February 21/19 10:09 am - New GM eBike Designed in Canada

Posted by Editoress on 02/21/19
 

General Motors has announced that it has begun accepting pre-orders for their new ARIV electric bike in select European countries. The name ARIV was selected as part of a global crowdsourcing campaign announced in November 2018. The brand includes includes two innovative, integrated and connected eBikes: the Meld, a compact eBike, and the Merge, a folding eBike.

"The crowdsourcing campaign allowed us to bring consumers into the development of our brand," said Hannah Parish, ARIV director. "Combine that with our products and our blend of bike and automotive talent, and the result is a unique brand DNA."

The ARIV program is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, and Parish is a former member of the Cycling Canada Board of Directors, as well as working in the bike industry with CSG (Cannondale) and Specialized. The ARIV eBikes were engineered and designed in GM facilities in Michigan and Oshawa.

ARIV eBikes are launching first in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, due to the popularity of lithium-ion battery-powered eBikes in those markets. Preorders are available in those countries via www.BikeExchange.com.

Parish says that they are assessing demand for the North American market. Potential Canadian consumers can contact support.na@arivmobility.com for more information.

In Belgium and the Netherlands, the ARIV Meld is 2.800 € and the ARIV Merge is 3.400 €. In Germany, the ARIV Meld is 2.750 € and the ARIV Merge is 3.350 €. All prices include applicable sales taxes and shipping. ARIV eBikes are scheduled to begin shipping to customers in Q2 of 2019.

The details

ARIV used GM's automotive-grade capabilities to develop the proprietary GM motor that was built from the ground up specifically for ARIV eBikes. The motor delivers top-of-segment power and torque for its size. It also enables speeds up to 25 kph with four levels of pedal-assisted power.

The battery was designed and validated to rigorous testing standards similar to GM's electric vehicles. Riders can charge their ARIV eBike's battery in approximately 3.5 hours and receive up to 64 kilometres of ride time on a single charge.

The ARIV Merge and Meld come standard with safety components such as integrated, rechargeable front and rear LED safety lights for increased visibility and oversized brake rotors to increase stopping power.

Both ARIV eBikes connect with the ARIV eBike app via Bluetooth. The app provides riding metrics such as speed, distance, remaining battery level, motor assist level, distance traveled and more. Additional features are planned for the app including a mode that will use a proprietary algorithm to help riders arrive at their destination sweat-free.

Each ARIV Merge and Meld comes equipped with a Quad Lock mount, a market-leading system to securely attach a smartphone to the eBike. An integrated USB port allows riders to maintain their phone's charge while on the go.