You Should Know What Bolt is doing and Here’s Why
Support Bolt here
On the surface, Bolt’s M-1 is a battery powered bike looking for a fitting in the world of motor/electric and non-electric bicycles. But it’s more than that. Bolt is a statement, (whether consciously or subconsciously) saying, “Cities are congested, inconvenient to maneuver and polluted with carbon. We need an environmentally friendly option that is easy and encourages more people to get out of their cars.”
Instagram post by Marion_in_Paris on a Day Without Cars in Paris. September 27th 2015.
And that makes sense considering the following: Nathan Jauvtis spent a significant amount of time before co-finding Bolt Motorbikes working on a not-for-profit project called A Day Without Driving. A project dedicated to spreading awareness to the carbon footprints left by gasoline powered vehicles. Unlike other activists attempting to get community attention, A Day Without Driving created a massive movement. It encouraged cities to spend a day using other means of transportation and leaving their polluting machines at home. It’s also impossible to miss the eerily liberating feeling having people navigate the streets on foot instead of zooming by in isolated metal domes.
Jauvtis, who has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell, quit his day job and decided to dedicate his full attention to his new prodigy, Bolt Motorbikes.
“This is like our Tesla Roadster.” He said in an interview with Techdrive Editor Marla Fong. “We are establishing our brand. Getting good feedback and validating our technology so we can design our Model S.”
The Bolt M-1 is the beginning to a better future; to a better commute. The subway is crowded, the roads are full of traffic and riding a bike is a feat in its own on the hills of San Francisco. Motorcycles, Mopeds and Scooters are good alternatives, but require registration, a separate licensing and insurance– so might as well just get a car right? Unless there was an option like the M-1. An electric powered bike with the rugged stability of a small motorcycle and the environmental conscience of a bicycle. That’s why the M-1 deserves attention. It could usher in a new category of vehicle. One that isn’t damaging and is a smarter choice.
Official Bolt Garage posted by Techdrive Editor Marla Fong
The M-1 runs on a lithium ion battery. It’s recyclable, has a 5 hour charge and gets anywhere from 30-50 miles on a single charge. The bike has two modes, Economy and Sport. If you’re looking for a gentle ride to get you from point A to point B then Economy will be good to you, running at 20 mph, with about 1000 watts of power and can get to about 50 miles in range. Or, if that’s not enough for you then you Sport your way to 40 mph using 5500 watts of power and getting about 30 miles on a single charge. The bike is powered by its app which you can download onto your phone. It has a built in dashboard with music and navigation options and an alarm to keep track of whether people are trying to make away with your bike.
The Bolt M-1 is a stepping stone if you choose to let it be. It paves a road to an efficient mode of transport that doesn’t sacrifice as much on the way. A smarter way to travel, that has all the potential to evolve into something quite beautiful. Where were you when Tesla started? Do you remember? Well here’s the Bolt Roadster. Will you help make the Bolt Model S?
Support the Indie-Go-Go campaign here.
