For just $100 and a small monthly subscription, this company hopes to get the world on e-bikes — by leveraging the bikes they already have. A U.S. company hopes to expand micromobility access across the globe with an ultra-cheap tool to put pedal-assist on analog bikes, and an innovative battery swapping scheme to keep them powered — two moves that, together, they say could expand the fundamental definition of what an “e-bike” is and how many people it can serve.
At a buzzy Innovation Award ceremony at last weekend’s South by Southwest festival, Brooklyn-based mobility startup CLIP announced the launch of the BOLT, a low-cost version of the company’s flagship product that clamps onto any bike’s front wheel and delivers riders an electric boost.
The original CLIP was already a standout in the crowded e-bike conversion field, combining a battery and a friction-drive motor into one simple device that can be attached and removed in under a minute without any tools, and without significant wear on the bike’s tire. The BOLT builds on the concept by adding a swappable battery to that quick-install design, and will be sold in bulk to businesses who want to rapidly electrify a fleet, rather than to individuals who want the flexibility to take their personal bikes from electric to analog.
I would hope there is good electrical design and quality control to ensure fire safety.
There has already been electrical fires in domestic properties due to poorly made electrical mobility solutions including cycle add ons.