Skip to main content

Volta ebike from Pure Cycles packs 40 miles worth of self-riding power

volta ebike screen shot 2017 03 01 at 10 12 45 am
This is one bike you won’t want to keep hidden away in your garage. Meet the Volta, an ebike that promises to be everything you’ve ever wanted and more out of two-wheeled transportation. Not only is it motorized, but it’s also smart, with remote activation, activity tracking, and GPS security tracking as just a few of the perks that come included. So if you’ve been meaning to get outside more or drive less, the Volta may just be your ticket out of doors.

“From Palo Alto to San Francisco, from Brooklyn to the Bronx and back, with 40 miles of power, your rides are no longer limited by your legs,” Volta notes on its Kickstarter page, “Let your imagination plan your route and see where it takes you.” And clearly, this bike has captured the imagination of the Kickstarter community. Already, the bike has raised over $45,000, and still has more than six weeks to go in its campaign.

So what’s so special about this bike? First off, while the Volta comes with some serious power, there’s no bulky battery or ugly system to ruin the aesthetic. Rather, Volta’s rear-mounted motor helps keep your bike balanced and delivers power directly to your rear wheel, letting you zoom ahead as needed.

Then, there’s the GPS tracking function, which helps you keep an eye on your bike, even if you can’t see it. Should someone try to take your Volta, you’ll be able to point the authorities in the right direction. And of course, this smart bike comes with a companion app that lets you track your stats so you can work on your fitness. Keep tabs on your calories burned, miles traveled, and more.

The Volta also comes with integrated headlights and taillights, as well as plenty of storage space in its front basket. And despite all these features, it only weighs in at 35 pounds.

So if you’re in need of a new bike, you may want to consider the Volta. You can pre-order one now for the super early bird price of $1,399.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Goodbye, coolers. The EcoFlow Glacier doesn’t need ice — it makes it
The EcoFlow Glacier is a fridge shaped like a cooler with its own battery,

Every cooler operates on borrowed time. It leaves for your camping trip brimming over with crisp produce and ice-encrusted beer that looks straight out of a Super Bowl commercial, and returns with a soggy block of foil-wrapped cheddar cheese floating in a pool of mustard water. Mother Nature always wins.

Perhaps that’s why I was so enamored when I saw the EcoFlow Glacier at CES 2023. Less a cooler than a mobile battery-powered fridge on wheels, the sleek electric Glacier not only obviated the need for ice, it would make ice for me in 18 minutes. My home fridge can’t even do that, and I didn’t even know I wanted it to until just now. When EcoFlow offered to let me try the Glacier, I envisioned sipping a perspiring glass of whiskey in the tropics and accepted the occupational hazards of my job.

Read more
I was wrong. E-bikes are so practical, they’re a transit cheat code
An Aventon Level 2 ebike sits outside a grocery store.

Confession: Despite loving both bikes and gadgets, e-bikes never excited me. Compared to my bicycle, e-bikes seemed unfair. Compared to my motorcycle, they seemed slow. Compared to my car, they seemed impractical.

But with $1,500 federal e-bike rebates potentially on the horizon at part of E-Bike Act, I decided it was past time to reconsider. Not just because 30% off would make them way more accessible, but because the entire idea that e-bikes could be worthy of a rebate changed the way I looked at them: less as toys, more as transit. Had I written off an entire way of getting around because I was looking at it the wrong way?

Read more
Upway launches one of the best marketplaces for certified e-bikes, new or not
Man holding ebike from Upway in a field, lifestyle image.

This content was produced in partnership with Upway.
It wasn't too long ago that e-bikes were a rare sight, but all of that has changed, and rightfully so. Electric bikes are all over the road these days, and there are many brands either venturing into the technology, to launch their own versions of the sustainable transportation option or reiterating existing and traditional designs. From Aventon to Schwinn, or RadPower to Momentum, with so many opportunities, the prevailing question is, where do you go to find the best deals and the best information about these brands and their e-bike models? The answer is Upway, the number one certified electric bike provider and an official partner to many of the aforementioned brands.

What is Upway, exactly? It's a marketplace, specializing in e-bikes, featuring an inventory that's sourced from some of the best brands in the world. There are American brands -- like Specialized, Cannondale, and RadPower -- and European brands -- like Riese, Muller, and VanMoof. The best part is the discounts, offering up to 60% off retail, for a plethora of brands. Upway is on a mission to make sustainable mobility affordable for everyone. It's also one of the best places to go for a new or pre-owned e-bike, and here's why:

Read more