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.
