Have you ever pulled a heavily loaded handcart uphill, maybe even on a forest trail? It’s no fun. At the same time, it’s much more pleasant to transport the gear for a forest party or an underground bike race in a cart than to carry everything yourself.

It’s actually surprising that this idea hasn’t caught on long ago. After all, pretty much everything that moves is going “electric” these days. In the professional sector, of course, motorized transport carts have been around for a long time. But what about a picnic by the lake or a day of riding on the local trail? That’s where the Navee E-Wagon 4X comes in. A 3,000-watt motor (manufacturer’s specification) drives all four wheels, allowing it to haul loads of up to 350 kilograms. That means some of the people carrying the gear can hop right into the wagon too.

The cart itself can be folded up and stowed away in the trunk to save space once you’re done with your work or party. The manufacturer’s claim is also impressive: the electric handcart can climb a 50 percent grade with a 100-kilogram load. Plus, it reaches speeds of 16 km/h—that’s a brisk walking pace.

No, you don’t really look cool when you’re bumping along the terrain with the handcart attached to your SUV, as the video below shows. It’s probably still fun, though, and it’s definitely practical in certain situations.

Trailers That Push

Now, some of you might be wondering what you, as a mountain biker, would do with a handcart. Where’s the e-bike trailer? Well, lo and behold, a trailer called eCarla can carry up to 200 kilograms and propels it with a maximum power output of 750 watts. There’s even an off-road version, which brings us back to community trail building. All eCarla models have a coasting brake, so they not only help accelerate but also slow down and stop.

Could a trailer perhaps do more than just power itself—namely, also power the bike it’s attached to? And would that still be a trailer, or would it be more like a push-assist?

In fact, such a product exists; it’s called Electrail and was developed by an inventor in Upper Bavaria. He offers his push trailers as a conversion kit, in which only the wheel with the hub motor is replaced. His online store also carries standard trailers equipped with the Electrail drive system. Attached to one of the pedals is a matchbox-sized box called “Pedalfunk.” Based on the pedal rotation, it calculates the necessary assistance and sends the corresponding command to the motor. In addition, the inventor has developed a gesture control system: By making certain backward pedaling movements, the rider can switch between different assistance levels and turn the motor on and off. The Bayerischer Rundfunk features an elderly woman transporting 50-kilogram crates of honey over hills and valleys with it.

In Germany, such a push-assist device is permitted, provided it does not exceed 25 km/h. In Switzerland, however, this is not the case, as the Federal Office of Roads and Transportation (ASTRA) confirmed upon inquiry. Here, the trailer may be propelled at a maximum speed of 6 km/h, meaning it serves merely as a walking aid at a walking pace. 

eCarla Becomes Brutala

And then this investigation takes another turn. It begins with an inquiry to the manufacturer of the eCarla. The man who runs the company explains that he emigrated from Germany to Portugal with his family because they could get more “airtime” with their bikes here—in other words, they could dig kickers in their backyard to their heart’s content. 

He adds that a further development of the eCarla would be of great benefit to them. This prototype off-road trailer has two motors, each delivering 800 watts and about 100 newtons of torque. The powerhouse is known within the family as the “Brutala.” The jump-loving inventor describes it: “It transports water, fine soil, large rocks, or simply shovels, hoes, rakes, and watering cans. Basically, it’s an electric wheelbarrow—only with significantly more cargo capacity, motor assistance, and one crucial advantage: it doesn’t tip over.”

In summary: Handcarts and bike trailers with electric motors are readily available off the shelf. In Portugal, a super-powerful prototype called Brutala is being used to build bike jumps. And just before finishing this article, I came across a couple on a steep street pushing a stroller that was emitting a distinctive humming sound.