Far too much of the conversation around where mobility is going next centers around electric cars. If you really want to slash pollution and create the safer, less congested cities of the future, electric bikes are arguably the much better bet. After all, a battery-powered car is still a car.
E-bike sales are already taking off globally. But a new startup called Also, born within Rivian, hopes to take the space the next level. The idea: Take the clean-sheet, ground-up, tech-driven approach Tesla and Rivian applied to cars, and do the same thing for smaller electric vehicles.
“In spite of the level of friction and the pain points necessary to say yes to the mode today, the adoption is that high,” Chris Yu, Also’s president, told me. “So we thought, hey, if we just created some of this Rivian magic within the category, we could really inspire widespread adoption.”
Also TM-B e-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Also came out of stealth this year, touting $105 million in seed funding and a vague vision to revolutionize not-cars. Now, after taking its debut e-bike for a spin and sitting down with its leadership, we know a lot more about what that “magic” looks like. And I’ve got to say, I’m extremely impressed.
In more ways than I could’ve imagined, the TM-B brings the seamless, satisfying experience that Rivian and Tesla drivers know and love to a two-wheeler that costs about a tenth as much. It boasts a bevy of ingenious features and a charming infotainment system that puts some cars to shame, plus the ability to download over-the-air upgrades over time.
On top of all that, it’s a joy to ride and still costs less than some competitors. Oh, and e-bikes aren’t all that Also is cooking up; the company envisions the e-bike’s platform as the backbone of an entire micromobility ecosystem that includes a helmet and four-wheelers too.
Also TM-B: The Basics
The TM-B is the product of four years of tinkering—first as a secretive project within Rivian and then outside of it as a standalone company. It’s available to preorder now and goes on sale next year. There will be three flavors to choose from at launch. A $4,500 Launch Edition will be the first to hit the pavement, in spring of 2026. Next up is a Performance model, which is mechanically identical and just lacks some colorful accents.
Also TM-B E-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Also TM-B E-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Also TM-B E-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Photos by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Later on next year, a Base model with a smaller battery and a bit less power will hit the market for under $4,000. But, since this is the Rivian of e-bikes we’re talking about here, rest assured that buyers will be able to download a performance boost later on if they decide to shell out for the larger battery pack.
The bikes will be on display at Rivian showrooms and available to order through the automaker’s Gear Shop, in addition to Also’s own website.
The bikes aren’t cheap by any stretch. But for the amount of bike you get, they seem competitive. High-end electric bikes can easily hit the $7,000-$12,000 range, and those still lack some of Also’s most thoughtful features.
What’s Special About The Also E-Bike
Also designed practically the entire TM-B from the ground up, and it shows. Not only does its unusual shape set it apart from the crowd of other e-bikes—it also introduces some striking new capabilities to the two-wheeler space.
Just like a Rivian, the bike wakes up as its owner (or, more specifically, their smartphone) approaches. There’s a circular, five-inch touchscreen mounted to the stem that’s remarkably quick to respond to swipes and taps. This delightful user interface is the portal to the bike’s drive modes and other settings, plus a media player and navigation. I’ve been in plenty of full-blown cars that struggle to offer this sort of frictionless interface.
The mapping feature even adjusts your ETA and estimated range upon arrival based on which pedal-assist setting you’re in. Also designed all the software and the electrical bits in the bike, which allows it to do exactly what it wants and more easily tweak things over time via software. For example, Yu tells me self-canceling function is coming to the bike’s turn signals (yes, turn signals) soon.
Also TM-B e-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
The TM-B’s hardware is equally dazzling. Perhaps the best example of that is a component Also calls its “top frame.” The component that secures the seat post can be swapped out with the tap of a button, making the bike highly modular.
At launch, Also has a cargo rack and an extended, moped-style seat on offer, in addition to the default option. It all means that in just a few seconds, you can transform your TM-B into a cargo bike or a kid carrier without using any tools. All you do is tap a button on the screen and the top frame electronically unlocks; drop a new one in, and it automatically cinches up again.
“So the kind of 10-bike conundrum, or the decision fatigue of saying, okay, which one do I need to start off with, is greatly simplified,” Yu, a former Rivian executive and the ex-CTO at Specialized Bicycle Components said.
Also TM-B e-bike
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Pop out the battery, which uses cells identical to what you’d find in a Rivian R1S or R1T, and you can use it as a mobile battery bank to charge phones at the beach or bar. It’s fitted with USB-C ports and can recharge devices at full-blown wall-outlet speeds.
“We thought, well, there’s a lot of value in all this energy capacity, and it would be really smart if we could do more than just power the e-bike,” he said.
Another piece of the Also puzzle is a helmet with built-in speakers, a noise-proof microphone and lighting in front and rear. That anybody can buy—even if they don’t buy the Also bike.
Riding The Also E-Bike
Also says its in-house motor puts out more torque (180 newton-meters) than any other e-bike motor on the market. Consequently, it also says that the 10x pedal assistance available on the Performance model beats all competitors too. (The base model only multiplies the rider’s input by up to five times, which Also says is still more than other bikes can muster.)
In practice, I can confirm that this bike certainly hauls major ass. Naturally, I kicked it up to levels eight, nine and 10 in fairly short order after starting my test ride. And I actually found myself dialing the pedal assistance down for my leisurely jaunt near Also’s offices in Palo Alto, California.
At one point, I pedaled up a fairly steep incline at 28 mph, the Class 3 bike’s top speed, and didn’t break a sweat. That’s all that torque and pedal assistance for you, Yu said. (You can also hit up to 20 mph via the thumb throttle.)
“You actually have to work pretty hard on a typical e-bike to maintain over 20 miles an hour, and that’s really the sweet spot to say, okay, I can actually replace a car trip,” he told me.
Also TM-B e-bike motor.
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
This was the strangest part: I didn’t find out until after my test ride that the bike uses an ingenious pedal-by-wire setup. Just like in a car with a brake-by-wire or steer-by-wire system, there’s no mechanical connection whatsoever between your feet and the back wheel. It’s all software and motors that translate your pedaling into forward motion.
The lower motor where the pedal cranks slot in registers the effort you put in, while providing resistance. The upper motor gets the message and delivers the appropriate power and torque to the rear wheel via a belt drive. The fact that I didn’t clock this until someone told me later is a strong testament to what Also has built.
The setup allows Also to do some interesting stuff with the way this bike rides. The TM-B has what feels like an automatic continuously variable gearbox; you just pedal, and the bike takes care of the rest while making the effort manageable depending on the terrain.
There’s no need to switch gears, and there actually aren’t any in the conventional sense. But if you crave that analog feeling, there is a manual mode that convincingly mimics more typical shifting. In that case, the toggle on the left side that would normally let you click through pedal-assist levels transforms into a gear selector.
Another sign of- outside-the-box thinking: The motor and battery are housed in a magnesium casting that also doubles as the structural “heart” of the bike. The top frame, suspension and other parts bolt onto it.
Also TM-B e-bike motors and battery.
Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Not to mention, the Also has regenerative braking, just like you’d find in an electric car. Squeeze the brake lever about halfway, and regen kicks in. Pull it more than that, and the hydraulic disc brakes kick in. The handoff all happens smoothly. And, thankfully for such a quick e-bike, it stops on a dime.
Regen, Also says, boosts the bike’s overall range by around 25%. In the Performance/Launch models, which have the larger pack, range is quoted at 25-100 miles, depending on the pedal-assist setting you’re in and how hard you pedal.
What’s Next For Also?
Unlike other automakers that have paid lip service to the idea of micromobility by offering white-labeled e-bikes and the like, Rivian and Also have developed a deeply thought-through and intentional product. And the road doesn’t end there. Also says its software, electronics, cloud infrastructure and hardware combine into a platform something akin to the “skateboards” that EV makers use to underpin many different models.
Up next is a quad called the TM-Q. A delivery van-style version will hit streets next year to deliver Amazon packages. And there will also be a more compact one with a big cargo bin for personal use. Also claims there’s a market for that among people who get around on golf carts or want to take multiple kids to school on an e-bike—but don’t want to deal with balancing a heavy cargo bike.
More than half of vehicle trips in the U.S. are under six miles long—a distance that could easily be covered on an electric bike under the right conditions. The big question is: How do you convince more Americans to jump out of their full-size SUVs and onto something smaller, more fun and more efficient?
This shift is already happening. And I think a thoughtful, satisfying bike like the TM-B—and, hopefully, even lower-priced models down the road—can push things in the right direction.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
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