Visiting Europe often means adjusting to a lot of walking, but that can obscure the extent to which cars still dominate urban mobility. Many European city streets remain crowded with private vehicles, and residents frequently depend on cars for shopping, commuting, school runs and weekend outings. Belgian startup Any sees this not as frictionless convenience but as a gap in what alternative transport offers. Its answer is a deliberately practical electric motorcycle called LUV1, built to hold as much as many car owners expect to carry.

Any’s central argument is simple: the strongest reason people default to four wheels is not speed, habit or comfort, but the ability to transport the many objects that make up a normal week. If an electric two-wheeler is to earn its place in garages and parking spots, it must be designed for real life.

Several European cities are already tightening car access through congestion charges, low-emission zones and parking reform. Yet the shift to two-wheelers remains slow in many places because riders are expected to compromise on capacity. Any wants to remove that compromise.

The LUV1’s big idea: carrying capacity

Launching with a 120-liter cargo volume, the LUV1 aims to offer the carrying potential of a cargo bike while behaving like a motorcycle. It can reach 100 km/h, or 62 mph, so it fits into mixed traffic outside dense urban centers. With swappable batteries, it promises a range of up to 87 miles per charge, giving riders enough flexibility for longer trips without fearing empty outlets.

What sets the LUV1 apart from most existing electric two-wheelers is not its powertrain but the design conversation around storage. The motorcycle has been conceived as a substitute for the car trunk, the storage space that families often cannot surrender. Any has made room for groceries, weekend bags and suitcases, positioning the bike as transport for daily routines rather than only leisure.

That thinking is reflected in a modular architecture. Customers can choose an open frame or panels depending on what they need to carry. Owners who want to travel with a dog or another pet can fit the bike accordingly. Others can use work equipment or camping gear. The modularity extends to optional windshields, racks and rain ponchos, giving the LUV1 a chameleon-like flexibility.

A design pedigree from Pininfarina

The LUV1 was born in collaboration with Lowie Vermeersch, former design director at Pininfarina and founder of Granstudio. Vermeersch has taken on the role of creative director at Any and become an investor. His involvement explains both the LUV1’s refined silhouette and the attention given to everyday ergonomics.

When the prototype was shown during Milan Design Week in May, it generated immediate buzz. More than just a striking product, the LUV1 represents a category that Any calls “life utility vehicles.” The founders want to create a bridge between two wheels and four, not only by adding storage capacity but by making the vehicle adaptable enough to handle several different roles.

The production version will be customizable through an online configurator launched alongside the preorder campaign. Each configuration changes the final price, but the basic version starts at €7,000, about $8,150. That puts it below most cars and near the upper range of high-performance electric cargo bikes.

Easy licensing and practical ownership

Any is also targeting a wider audience by designing for the entry-level A1 license. Because LUV1 can be ridden with an A1 permit, which is relatively straightforward to obtain in many European countries, the bike opens the door to people who are not experienced motorcyclists. That is an important selling point for families or delivery riders considering their first electric two-wheeler.

The company has structured preorders to lower the barrier further. Early reservations only require a €49 fee, around $57, and that amount is credited toward the purchase price. It is fully refundable, which signals confidence in the product and encourages potential customers to experiment with the configurator.

Within its first 100 days, according to co-founder and chief commercial officer Erik de Winter, Any had already collected more than 600 reservations. That early response suggests demand for a compact, cargo-friendly electric vehicle that looks less like a hobby and more like a primary mobility solution.

Team and financial backing

Any’s team reflects an unusual mix of startup expertise and automotive engineering experience. De Winter previously founded Cargoroo, a Dutch e-cargo bike-sharing service, so he understands the operational side of light electric vehicles. About a year ago, Any brought in former venture capitalist Pieter Van de Velde as its CEO. On the engineering side, head of engineering Alessandro Mangano came from a career that included Aprilia, Ferrari and Piaggio Group.

Investors have supported the company at an early stage. Any raised €1.5 million in November, followed by a €1.25 million top-up in May, for a total of €2.75 million, or about $3.2 million. That funding has allowed the startup to move from concept to an ordered pipeline of prototypes and parts.

Its backers and advisors also include high-profile figures from the automotive sector, adding credibility as it prepares to challenge motorcycle manufacturers with larger resources.

Entering a crowded electric two-wheeler market

The European two-wheeler market is becoming more crowded. Traditional manufacturers such as Piaggio, and even Harley-Davidson, have introduced electric models. The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers projects that the market will become mostly electric by 2030. In that landscape, range, battery-swapping and connectivity are now table stakes.

Any hopes cargo space is the differentiator. LUV1 appears designed to reach beyond existing motorcycle and scooter riders, and the company says last-mile delivery players have already approached it. A modular platform for packages could be a natural extension of the company’s early design ideas.

De Winter is explicit about the broader plan: Any intends to develop a portfolio of vehicles, not a single model. That could include a three-wheeled variant in the future, expanding the range of use cases while retaining the same philosophy of practical and versatile urban mobility.

What comes next

Before the company can grow into that roadmap, it has to deliver on its first promise. Any needs to ramp up LUV1 production and complete the first customer deliveries, a financial and operational challenge for a startup with a relatively young supply chain. The company will need to certify the vehicle in multiple markets, secure battery supply agreements and build confidence with customers who may never have owned a motorcycle before.

That effort requires more capital. The startup is now seeking roughly €10 million, or more, in a Series A funding round that it hopes to close before the end of the year. If successful, the Belgian startup may prove that the way to move Europeans away from cars is not to imitate them but to build smaller vehicles that can handle the same daily burdens.

Source:TechCrunch News