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Suitcase-Sized Foldable e-Bike Tatamel Is Almost Here, but It’s Not All Good News

The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES for short, is the self-billed most influential tech event in the world. For those of us who were eagerly waiting and maybe praying for a daily commuter like the Tatamel Bike, CES is the place where dreams go to die.
The Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this year 22 photos
Photo: ICOMA
The Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this yearThe Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this year
Tatamel Bike was introduced as a concept in 2020, and further developed in 2021, when the announcement came that a production version was in the works. Created by Japanese company ICOMA, it was described as the perfect city bike for the daily commuter: chic, customizable, reliable, and most importantly, foldable down to the size of a suitcase.

In fact, ICOMA said at the time, the Tatamel Bike was so perfect for city life that you could roll it under your desk at work and none would be the wiser. That’s because it could fold onto itself, down to nearly half its roadworthy size, and because you could customize its side panels to match whatever color materials your desk was made from. Plus, in folding mode, the Tatamel is very compact, so you have nothing sticking out to inconvenience you.

The daily commute can be a nightmare if you don’t own a car, don’t want to rely on public transportation too much, or are generally averse to traffic jams – and who isn’t? Biking to work is always a good solution, especially given the increasing number of options available, most of them electric. There’s also the possibility of ride-sharing an e-scooter or buying your own, but all these have downsides.

The Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this year
Photo: ICOMA
A bicycle can and will probably be stolen if you leave it outside the building for eight hours, and will require storage space inside your apartment. A scooter, on the other hand, is lighter and more compact, so you can bring it inside, but it doesn’t make for the most comfortable ride, especially on bad infrastructure. The Tatamel was the compromise: comfortable as a bicycle and compact like a scooter, but with extra charm to boot.

When we last covered the bike, we noted that there was no mention of whether ICOMA planned to sell it outside of Japan. The good news is that it probably is, since they just brought it to CES 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which marks the bike’s first public outing. With it comes the announcement that the production model will be out this year, at an unspecified date.

Furthermore, the production version of the Tatamel Bike is very close to the concept we’ve already seen. It is still very compact, yet rugged and reliable, still customizable, still versatile, and still incredibly cute. Now for the bad news: it’s incredibly expensive. Talk about a sucker punch.

ICOMA says that Tatamel is “the original bike you can customize to suit your style,” much like it were “a smartphone or a computer.” Don’t take that too literally, though: the only elements that can be personalized are the side panels, which can be either painted to your liking or branded. In the future, ICOMA imagines a possible use for them as digital billboards or screens, so you can either advertise your business as you ride, or use it as your own small-size cinema screen in your downtime.

The Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this year
Photo: ICOMA
In fact, the most promising thing about Tatamel is its imagined potential. It could be a “portable power supply that is useful in case of emergencies,” because it would be modular and you could add more functions to it that would turn it into a portable power source, including for private power generation using a solar panel.

For the time being, though, Tatamel is a foldable city e-bike that rides on too-small wheels and has the range to qualify for a first- and last-mile solution. Power comes from a 12-Ah 51V battery pack that delivers 30 km (18.6 miles) of range per charge, and a 600 W motor that peaks at 2,000 W and takes it to a top speed of 25 mph (40 kph). The front wheel is 10 inches, while the rear is smaller, at 6.5 inches, but you do get front suspension and a large-diameter mono-suspension in the rear.

At its most compact, the Tatamel is 70 cm (27.5 inches) long, 68 cm (26.7 inches) tall and 26 cm (10 inches) wide, but for road use, it folds out to 123 cm x 100 cm x 65 cm (48.5 x 39 x 25.5 inches). There’s no mention of maximum payload, but don’t even think about hauling weekly groceries with this thing.

As for the claim that you can simply roll it inside a building to “park” it under your desk, well, here’s to hoping there are no stairs to climb. The Tatamel weighs 50 kg (110 pounds), which makes it heavier than any other city e-bike and nearly impossible to carry on your own, and places it right into moped category. In fact, it classifies as a standard Class 1 moped, which means you will need a driver’s license to operate it in its home country.

The Tatamel Bike makes its public debut at CES 2023, will go into production this year
Photo: ICOMA
Still, as far as creative two-wheelers for the daily commute go, the Tatamel Bike stands out. It’s cute, it’s practical to a point, and it’s slightly personalizable. Too bad its estimated starting price of $4,000 puts it in the novelty category: the kind of novelty item that maybe many city dwellers would buy just for fun, if not for how practical it is, but they won’t because they’re put off by pricing.

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 Download: Tatamel Bike CES 2023 presentation (PDF)

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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