Electric bike offers green urban commuting option

The A2B, from Ultra Motor, is an electric bicycle designed for the urban commuter. It has a range of about 20 miles on a charge, which can be done in three or four hours from any electric outlet.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

This feels very strange.

I'm riding down an alley in San Francisco, pedaling as you would on any bicycle. Each time I put my foot down, the bike presses on a little further. It's all very normal.

But then, with the flick of a switch on the bike's handlebars, it shoots forward with a strong, smooth, motorized thrust. Quickly, I've hit 20 miles an hour.

This isn't normal anymore.

This is Ultra Motor's A2B, a $2,500, zero-emissions scooter that just happens to also be an electric bike.

The A2B looks very much like a regular bicycle, except that it has some very heavy-duty looking components, and a wide center stem in which its lithium-ion battery is enclosed.

But in fact, the Ultra Motor folks surely don't want the A2B called a scooter because one of their chief marketing points is that it doesn't require any kind of license or special permit, as does a motorcycle or scooter. And that means that a new buyer could jump on it and get going without any kind of bureaucratic runaround.

The A2B is expected to be available, most likely from bicycle, scooter, and motorcycle dealerships, in September. At $2,500, it seems somewhat expensive, but Amy Robinson, Ultra Motor USA's vice president of marketing, points out that the company is positioning the A2B against high-end bicycles--which can easily run two grand--as well as against gas-powered commuter vehicles like cars, motorcycles, and mopeds.

I also told CEO Chris Deyo that I thought the bike might cost too much to appeal to a large number of buyers, but he said that if you compare the one-time price of the A2B to the ongoing costs of commuting by car, moped or motorcycle--given the cost of gas, insurance, maintenance, parking, and parking tickets--it's not so steep. "We found, in talking to folks, that (at) $2,500, it's a considered purchase, but it's of value to them," Deyo said.

Ultra Motor is expecting the bike to appeal to urban commuters in their 30s and 40s who want an alternative to their car or any other form of transportation that requires them to find parking or buy gas.

"We call it the Mini Cooper of electric bikes," Robinson said. "It's sturdy and solid, but nimble like a bicycle. And it's a great alternative to getting in (a) car."

Plus, she added, the company hopes to attract commuters who like the idea of riding a bike to work, but who hate the idea of being sweaty on arrival. And the A2B's smooth, lively motor lets them do just that.

The A2B's battery is stored inside the main stem of the bike. It is a lithium-ion battery capable of running for more than 700 charges. The A2B is expected to retail for around $2,500.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

Even on hills, which require a bit of pedaling to ascend, it's not really anything like the kind of sweat-inducing power pumping required on a regular bike. Rather, it's more like pedaling that regular bike on flat surfaces. And that, combined with the power of the motor, gets the A2B up a hill rather nicely.

Doing so is very strange. As a longtime bike rider from San Francisco, I'm very familiar with what it's like to pedal up hills: painful, slow, and grueling. Yet when I took the A2B up a hill near CNET's offices Monday, I had the odd sensation of pedaling normally and smoothly, as if I were on the flats, yet zipping up the hill way faster than I should have been.

Pedaling the A2B has a secondary benefit: it reduced load on the battery, allowing for a longer range. And with an auxiliary battery that's available, the bike's range can be stretched to 40 miles, Robinson said.

Of course, there are other electric bikes on the market. Among them are some that cost less than the A2B and which offer similar specifications. Some, like the iZip Express, from Currie Technologies, can go up to 25 miles an hour.

Robinson said that the A2B stands out because, "there's no other electric bike today built from the ground up as a commuting solution."

Perhaps. It's hard for me to say how the A2B's competition stacks up to it because I haven't ridden them.

I do know, however, that the A2B is a show stopper.

"One of the main attractions," said Robinson of the A2B, "is the reaction when people see it and experience it when they ride it."

Ultra Motor is counting on word of mouth and viral interest in the A2B, and it seems to work: as CEO Chris Deyo was showing how the bike worked, a crowd gathered and peppered him with questions.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

Indeed, as Ultra Motor USA CEO Chris Deyo was straddling an A2B outside CNET's headquarters, a crowd gathered around him and began peppering him with questions about the bike. He hadn't even started riding it.

And, while I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical of the bike before I got to my meeting with the Ultra Motor folks, seeing the crowd clustered around Deyo and the A2B, and then riding it myself made me think that maybe this whole electric bike thing is a good idea after all. I even started to feel like I might really want one.

Of course, like another passion of mine that I can't afford, the Segway, the A2B is a substitute for driving a gas-powered vehicle that offers little more in the way of exercise.

On the other hand, because it does have pedals, it is possible to ride it like a regular bicycle, and Robinson said that, based on feedback the company had gotten, some A2B buyers might well choose to do that on their way home from work when arriving sweaty isn't a problem.

Ultra Motor is ramping up to the September launch of the A2B. So far, Deyo told me, the company has taken paid orders for the entire pre-production run of the bikes--a number in the hundreds, he said. But he wouldn't tell me how many A2Bs the company plans to have ready at launch.

As for me, the A2B did indeed generate a new round of techno-lust. But at that price, I'm just going to have to sublimate it and keep on taking my morning bus to work.

[despin]

The only question i have about this "bike" is does it require a license to drive?

[DnetMHZ]

Did you read the article?

"...one of their chief marketing points is that it doesn't require any kind of license or special permit, as does a motorcycle or scooter."

[ittesi259]

I can tell you right now in California it would.

[mbtaggart]

The article says that you don't. But who knows what the states legislatures will do should this catch on?

[bfrench1]

"But in fact, the Ultra Motor folks surely don't want the A2B called a scooter because one of their chief marketing points is that it doesn't require any kind of license or special permit, as does a motorcycle or scooter."

[BorealisOutdoor]

There are plenty of practical electric or power-assist bikes on the market. This isn't one of them. It'll be an expensive, never-used toy taking up far too much space in somebody's garage or apartment. It's too heavy and poorly designed to be used as a bicycle, almost certainly uncomfortable to ride after a short distance and likely to destroy the knees of anyone who tries to use it regularly without the electric assist. It'll only take having the batteries die once to convince the owner not to ride it again. I'm sure it'll look nice hanging on a wall, like a work of art. That's what happens when you let your marketing department design a product without any input from actual users (real cyclists). There are plenty of better and cheaper options out there, such as the BionX, that can turn a new bike or your current favorite ride into an electric assist.

[njpeeke]

I applaud the idea and I think that it is a step in the right direction but where can you drive it? 20mph is too fast for sidewalks and too slow for streets. Bike Paths have restrictions where you are not allowed to drive motorized ( and i think this includes electric ) vehicles. I do like that it has the pedals so you have a backup if you run out of charge. Will it do electric assist if you want to pedal and use the electric boost?

[k2dave]

Regular bikes can go 20 mph and work with streets, so that's not a problem. Also from my take it appears like it can be powered just electric, or peddle + electric boost, or just peddle

[hpew]

It is NEVER OK to ride a bike on the sidewalk. (unless you are an infant on a tricycle.)

[K9Leader]

In most states electric assist bikes are legally considered bicycles as long as the motors are less than 700 Watts and top speed using just the motor is less than 20 mph. So, they can go anywhere (trails, paths, commuter lanes) that "regular" bicycles can go. As for streets, bicycles are street-legal vehicles, which is where they are primarily ridden.

Electric assist bikes provide the opportunity for those who are not serious/avid cyclists to get into cycling and the possibility of overcoming obstacles to bicycle commuting (arriving sweaty at work, killer hills, killer hills at the end of a long, hard day at work).

I used to be a more serious cyclist but back problems, job demands, family demands, and loss of enthusiasm coincided such that I haven't ridden much the past five years or so.
But, a new job that is within bike commuting distance, got me to thinking about it again. I did bike to work a couple of times in the last couple of weeks, but the arriving sweaty and smelly (cannot shower at work, and, even if it were possible, do not have the time) thing and the thought of a tough ride home at the end of a long day (I teach elementary school and you would not believe how the kids suck the energy out of you) made me choose the car too often with the thought of "Maybe tomorrow. . ." So, after hearing an NPR report on electric assist bikes, I went ahead and ordered one. I hope to be commuting on it by next week. If the choice is pedaling with a little electric help up the hills and juicing my speed a bit on the flats versus taking the car and thinking ?Maybe tomorrow . . .?, I will go electric.

It's a win-win-win-win-win-win!
Fewer miles driven in a car - Win!
Decrease in carbon emissions - Win!
Fewer cars crowding the roads - Win!
More people enjoying cycling - Win!
More people exercising - Win!
Saving money on dino-juice - Win!
More fun - Win!

[nintendo812]

That's why you pedal a bit on the side of the street and in the sidewalk. It's an illusion. :P

I believe in his story he said there is a button on the bike that can give you a boost when you are going up hill, but I do not know if that is what it meant.

[michaelcurrey]

Giant Bicycles - Has has a really cool electric bike for years! Last time I checked it was $1000... very cheap compared to others out there. It looks like a regular bike, rides like a regular bike and is ALREADY AVAILABLE.

Twist Freedom DX

[regulator1956]

The Giant Twist Freedom DX appears to require pedaling. If I don't want to be sweaty when I get to work I need the option of pure electric - no pedaling.

[highrider_01]

Its actually $2100. Check the web site.

[mbtaggart]

I don't care what it's called. It means mobility for me. I can't see well enough to operate a motor vehicle but I can ride a bike at 20 mph, things don't zip by me so quickly that I can't see them. Where I live, there is inadequate public transportation, and we have a lot of older drivers who probably should no longer be driving, and they're a menace. But I understand that one is helpless here without a car. Something like this could let them keep their independence and save lives, let alone fuel costs. And the bike is good-looking enough to appeal to some status-seekers.
PS Thanks, Michaelcurry, for the heads-up on Giant Bicycles.

[jusdin77]

I just got an an electric bike a few days ago. Way fun and practical! If you try it, you'll like it. Gas is expensive but $2500?!? Got mine at Ecopeds for $500 and goes about 30 miles/charge...

[A Teige]

It's one thing to charge a fair price that reflects investment plus a reasonable profit. It's something else altogether try to drive prices up as high as possible just because the market has been driven up to support it and you can get away with it. I don't think it encourages the target buyers and defeats the purpose of trying to get more people to convert to alternate transportation.

[temp933371]

I was in Beijing in March, where unlike most asian cities, they have almost no motorcycles. Instead, they have electric bicycles - millions of them. I priced a few of them, and you can get a complete electric bike there for $200-400, depending on power and range.

Ive been reading a number of press releases lately from US companies pimping $2500 electric bikes and making statements such as "We found, in talking to folks, that (at) $2,500, it's a considered purchase, but it's of value to them". Translation: we found some suckers with more money than sense - ones willing to pay five to ten times more than what the Chinese can deliver for, and we can make a tidy profit by working with that market segment.

This is the kind of retardation that is making the american economy sick.

[sray001]

Then you should have plenty of market space to make a niche for yourself somewhere less than $2500 to sell your own e-bike and be the next B. Gates. Competition breeds innovation!

[highrider_01]

This guy has been to Beijing but unfortunately he knows nothing about electric bikes.. I was in China in January and also did my research on electric bikes. I discovered that an electric bike for $200 ? $400 hundred dollars is made of plastic and tubular steel. It?s heavy and not very good quality. The components on the bike are Chinese made bike components and not too nice to feel and use. ALSO the biggest differentiator is the battery. This A2B product uses lightweight Lithium Ion batteries. (like a laptop) The Chinese electric bikes for $400 are kitted out with sealed lead acid batteries. They are heavy, cheap and don?t offer the same performance at all. It?s also really important when talking about price comparisons with other models available in the USA to compare the specification. The Giant bike for $1000 uses a 250watt motor and does not have a throttle. If you see the giant website- it?s actually priced at $2100?Lets learn to compare apples with apples?

[Kichchi]

I think there are much cheaper bicycles of this sort in the market as low US$800/-

Sie.Kathieravealu

[Kichchi]

I think there are much cheaper bicycles of this sort in the market as low US$800/- in Sri Lanka

Sie.Kathieravealu

[spothannah]

Put more of this out there. The comments alone help educate those (like me) that know nothing about this possible form of transportation. I do know that my gas guzzling 1996 Dodge Ram Van has been completely paid for many years ago. However, now just driving the behemoth (that still runs like a top) that has over 150K miles on it, costs me an arm and a leg just to drive to work as it gets 16mpg tops. I am now at the point of realizing that it would be cheaper to have car payments and pay for gas if I purchase a car that gets 32 mpg. This article speaks of other options. Thanks for the info. (and thanks for the comments.)

[benjaminstraight]

Cool. Should be classified as a moped, so no license needed

How you get there is only half the equation - where you need to ge to is the other half. Small electric vehicles will only work if people live close enough to where they work. The key is to work remotely. Most people can work remotely if there are facilities near by. Remote Office Centers offer a solution. A Remote Office Center leases individual offices, internet and phone systems to workers from multiple companies in shared centers around the suburbs. There is a free web site for people who are interested in finding more information (and locations) of Remote Office Centers: http://www.remoteofficecenters.com

If you move the office to a a convenient location, you have many more fuel efficient commuting options available to you. Small changes make big differences.

[hockeybik]

If this company thinks they are competing with $2,500 bicycles, I think they didn't do their market research very well. People who buy expensive bikes, don't want them for transportation. They use them for recreation and they usually want specific features. Expensive electrics have a market. It just isn't going to be found from the ranks of those who buy expensive pedal only bicycles.

I also agree there are many less expensive electric bikes on the market but I know for a fact that the $200 - $400 bikes in China are not to be compared with $1,000 and $2,000 electric bikes found in the US. To make the statement that American sellers are gouging the public is a bit of a stretch.

[tonyspiece]

In the State of CA. any electric bike that goes over a certain amount of C.C.'s ( Cubic Centermeters ) and goes over a certain amount of Miles an Hour, Then requires a M1 Motorcycle License. Your best bet is to contact your States Department Of Motor Vehicle ( D.M.V. ) It is a Great Way of Transportation! I have a Electric.

[ron6788]

This bike looks clever in that the "booster" is completely hidden in the frame. You can just tell people it's all leg muscle spinning thoses pedals around like a pinwheel. Speaking of that, seems like you'd need to be careful about cracking an ankle with the pedals flying around at 20 mph, or even more going down. (Maybe the pedals automatically stop when the electric is on.) What about the tires? In the picture, the treads look like racing slicks, no grooves at all. That can't be good. The lease bit of dirt or sand or water and you'll slip. How bout the brakes? Can they stop you cold at 20 mph when some weinie decides to jump out from between cars right in front of you?
SF is a great place to market this invention. With the urban congestion something small is needed to get around, the massive hills require some kind of assist, and the overwhelming cost of living there would make this bike seem reasonable.
To the writer that commented about seeing no motorcycles in Chinese cities, it's not the people's choice. Their govt banned them a few years back due to terrible emissions concerns. There had been 1-2 million of them on the streets! As of today, I wouldn't trust Chinese technology on motorized bikes. Certainly not as good as US or Japanese.

[d.gallea]

Unless this bike has regenerative coasting/braking, it will not help those like me who live in hilly areas and need the boost uphill in exchange for the recharge downhill. That's the "hybrid" advantage, and few electric bikes qualify.

[sray001]

The BionX conversion kit is just another niche product of a different stripe. You replace your rear wheel with one containing a hub motor. You have to be able to judge if the generic fit is appropriate and safe for your bike. This product is designed from the ground up to serve its role. Both products will carry the motor and batteries as dead weight when the charge runs out however I applaud both companies for trying to get the general public out of their cars. We need to encourage even more creative thinking in our society to address the economic and ecological issues ahead of all of us.