While ebikes certainly aren’t something you often see on a walk down your street or drive to work, they’re becoming increasingly common. More and more brands are launching ebike offerings, and ebike-centred companies are popping up left right and centre. Vvolt is the newest face on the block, and boasts a pretty unique and unlikely ally for its launch bikes: Acer

Vvolt and Acer? More like R-Acer

Yes, that’s right. Acer. In case you don’t know, while Acer is a pretty wholistic hardware manufacturer, it’s most well known for its laptops. The Taiwanese tech company has added a new piece of hardware to its product list: ebike motors.

Acer built the motors for Vvolt’s entry-level bikes, the Alpha and Alpha S models. They’re single-speed ebikes rocking 350W rear-mounted motors (powered by 375Wh batteries courtesy of LG) that top out at 20mph (that’s about 32kmh) and offer 45Nm of torque for hill climbing. Additionally, the Alpha and Alpha S have 5 levels of pedal assist (the selling point of an ebike) which can be personalised further by a Bluetooth app. And, of course, they’ve got rechargeable lights.

Both entry-level models also make use of a Gates CDN belt drive, which lasts longer and is easier to maintain than traditional bike chains. Both bikes cost $1,400 (R19,265) and (like the rest of Vvolt’s bikes) come with a 3 year warranty.

Vvolt’s mid-range models are your standard, though still impressive, ebike offerings. You’ve got the Proxima ($2,600/R35,800) and the Sirius ($2,700/R37,200). Driving these models is a 250W (500W on the top end) mid-drive MPF motor. It offers 90Nm of torque, which should make most uphills a breeze. The reason for the price difference is that the Sirius offers some slightly better hardware, namely a 100mm suspension fork for riding on tough terrain.

Vvolt also has some more unique and futuristic-looking ebike ideas, like a cargo carrying trike called the Beluga (likely due to the resemblance). This only exists as a concept for now though.

The Alpha, Alpha S, Proximus and Sirius are currently in production, set to start shipping in America in August. Customers can pre-order their bikes with a $300 deposit in the meantime. There’s no word on international shipping or availability just yet, but we’ll keep you posted.