After cars, here’s why you should watch the future Polestar bike

The Polestar brand announces an electric bicycle, but the CEO is clear: don’t expect a simple logo slapped onto an existing model.

The Swedish electric car manufacturer has already shown interest in two-wheelers but seems finally ready to dive into its electric bicycle project. The company’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, recently announced that Polestar will expand its partnership with Allebike to create a new electric bicycle. A partnership between the two brands already led to the creation of a high-end off-road bike. Polestar is also considering integrating batteries into the latest model.

The bicycle, an independent model in the Polestar range

Often, when car manufacturers launch their own electric bikes, it’s simply a brand licensing agreement. The Jeep e-bike or Hummer bikes of the last decade are good examples. These are highly publicized projects that end up being cut due to company cost reductions, like the Ariv electric bikes from General Motors abandoned after a few months.

Thomas Ingenlath said he’s aware of the image a car company project conveys when venturing into cycling. “I’ve always hated this marketing stunt of buying a bike and branding it”, Ingenlath stated in an interview.

At the same time, Ingenlath seems to distinguish Polestar from other automakers. He criticizes those who merely create a white-label electric bike—brands that leverage their logo’s value by selling it to e-bike companies aiming to make quick money through brand recognition.

An inspiration from the atypical Cake two-wheelers?

Polestar isn’t the only car manufacturer seeing potential in electric bikes. Porsche recently unveiled a pair of electric ATVs. The German automaker also acquired two companies affiliated with electric bicycles: Greyp and Fazua. BMW has released a couple of electric bike concepts. Finally, Rivian has filed a trademark application for a new line of electric bicycles.

Finally, it’s likely that Polestar will market its new electric bicycle using terms similar to those used during the presentation of the Cake Makka. The two companies (Polestar and Allebike) described the concept as “a new and unique electric mobility system combining the versatile on-road capabilities of the Polestar 2 with the urban convenience of the CAKE Makka.” Ingenlath adds that he is “absolutely in favor of mobility plurality. I hate when people say: We don’t need cars. Of course, we need cars. I just wish I didn’t have to use one every day. I want to use it when I want.

Read also: The electric bicycle, an economic choice for Europeans