Acer is now making electric bikes, kicking things off with a sci-fi-looking urban bike with a rear-collision sensor.
It’s a surprising announcement, considering that up until now, Acer has stayed within the realm of home computers. Laptops, desktop PCs and monitors make up most of the Acer range, although, it did announce a twist on a standing desk earlier this year, with the eKinekt BD 3 merging an exercise bike and work in a way no one asked for. Regardless, that was still computer adjacent and now the company wants to do electric bikes.
Not just any e-bikes, mind you: ones that are AI-driven to help with riding conditions, pedalling power, and the user’s preferred level of assistance.
The e-bike has been developed in collaboration with Acer’s subsidiaries, in particular, MPS Energy for the power system and Xplova for the computer system.
It’s called the Acer Ebii, and is designed with a focus on urban commutes. It comes with a swappable battery (like many e-bike alternatives) and an LED display on the handlebars (though we couldn’t get a good look of it in the provided assets), that allows the user to see crucial information (like remaining battery power, assistance level and and distance left to travel). The bike is made of aluminium, with a carbon belt drive for the pedals and airless ‘flat-free’ tyres made from multilayer foam inserts.
“The all-new Acer Ebii delivers on our commitment to sustainability via technology and creative design, further driven by the desire to enhance user’s mobility and experiences,” Acer’s co-COO Jerry Kao said.
“As urban commuters search for convenient, safe, and greener options, the Acer Ebii’s AI assistance and innovative safety features empower them to go further, faster.”
One of the coolest features of the Ebii is that it comes with a rear collision assistance sensor – it’s not new to see on an e-bike, but it’s a very welcome feature. A sensor is located under the back of the seat, which alerts the driver to objects coming into close contact. There’s also crash detection built into the bike and a health status check, giving you a status report on the bike’s components.
A 250/350 watt motor is built into the 16kg bike, with all of the components located in a single long box housing, which makes the whole thing look quite otherworldly. Acer said that it can travel at 25km/h while pedal-assisted (bringing it in line with Australian e-bike rules), with a maximum range of about 110km (charging to 100 per cent in 2.5 hours).
It also has a smartphone app for viewing the current charge, locking and unlocking, and for calibrating the built-in front and back lights.
Australian pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed for the bike, and prices in other markets haven’t been shared. Gizmodo Australia has reached out to Acer to ask about Australia-specific availability.