Mini electric bicycles from the BMW brand may be here sooner than youβd think. Thatβs thanks to a new partnership with the French bicycle manufacturer Angell Mobility.
Automakers have been tripping over each other in a race to bring electric bikes to market lately, but they rarely produce them in-house.
Instead, most automakers partner up with existing bicycle manufacturers.
Thatβs exactly what BMW appears to have done when it decided to roll out one or more electric bicycles under its Mini brand.
We donβt yet have any imagery showing what those Mini-branded electric bikes will look like (which is why youβre looking at pretty studio images of Angellβs existing bikes), but we do know theyβll be produced at the Angellβs French factory based on Miniβs design. The bikes could be ready by the end of this year, according to Bike Europe.
Angell Mobility is fairly new company, founded in just the past three years. Despite its relatively young age, the company has already made a name for itself with two models of e-bikes based on a unique design that includes tech-forward features like app connectivity, turn signals, and integrated anti-theft systems that allows the company to guarantee the bikes against theft.
Automakers rushing to the e-bike market
BMWβs new partnership to make Mini-branded electric bikes isnβt the companyβs first stab at the micromobility market.
BMW has unveiled concepts for high-powered electric bicycles as well as smaller electric scooters and even cargo electric bikes.
Several automotive manufacturers have also jumped on the electric bicycle bandwagon in the last few years, hoping to grab their own slice of the rapidly expanding market while eyeing the low barrier to entry for lightweight two-wheeled electric vehicles.
Toyota recently unveiled its own front-loading electric cargo bike designed for heavy-duty hauling jobs and commercial activities.
PeugeotΒ has developed its own diverse line of e-bikes, and Spainβs SEATΒ previously teamed up with Barcelona-based Silence to brand its own seated and standing electric scooters.
GM once developed an attractive-looking folding electric bicycle in-house,Β though the e-bike was unfortunatelyΒ killed offΒ early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting back up on the horse, GM recently showed offΒ a much more aggressive HUMMER e-bikeΒ that was produced through a licensing agreement to complement the colossal and excessive HUMMER EV.
Ε KODA rolled outΒ one of the weirdest electric bike/scooter concepts weβve seen, though thereβs no indication that it is headed for production.
Jeep has gotten into the high-power e-bike gameΒ via licensing agreements, though its similar attempt to co-develop an electric scooterΒ was significantly less impressive.
Rivian, the electric truck and SUV maker, recentlyΒ expanded its trademark to cover electric bicycles.Β The company has alsoΒ hired top talent in the electric bicycle industry, making a move toward e-bikes even more likely.
VinFast, a Vietnamese-based electric maker, also recently showed offΒ four interesting new e-bike models.
Swedish electric car maker PolestarΒ has announced that it will develop its own electric bicycles.
Even motorcycle manufacturers like Harley-Davidson, Ducati, and BMW Motorrad have gotten into electric bicycles and scooters, thoughΒ Harleyβs resultsΒ and thoseΒ from DucatiΒ have been much more impressiveΒ than BMWβs.
With all of these different automakers eyeing the electric bicycle market, one thing is for sure: This isnβt the last time weβll see a car companyβs badge on the front of a two-wheeler.
