Acer is making a serious left turn in its product offerings with today’s announcement of the ebii e-bike. The Taiwanese company — typically known for its PCs, laptops and accessories — touts ebii as a bike designed for cities, with AI features used to learn riders’ personal preferences and change gears depending on road conditions. Weight wise, it’s about 35 pounds, making it lighter than most e-bikes. Acer claims it has a maximum assist speed of 20 MPH and can go just under 70 miles on one charge.
The bike takes about two and a half hours to reach full battery life. In this area, Acer connects back to its roots, as the power brick can also be used as a portable charger for your laptop or phone. Riders must download the ebiiGO app for information on battery life, recommended routes, speed checks and to lock and unlock the bike. However, ebii will also auto-lock anytime the linked phone leaves the immediate area. Plus, it has an anti-theft alarm.
Additional features of the ebii include collision detection sensors, lights in every direction and airless tires to avoid a flat.
Acer hasn’t specified how much the ebii costs or when it will be released. It’s hard to make an estimated guess as e-bikes can range tremendously in price, from the $800 Lectric XP Lite to Audi’s new electric mountain bike at over $10,000.
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