The popular automobile company General Motors (GM) is planning to enter the electric motor segment and for this, the company has decided to launch two new electric bikes to market next year.
One of the two bikes will be folding and the other one will be compact. General Motors is making a broader push into electrification and other ideas that try to move beyond its traditional business model of producing and selling gas-power vehicles.
Hannah Parish, director of General Motors Urban Mobility Solutions did not reveal much about the company’s plans to launch a bike-sharing service as a result of these two new products. “I can’t say anything is on or off the table at this point,” she stated.
“We know that people who live in urban areas, like myself in downtown Toronto need different opportunities to use different types of transportation when they going and doing different things. We know that congestion in cities is a problem and the e-bikes feed right into our efforts,” Parish, director of General Motors Urban Mobility Solutions said.
The bikes launched by the company will be “smart” and “connected” and somehow inspired by GM’s OnStar, the company’s subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security and emergency services feature found in cars.
Also, the bikes will be equipped with safety features including rechargeable front and rear LED lights. The electric propulsion on the bikes were designed by GM engineers who created a proprietary drive system.