of capacity to draw from.
But what about the e-bike?
The inverter is obviously the major draw here that separates the Mokwheel Scoria from other e-bikes. But even by itself, this e-bike is pretty nice in its own right.
It’s a moped-style electric bike, meaning it’s got smaller diameter fat tires that give it a lower ride and more motorbike-like handling. The front suspension and the fat tires make for a nicer ride over pot holes or nature trails, and the rear rack gives some classy wood-lined storage.
Hydraulic disc brakes help bring this heavy 79 lb (36 kg) e-bike to a quick stop, and are important features on a bike that is supposedly capable of supporting a payload of up to 400 lb (181 kg).
And since the bike edges over Class 2 speeds to max out at around 22 mph (35 km/h), strong stoppers are a nice addition.
The 48V and 19.6Ah battery offers 940 Wh of capacity, which is especially important if you plan on draining the battery through the inverter in addition to through the wheels. The company claims a max range of 60 miles (96 km) from the large battery, though that seems fairly optimistic to me unless you’re in the lowest power pedal assist level.
Achieving 22 mph (35 km/h) on throttle-only made the bike feel fun to ride on the road and on the trails, but it definitely won’t last for 60 miles at those speeds on throttle-only riding.
That 750W motor is battery-hungry as well, so keep that in mind if you plan to use the inverter for a while and then go for a ride. You’ll want to make sure you leave yourself with plenty of battery.
At a price of $1,999, the bike seems a bit overpriced compared to other similarly-designed e-bikes in this class. Perhaps the company is banking on the fact that you can’t really use many other e-bikes – or perhaps any other e-bikes – in this type of rolling powerstation capacity.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great bike that rides well, has plenty of power and is comfortable to boot. And the inverter add-on is a really cool feature. There are some nice features like mag wheels instead of spoked wheels, but does that justify the price? I’m not sure the cost is in line with the value.
But then again, if this type of functionality is something you really want or need, then I guess the value is for you to decide.