Tesla Cybertruck-Inspired E-Bike Aims to Replace Cars

Hitting 36 miles per hour on a city street, passing a car, I had a realization: the Infinite Machine Olto is not a bicycle. It possesses pedals, and in many U.S. jurisdictions it qualifies for bike lane use without a license, but that feels like a technicality. I never used the pedals. At 175 pounds, even with motor assist, pedaling is a futile effort. The disapproving stares from cyclists as I glided past confirmed the disconnect. This $3,495 vehicle from a New York startup defies simple categorization, blending moped, e-bike, and scooter DNA. For lack of a perfect term, we might call it a bike, but its true purpose is to replace short car trips, positioning it closer in spirit to a high-performance cargo bike. Whatever the label, it’s the most exhilarating new mode of transport I’ve experienced recently.

My daily routine is a series of journeys just beyond comfortable walking distance yet annoyingly short for driving. The mile to the grocery store, the slightly longer trip to daycare, the quick coffee run,each involves more time finding parking than actually moving. I’ve experimented with every micromobility solution from rideshare scooters to hoverboards, searching for the right tool. The Olto, with its comfortable seat and immediate throttle response, presents a sophisticated answer. A 20-minute walk collapses to three or four minutes. Parking is trivial; its substantial heft and integrated anti-theft automatic locking system mean you can often leave it without a chain. Activation is seamless via an NFC card or a smartphone app that can unlock the vehicle as you approach. The entire experience feels frictionless.

The Olto offers multiple riding modes, each aligning with different local e-bike and e-moto regulations. During setup, the app configures itself based on your location. My options ranged from a limited 15 mph mode, through Class 2 and 3 designations topping out at 20 and 28 mph respectively, to an unrestricted “Unlocked” mode intended for private property. The Class 3 mode officially classifies it as a speed pedelec where I live, inviting more road rules. It wasn’t long before I ventured beyond simple errands. A six-mile lunch meeting through congested DC-area traffic was estimated as a 40-minute bike ride. On the Olto, it took 26 minutes, arriving sweat-free. The requisite motorcycle helmet may not win style points, but it’s a necessary trade-off for the performance.

Range anxiety is minimal thanks to a massive, hot-swappable battery. The company claims 40 miles per charge, which aligned with my use, though aggressive riding in Unlocked mode drained about a third of the pack in just five miles. Recharging takes several hours, making it an overnight proposition rather than a quick top-up. And you absolutely do not want to pedal this machine with a dead battery.

The Olto is essentially a compact version of Infinite Machine’s first product, the design-forward P1 electric moped. Founded by brothers Joe and Eddie Cohen, both with software backgrounds, the company benefits from their expertise; the Infinite Machine app is intuitive, centralizing many controls. Their long-term vision involves scaling the electric vehicle technology in the Olto for larger and smaller devices, but they started with familiar form factors. The P1’s 2023 launch elicited the same two reactions I consistently heard about the Olto: “What is that?” and “It looks like a Cybertruck.” The silver Olto model, with its angular chrome panels and industrial exoskeleton aesthetic, certainly invites the comparison. Yet it feels like a refined, properly executed version of that concept at a fraction of the size.

Thoughtful, if sometimes overly clever, design touches are everywhere. The pedals primarily function as footrests, requiring a convoluted process to unlock for actual pedaling,a clear legal compliance feature rather than a practical one. Small rear foot pegs allow for a passenger, but they were fiddly to re-secure and interfered with the pedals. The handlebars host useful controls like a turn signal, though I frequently activated the overly sensitive horn by mistake. Two rear hooks for cargo went unnoticed until late in my testing; the footwell provided ample space for grocery bags. A cupholder would be a welcome addition.

Evaluated as a tiny motorcycle, the Olto is impressively fast and agile. It corners tightly at speed, the throttle responds instantly, and acceleration is brisk. Compared to a traditional bicycle, however, it feels cumbersome. Its weight makes it difficult to lift over a curb or maneuver quickly. You cannot easily carry it upstairs or load it into a car. Even a bulky cargo bike offers more flexibility. The Olto trades that malleability for superior comfort, luxury, and speed. The tradeoff is real and significant.

Should the Olto find a market, it will undoubtedly stir debate in a cycling community already concerned about motorized vehicles on bike paths. That concern is valid. Yet I find the vehicle compelling. Having tested numerous micromobility options, this is the most comfortable, relaxed, and car-like among them. It isn’t pretending to be a bicycle. Its ambition is to replace your car for urban trips. In my case, it succeeded more broadly and swiftly than I anticipated. And while it may dominate the bike lane, that dominance comes with a pang of guilt.