Business · Fortune Technology
a16z-backed Infinite Machine is building e-bikes that feel like mopeds
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This was not the e-bike ride the reporter was expecting.
Key facts
- At a speed of 20 or 25 miles per hour, a 176-pound bike carries much more energy than a traditional bicycle, and collisions don’t look the same
- It’s a well-funded venture, with $14.2 million from investors including a16z’s American Dynamism fund (a little funny when you consider that Infinite Machine, like many transit companies
- The Olto is a whopping 176 pounds, has a moped-style seat position, and uses a throttle that gets it up to 20 miles per hour—or more if you’re in a city where higher speeds are allowed
- Last week, in Queens, the reporter met up with Infinite Machine CEO Joseph Cohen at his startup’s new vibey office space in Long Island City
Summary
Last week, in Queens, the reporter met up with Infinite Machine CEO Joseph Cohen at his startup’s new vibey office space in Long Island City. As Cohen and colleagues waited at a traffic light, people on the corner pointed at them, grinning. The Olto follows all the technical parameters of a Class 2 e-bike, where you don’t need a license plate or registration, and it’s allowed in the bike lane. While there technically are pedals, Cohen advised me not to use them, and said that customers keep the pedals in the locked position—like pegs. For Cohen, these quirks are exactly the point.