The new generation Eovolt Afternoon electric folding bike offers a better ride with some new features, and tries to establish itself as the benchmark for 20 inches. Successful, this 2023 vintage? Answer in our full test.
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Near Lyon, in Genas, Eovolt was born in 2019 thanks to Luca Chevalier and Baptiste Fullen, in the niche of electric folding bikes. Because this is where she assembles her VAEs, after having lived in Bourges, with however components coming mainly from Asia.
In a very short time, the French brand has made a name for itself, especially in the big cities. It continues to improve its products, with today three distinct models: the small Morning with 16-inch wheels, the Afternoon in 20 inches and the compact Evening in 24 inches with folding stem.
The 2023 range will soon welcome an update to the Afternoon which we are testing here as a preview, as well as an evolution of the old “ Comfort ”. With a new screen, a torque sensor, but a removed front suspension, this versatile folding car still wants to become a benchmark.
Neat design and great originality
The 20-inch format always arouses curiosity, and the Eovolt Afternoon is no exception. It is neither a mini bike nor a compact bike. This model takes care of the design of the frame – very easy to step over – with a matt paint available in 5 colours. One size fits all, it promises compatibility with sizes ranging from 1.50 to 1.90 meters, thanks to a height-adjustable saddle and stem.
Our large size of about 1.85 meters has no trouble finding his driving position, straight in nature, without having his knees in his chin. The spirit of this Afternoon is therefore centered around comfort, for all ages and morphologies.
The Eovolt folding bike automatically incorporates tubular aluminum mudguards, which are fairly wide and well fixed. However, it is too short at the front, causing splashes on the pedals and shoes. The kickstand in the rear position is solid, supporting the bike well with a flat bottom surface. Alas, forget the stealth mode when you park, its folding and folding is very noisy.
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Unfortunately, the bike does not have a rear rack, it must be selected as an option (50 euros), supporting 25 kg. Lighting comes through a Spanninga Kendo+ front projector, tilting, powerful (30 Lux), but very low. It is therefore to be coupled with a second headlight at the front for better visibility. It is also connected to the battery, unlike the LR44 battery-powered rear light, located under the saddle.
An intuitive folding but to refine
Quite simple, the folding system is in 3 steps:
- Open the scooter-style lever to fold the stem to the left of the front wheel;
- Loosen the handle on the frame to fold the bike in half;
- Adjust the saddle, high for rolling or low for parking.
Folding and unfolding it takes between 20 and 25 seconds, if you include the foldable pedals. We exclude here the handling of the removable battery. The Eovolt Afternoon thus measures 85 cm long, 46 cm wide and 75 cm high when folded, the height depending on the saddle setting. These dimensions are sufficient to take it in an elevator, put it in a car trunk or in the corner of a room, but too high to fit under a desk or on a train.
The weight of 22 kg limits transport by hand: this is not its vocation, especially in the absence of an easy grip and an imbalance observed on its right side. It can still be rolled by raising the saddle, only forwards because of the pedals not allowing the recoil.
Beware, however, of the magnet linking the two wheels, which is too weak to link the two wheels in all situations. Ditto for the dangling stem, without magnet, and coming to hit against the mudguard with each folding. Another point to watch out for, the sheathing of the wiring gets caught in the hinge of the stem and is quickly damaged.
One screen and that’s it
For 2023, the Eovolt Afternoon changes screen. Previously wide and common to Shiftbikes for example, it is changing to a tiny format. Turning on the bike assist is simple, pressing the button under the screen for a few seconds, same song to turn it off.
Here, the French VAE focuses on the essentials, with a basic monochrome display. It is easily readable by day, and has low-light backlighting, linked to the switching on of the front light. It lays out in large print the speed in decimal numbers and the level of assistance from 1 to 5, which are changed via buttons, which seem a little small if you have gloves on.
At the very top, the battery gauge is made up of 4 bars, which is a bit vague to determine the exact range of the electric bike. We also noticed a little when recharging: the gauge does not fill to 4 bars, but to 3, despite a full charge. Then just ride a few meters with the bike for the poster problem to be rectified.
At the bottom, the folding bike screen displays the total mileage or that of the trip by briefly pressing the ignition button, then the maximum speed by pressing a second time.
It stops there, the Evolot Afternoon not including any application, connectivity or security systems (alarm, GPS, notifications in the event of suspicious movement).
Comfort and handling at the rendezvous
With its rather upright driving position, the Eovolt Afternoon plays the card of comfort rather than the sporty spirit of a Brompton or a Vello. It is therefore to be preferred in the city. This model remains very handy on all occasions, combined with a narrow handlebar with ergonomic grips. Sneaking between cars is easy. The wide tires give it good grip, although you have to keep in mind that you are on a folding bike with a fairly high center of gravity.
Will the abandonment of the front suspensions penalize this 2023 vintage? Well not at all, since the CST balloon tires – in 20 x 2.4″ – excel in absorbing the bumps, cobbles and holes of the Parisian roads. We would even invite ourselves on paths without being shaken by the vibrations. On the other hand, the stem tends to squeak when twisting fore and aft, regardless of the adjustment height.
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The saddle is foam type, wide enough for short trips. For distances greater than 10 km, it is firm and lacks a bit of padding, requiring an over-saddle.
Assistance to the right respondent
The electric assistance goes through five levels. It is incidental: three would have been enough. Indeed, the Eovolt rear motor only delivers a torque of 40 Nm: there is therefore little difference between each mode. Despite a modest torque on paper, the Afternoon pushes hard in mode 5, a treat on the flat and even on slight slopes.
In addition, the responsiveness is appreciable, at start-up as in times. We say thank you to the new torque sensor, replacing the pedaling one installed previously, sending assistance as soon as you press the pedal. Finally, in theory, because there is a small latency between the pressure and the triggering of the assistance.
For more sustained climbs, the Eovolt Afternoon requires much more muscular effort, the torque sensor requiring strong pressure on the pedals. But the electric folding bike climbs without too much trouble to its maximum speed of 25 km/h. No need to have the polka dot jersey in the Tour de France, the Shimano Tourney 7-speed derailleur chain transmission also allows you to spread the effort according to the gear used.
Sometimes you need a little patience when pushing the control levers, because this somewhat low-end derailleur lacks responsiveness and misses a few gears. It is still quiet, like the engine. Another perfectible point: if you can easily spin at 30 km / h by the strength of the legs, you quickly find yourself pedaling in semolina. An 8th gear would not have been too much.
Good hydraulic disc brakes
The braking of the Afternoon goes through front and rear discs with a diameter of 160 mm, with Nutt hydraulic controls. It should be noted that we received a completely new model, which requires a break-in. The brakes lacked a bit of bite at the start. In the long run, they proved to be more efficient and reassuring. Although allowing a good dosage, the system blocks the rear wheel during intense braking. To be taken into account so as not to push too much from the rear end, especially on wet ground.
A good autonomy
The battery invites itself into the big seat tube, like on a Fiido D11. With 378 Wh (or 10.5 Ah), the energy capacity is average. Except that the autonomy recorded during our test remained excellent. The Eovolt promises up to 80 km per charge in ideal conditions, which we wanted to verify in practice. With more than 50 km in mode 5, it is at the top of the basket, allowing commuting without fear of electrical failure.
The loss is also gradual: the third bar disappears after 25 km, without the engine torque decreasing thereafter. However, the conditions were against the bike, in cool weather (10°C), a strong wind, and our weight of 85 kg (with a bag).
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The battery is on its removable side, but you have to take the hand: disconnect the plug at the bottom of the tube, before loosening the tube, then extracting it from the frame by pulling and turning several times (the game is small) .
The disadvantage of this solution is twofold: the dimensions (11 cm in diameter and especially 70 cm long) and the fact of getting your hands dirty with dust or even grease by touching the chain. It is therefore impossible to store it in a bag, at the risk of staining everything inside: this therefore reduces the interest of the removable aspect. To secure it, there is a button on the collar, to be unlocked with a key.
Charging is possible directly on the bike or with the battery alone. The socket is located at the head of the stem under the saddle, not very accessible, but protected by a cover. Via the 2A charger, it takes 6 hours to charge for a full charge. Small downside: there is no indicator on the battery. You have to trust the gauge on the screen – and therefore turn on the bike – or the red light on the charger, which turns green when charging is complete.
Final test score
Electric bike easy to handle and comfortable despite the absence of suspensions, the Eovolt Afternoon can charm all audiences moving around town. Now more efficient thanks to the torque sensor and excellent autonomy, it can last several days, or for a few rides on vacation, without the impression of being on an under-bike.
We appreciate the folding system, easy and in a correct time. It does, however, require some fixings to hold it folded, especially when rolling it. Because it is not designed for transport by hand, due to the weight of more than 21 kg. The folding bike relies on the battery-saddle hiding its electric aspect, but too imposing to be handled regularly.
This Vintage 2023 Afternoon remains a good model, at a reasonable price under 2,200 euros, which is justified by assembly in France, less by the lack of connectivity.
