General Motors starts taking orders for its first e-bike

[michwalker]

I saw last week GM start to take orders for their first e-bike. Honestly I feel it is way overpriced so I won't bother to buy them. Also they won't sell here at least in beginning. Seems they sell in Belgium Netherlands and Germany.

Is there something that I miss about these ebikes.

How come they are priced for $3200 and $3500 ? There must be something unique about them which I miss.

Also at first I feel it had a mid-drive motor but when I check closer it is equipped with a hub motor (still not sure about it).

https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/14/18224778/gm-ebike-ariv-specs-price-europe

 

[tomjasz]

I wouldn't buy a bike from someone who's cars I don't trust. BUT these days $3200 may be a bargain for a high quality bike. My favored ride all updated and DIY has over $2600 invested.

 

[rich c]

According to this article it uses a fully original GM electric motor designed specifically for this bike. Add in the fact from another article that says they started the design in GM in 2015. There's a couple of you cost drivers, about 4 years in GM costs a fortune! Can't find who the manufacturer will be yet. https://insideevs.com/general-motors-e-bike-ariv/
Edit; Maybe it was BionX at one time.
In late April, General Motors, one of BionX’s primary customers, and Grant Thornton agreed on the terms of a settlement for $975,000 after GM terminated its contract with BionX in February. BionX had entered into an agreement with GM to design and manufacture a mid-drive system for a folding e-bike. GM paid BionX for the design and engineering of the system and batteries and agreed to purchase 8,000 units in 2018 at approximately $1,000 each.

But BionX defaulted on the purchase contract and did not complete its obligations after projecting that unit cost for production would be $1,400 per unit. Earlier this year, BionX informed GM that it would not be able to start building the kits without significant funding assistance from GM, which the company declined to provide. At the end of April, Grant Thornton agreed to release 38 drive units in exchange for a payment of $279,110, and in May, representatives from GM facilitated the removal of production tooling it owned from BionX’s headquarters in Aurora. In June, GM removed the remaining production parts and assets, and made a payment of CA$445,855 to Grant Thornton.
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/ind...-canada-sells-parts-its-business#.XHbDHy3MycY

 

[tomjasz]

According to this article it uses a fully original GM electric motor designed specifically for this bike.

Great find and even more reason to run...

 

[Marci jo]

Yea I'm gonna give that one a hard pass.

Interesting. I would test ride one just for fun. But nothing more.
Good article. At the end it said Harley-Davidson is marketing an electric scooter. Harley?!! Who would have thought that.

 

[tomjasz]

Harley?!!

They've made odd departures before, but this was a gasser.


American Scoot: 1960 Harley-Davidson Topper

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)