Photo: GM
In early 2019, General Motors officially introduced its first-ever electric bicycle line, called the ARIV. Two models were included and offered on a handful of European markets, but have now been discontinued.
The “AR*V” (pronounced “arrive”) line included the compact Meld model and the foldable Merge, and was met with warm reviews upon launch. Today, riders looking to buy one on the ARIV official website are redirected to the automaker’s page, with The Verge offering confirmation from GM that the bikes have, indeed, been discontinued.
The decision to pull the plug was determined by the effects of the international health crisis, which hardly comes as a surprise. Like most automakers, GM is looking to cut costs to compensate for the staggering decrease in car sales and the economic impact of having to shut down operations for several weeks, and ARIV was the right place to start.
However, GM says riders should find some consolation in knowing the project will serve a higher, unspecified purpose as a necessary step on the learning curve. “Ariv has generated significant insights about micromobility for General Motors, and we plan to use those insights to benefit future innovation,” Brian Tossan, GM’s director of global innovation, explains for the same media outlet.
In addition to a fancy name, ARIV came with a battery that delivered an estimated range of 64 km (40 miles) on a single charge, and top speeds of 25 kph (15.5 mph). The Meld model was priced at €2,750 ($2,970), while the Merge started at €3,350 ($3,625).
Ironically, most e-bike retailers in Europe are reporting considerable increase in sales, as more people turned to alternative means of transport while socially distancing. Some retailers even faced the unprecedented situation of having staff asking for a reduction in working hours. Clearly, this type of temporary boom in sales wasn’t enough for GM to keep the ARIV project online.
The decision to pull the plug was determined by the effects of the international health crisis, which hardly comes as a surprise. Like most automakers, GM is looking to cut costs to compensate for the staggering decrease in car sales and the economic impact of having to shut down operations for several weeks, and ARIV was the right place to start.
However, GM says riders should find some consolation in knowing the project will serve a higher, unspecified purpose as a necessary step on the learning curve. “Ariv has generated significant insights about micromobility for General Motors, and we plan to use those insights to benefit future innovation,” Brian Tossan, GM’s director of global innovation, explains for the same media outlet.
In addition to a fancy name, ARIV came with a battery that delivered an estimated range of 64 km (40 miles) on a single charge, and top speeds of 25 kph (15.5 mph). The Meld model was priced at €2,750 ($2,970), while the Merge started at €3,350 ($3,625).
Ironically, most e-bike retailers in Europe are reporting considerable increase in sales, as more people turned to alternative means of transport while socially distancing. Some retailers even faced the unprecedented situation of having staff asking for a reduction in working hours. Clearly, this type of temporary boom in sales wasn’t enough for GM to keep the ARIV project online.
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