Momentum’s first electric bicycle with a throttle also has a neat glovebox
Giant Group, one of several leading bicycle manufacturers, has just revealed its first throttle-enabled electric bike. The new model is being released under the company’s Momentum sub-brand of more affordable bikes designed for street, utility, and commuter use. From the looks of things, the new Momentum Cito E+ seems like a great first shot at a throttle e-bike, and even comes with interesting options like a glovebox.
More major bicycle manufacturers – the kind you’d typically see in higher-end bike shops – are incorporating throttle-enabled electric bikes into their lineups.
Unlike assist-only electric bikes, which use a pedal assist system that only engages the electric motor when the rider is actively pedaling, throttle-enabled electric bikes can be powered even when the pedals are idle. A handlebar-mounted throttle actuates the motor power similarly to a moped.
Throttle-enabled electric bikes make up the vast majority of e-bike sales in North America, especially in the cargo and utility markets where heavy loads can be harder to get rolling under pedal power, even with motor assist.
The Momentum Cito E+ leans heavily into the utility bike segment of the bicycle spectrum, and its included throttle is likely to help the bike see an expanded market of riders that have grown accustomed to the safety net of a throttle.
It’s not just a hand throttle that helps the Momentum Cito E+ stand out. The bike also packs in surprisingly good performance.
The 750W rear hub motor maxes out the legal limit for motor power on an e-bike in the US, and the large 780Wh battery offers more range than most electric bikes on the road today. That exact range depends on the power level, speed of riding, and the choice of throttle or pedal assist.
Momentum says pedal assist on ECO mode can net up to 75 miles (120 km) of range, though throttle control on POWER mode can drop that range down to 25 miles (40 km). A mix of the two should land riders somewhere in the middle.
For faster riding, the Cito E+ can be user-unlocked from its default Class 2 e-bike speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) up to a more exhilarating 28 mph (45 km/h), the fastest speed allowed by Class 3 e-bikes in the US. The throttle is only enabled while riding between 3.5 and 20 mph though, meaning you can’t use it in the bike’s top end (not allowed under Class 3 regulations in the US), and it’s not available to get rolling from a start (though a handy torque sensor makes for responsive pedal assist when starting from a stop).
On the component side, Momentum is coming in hot with some great parts. You’ll find four-piston hydraulic disc brakes, microSHIFT Acolyte 8-speed transmission, e-bike specific chain, full light package with 1,900 lumen headlight and turn signals, and included fenders. There’s also a pile of accessories that turn this e-bike into a seriously heavy-duty utility bike.
As the company explained:
“With a total payload capacity of 408 pounds, the frame-integrated rear rack can carry over 130 pounds. With a wide variety of accessories, riders can outfit the Cito E+ to suit their needs and lifestyle. From daily errands to family and friends on board, it’s designed to be customized. Riders can choose to customize with an add-on top tube with storage, mirrors, front rack, tote bag, rear rack, pannier bags, cargo straps, passenger seat, passenger bar, footrests, wheel guards, bench seat, center kickstand, and offers compatibility with third-party baby seats and other accessories.”
That add-on top tube is especially interesting as it essentially adds a small glovebox to the bike, though at the cost of the step-through feature of the bike’s frame. If you ask Momentum, that’s a feature – not a bug. The company describes the accessory as “changing the low step-through frame to a sporty-looking diamond frame.”
It’s not the first electric bike glovebox we’ve seen (that honor goes to Serial 1), but it’s still quite innovative. There’s also a moped-style seat that is still height adjustable, meaning you can get a longer bench seat for comfort while still being able to adjust its height for proper leg extension when pedaling.
This launch marks the latest in a number of brands targeting the rapidly expanding utility e-bike market. Models like the RadRunner from Rad Power Bikes helped launch the category’s rise to popularity, and ever since we’ve seen dozens of brands introduce utility-style bikes that combine elements of smaller diameter wheels with compact frames and heavy cargo weight ratings.
It’s a category that serves many different types of riders as well as handles many different task-oriented purposes, making it a clear winner among customers who want one e-bike to serve many roles.
“The Cito E+’s impressive range and grip throttle gives riders the ability to go further than ever before—which is both energy saving and fun,” said Phoebe Liu, chief branding officer of Giant Group, which includes Giant, Liv, Momentum and CADEX brands. “Our design team purpose-built the bike to be a total utility solution that integrates motorcycle design and best-in-class technologies. Whether heading to work, getting groceries or exploring the outdoors, the Cito E+ offers a natural riding experience.”
Those looking to bring a Cito E+ home to their own garage will have to fork over US $3,200, with the bike already available starting today. While that price is a bit higher than most budget utility e-bikes, it’s within range of higher quality models from bike shop brands like those offered by Giant Group.
The price also includes bike shop service, as riders can head back to their local Giant dealer for access to service and support whenever they need it – something most direct-to-consumer internet brands can’t offer.
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GreenPower Motor Company says it’s received three orders for 11 of its BEAST electric Type D school buses for western state school districts in Arizona, California, and Oregon.
GreenPower hasn’t made the sort of headline-grabbing promises or big-money commitments that companies like Nikola and Lion Electric have, but while those companies are floundering GPM seems to be plugging away, taking orders where it can and actually delivering buses to schools. Late last year, the company scored 11 more orders for its flagship BEAST electric school bus.
As far as these latest orders go, the breakdown is:
- seven to Los Banos Unified School District in Los Banos, California
- two for the Hood River County School District in Hood River, Oregon
- two for the Casa Grande Elementary School District in Casa Grande, Arizona
Those two BEAST electric school buses for Arizona will join another 90-passenger BEAST that was delivered to Phoenix Elementary School District #1, which operates 15 schools in the center of Phoenix, late last year.
“As school districts continue to make the change from NOx emitting diesel school buses to a cleaner, healthier means of transporting students, school district transportation departments are pursuing the gold standard of the industry – the GreenPower all-electric, purpose-built (BEAST) school buses,” said Paul Start, GreenPower’s Vice President of Sales, School Bus Group. “(The) GreenPower school bus order pipeline and production schedule are both at record levels with sales projections for (2025) set to eclipse the 2024 calendar year.”
GreenPower moved into an 80,000-square-foot production facility in South Charleston, West Virigina in August 2022, and delivered its first buses to that state the following year.
Electrek’s Take
Since the first horseless carriage companies started operating 100 years ago (give or take), at least 1,900 different companies have been formed in the US, producing over 3,000 brands of American automobiles. By the mid 1980s, that had distilled down to “the big 3.”
All of which is to say: don’t let the recent round of bankruptcies fool you – startups in the car and truck industry is business as usual, but some of these companies will stick around. If you’re wondering which ones, look to the ones that are making units, not promises.
SOURCE | IMAGES: GreenPower Motors.
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While some recent high-profile bankruptcies have cast doubt on the EV startup space recently, medium-duty electric truck maker Harbinger got a shot of credibility this week with a massive $100 million Series B funding round co-led by Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for fledgling EV brands like Lion Electric and Canoo, but box van builder Harbinger is bucking the trend, fueling its latest funding round with an order book of 4,690 vehicles that’s valued at nearly $500 million. Some of the company’s more notable customers including Bimbo Bakeries (which owns brands like Sara Lee, Thomas’, and Entenmann’s) and THOR Industries (Airstream, Jayco, Thor), which is also one of the investors in the Series B.
Other prominent investors include Tiger Global, the Coca-Cola System Sustainability Fund, and ArcTern Ventures.
As for what makes Harbinger such an attractive investment prospect, Dipender Saluja, Managing Partner of Capricorn Investment Group’s Technology Impact Fund explains that, “Harbinger has demonstrated a remarkable ability to reach significant milestones far quicker than other EV companies … the market has been impressed by their ability to develop large portions of the vehicle in-house to drive down unit costs, while remaining capital efficient.”
The company plans to use the funds to ramp up to higher-volume production capacity and deliver on existing orders, as well as build-out of the company’s sales, customer support, and service operations.
“Harbinger is entering a rapid growth phase where we are focused on scaling production of our customer-ready platform,” said John Harris, co-founder and CEO. “These funds catalyze significant revenue generation. We’ve developed a vehicle for a segment that is ripe for electrification, and there is a strong product/market fit that will help fuel our upward trajectory through 2025 and beyond.”
The company has raised $200 million since its inception in 2021.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Harbinger.
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There is no state more associated with cars and car culture than Michigan – and the state that’s home to the Motor City has just taken a huge step into the future with the deployment of its first-ever all electric police vehicle.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E patrol vehicle is assigned to the Michigan State Police State Security Operations Section, and will be to be used by armed, uniformed members of the MSP specializing in general law enforcement and security services at state-owned facilities in the Lansing, MI area.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle performs on patrol,” says Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “Our state properties security officers patrol a substantially smaller number of miles per day than our troopers and motor carrier officers, within city limits and at lower speeds, coupled with the availability of charging infrastructure in downtown Lansing, making this the ideal environment to test the capabilities of a police-package battery electric vehicle.”
The MSP’s Precision Driving Unit is nationally renowned for its annual Police Vehicle Evaluation, which our own Scooter Doll participated in last year, driving the then-new Chevy Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicles in a game of “cops and robbers.”
In those tests, the EVs have impressed – but the MSP has been hesitant to commit to a BEV until now. “We began testing battery electric vehicles in 2022, but up until now hybrids were the only alternative fuel vehicle in our fleet,” said Lt. Nicholas Darlington, commander of the Precision Driving Unit. “Adding this battery electric vehicle to our patrol fleet will allow us to study the vehicle’s performance long-term to determine if there is a potential for cost savings and broader applicability within our fleet.”
Michigan joins other states like Wisconsin and California in deploying electric patrol cars and saving big money on fuel and maintenance, with many more out there and many more to come.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Michigan State Police.
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