There's no shortage of electric bicycles already available, so newcomers to the space need to offer something special before they get noticed. Unless you're already a household name. Automaker General Motors is planning to ride into this crowded arena with two e-bikes – a compact and a folder.
Beyond a few images, GM isn't giving too much away, so we've no idea at this point what makes them "innovative, integrated and connected." We can see that the automaker is going for a mid-drive electric motor rather than the more usual rear hub drive, with an under-frame battery positioned directly above.
The frame on the compact two-wheeler arches from the back as one piece before flowing into the front forks. The folding e-bike frame follows a similar design, but is jointed above the battery housing so that it can be collapsed down for placement in the trunk between rides. The handlebar stem is also jointed for folding down.
Lighting is integrated into the seat column at the rear and the handlebar stem to the front, and there's disc braking front and back. And that's pretty much it for now. GM doesn't yet have a name for the new e-bike range, so is drumming up potential customer interest by offering a US$10,000 prize to the winner of a brand naming challenge.
Source: GM
