Making a Splash at Micromobility
An Elevate owner can easily transfer the drive system between a bike and a scooter
An awareness is building among consumers and manufacturers that Bimotal is a noteworthy newcomer to the micromobility industry.
Most of the attention on our company to date has focused on the Elevate micro-electric powertrain for bicycles. Yet this same powertrain can drive a scooter too, so for our first time at the Bay Area’s Micromobility America conference, September 23, we wanted to show that the Elevate system is more than a one-trick pony.
Versatility is a cornerstone of the Elevate’s design. Other key features are light weight, compact form, and high power.
Bimotal’s founder, Toby Ricco, started the company because he saw how microelectric powertrain technologies can be done better: smaller, lighter, more efficient. This is why Toby left his job at Tesla in 2019 and set up his own company, working alongside other Tesla alumni and engineers he’d met along the way. Elevate is the company’s first product, and with it we are already positioned at the forefront of ebike technology.
Our booth attracted crowds like this throughout the day
How it went
Overall it was a great day, with absorbing conference sessions and meetings with interesting people doing clever things. Most important for us was the non-stop flow of visitors to our booth, even while conference sessions were in progress. This level of interest was a taste of what we would receive two weeks later at the Sea Otter Classic bicycle expo.
We’d have liked more time in the conference hall, but but our booth was so busy, we scarcely had time
A range of people visited our booth: journalists, investors, representatives from other companies, the mountain bike pioneer Gary Fisher, and general conference attendees. Amidst all this attention, one person from the industry even offered to help us as a volunteer at our next event.
Mountain bike pioneer, Gary Fisher, gave Toby Ricco (r) and the Elevate the thumbs up
Unsurprisingly the Elevate-equipped bicycles we’d brought attracted the most attention, and some who went out for a demo ride returned with questions about becoming a customer.
Our dazzling array
There was a lot of interest in the range of in-house products we produce in our San Francisco workshop. These products include a power control board, electric motor, our own battery pack, quick-connect fasteners, and several others.
The array of products Bimotal designs and manufactures in-house
Making these products in-house gives us full control over the range of variables needed for speed and flexibility in product development, factors we see as necessary to succeed in this fast growing industry.
Micromobility America only reinforced our view that we are here at the beginning of a great movement in transport technology. We see this movement as an opportunity to use our abilities and knowledge as engineers to innovate and create, with the goal of helping bring positive change to our communities. What could be more inspiring than that?
Paul Skilbeck is Bimotal’s media and PR liaison, and blog editor.
Photo credits: Paul Skilbeck and Jason Roesslein
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