GM's ARIV Smart Electric eBikes Are Up For Preorder
GM has two new EVs in its line-up, though they're eBikes rather than electric cars or trucks. The first two models under General Motors' freshly-named ARIV eBike brand, the electrified bicycles are going up for preorder from today, though only for a select few.
The two designs are the ARIV Meld and the ARIV Merge. Both use a custom-designed electric motor, which the automaker says was specifically created with an eBike in mind. It can drive each at up to 25 kph (15.5 mph), and has four levels of pedal-assisted power.
As for the battery, that's enough for approximately 64 km – or almost 40 miles – assisted range on a single charge. It'll charge back up again in approximately 3.5 hours, GM says. There are also integrated, rechargeable front and rear LED lights, and GM says the brake rotors were purposefully oversized so as to increase their performance.
Both ARIV bikes have Bluetooth, which links them to the companion smartphone app. That offers riding metrics like speed and distance traveled, along with battery status, motor assist level, and more. GM says it plans to add in more features over time, including a mode that promises to "use a proprietary algorithm to help riders arrive at their destination sweat-free."
As for security, there's a Quad Lock mount integrated into each bike. That can be used to securely lock a smartphone to the eBike. A USB port is designed to keep the phone topped-up while it's being used.
The primary difference between the two models is the form-factor. ARIV Meld is a fixed-body eBike, with a walk mode that can be used to assist moving it around without actually riding it. ARIV Merge, meanwhile, is designed to fold. While it also has the same walk mode, it can also be rolled on its two wheels when the eBike is folded.
If all that sounds like something you could happily throw your leg over, there's unfortunately a downside. Right now, the ARIV eBikes are only available to preorder in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. That, GM says, is down "to the popularity of lithium-ion battery-powered eBikes in those markets."
Pricing will vary depending on country: the ARIV Meld will be EUR 2,800 in Belgium and the Netherlands, and EUR 2,750 in Germany, or around the equivalent of $3,150. The ARIV Merge, meanwhile, will be EUR 3,400 in Belgium and the Netherlands, or EUR 3,350 in Germany, or approximately $3,850. GM says they'll begin shipping there in Q2, though there's no word on when – or indeed if – the company will begin offering the eBikes in the US.
