This Electric Two-Wheeler Could Become the Tesla Model 3 of the Bike Market

0 0 Editorial Team November 6, 2019 Edit this post

By Michael Frank, Car and Driver

The electric Cake Ösa is a new electric scooter/motorcycle that starts at $6000—way cheaper than even many electric bicycles.

There are two models, a cheaper one classified as a 50 cc moped and an $8000 model classified as a 125 cc motorcycle. The cheaper one is slower, but still has 72 miles of range.

Cargo options abound and there’s even a configuration to cart your surfboard, bro.

Sweden’s Cake, a relative newcomer to the electric motorcycle market, now has a second model called the Ösa, and it’s remarkably cheap. Starting at $6000, the Ösa not only significantly undercuts the company's other model, the $14,000 Kalk, it is also cheaper than some deluxe electric bicycles.

Yet the Ösa retains some of the Cake Kalk’s strong appeal. It comes standard with an automatic drivetrain (no confusing shifting required), has nearly the same wheelbase, and weighs a similar amount, but features a less radical off-road-centric design. With between four to six inches of suspension travel and less aggressive rubber that’ll ride quieter on pavement, it's more street-focused. A modular rack system is available to help carry everything from groceries to surfboards to skis. Plus, it can be configured with a second seat, a kid carrier, head- and taillamps, a rearview mirror, and more.

The Ösa comes in two primary builds. The $6000 Ösa Lite is classified as a 50 cc moped and has a top speed of 30 mph. In many states, driving one wouldn’t require anything beyond a standard driver’s license. It has 72 miles of range and a lighter-duty suspension. The burlier $8000 Ösa+, classified as a 125 cc motorcycle, gets a longer-travel suspension, dual-crown fork, and better brakes to handle its 60 mph top speed. The higher power output limits range to a claimed 62 miles. And you’d need a motorcycle license. Its closest competitor is the Zero FXS, which starts at $8995, has a combined range of 29 miles and a top speed of 85 mph.

To take full advantage of the fact that Ösa owners will be rolling on portable power, it gets dual USBs, a 12-volt “cigarette” lighter port, and a high-power wall-style outlet like a standard 110/220-volt plug that can deliver as much as 3000 watts. “This can be used to power equipment like power tools, kitchen equipment," said Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of Cake. "It’s all about off-the-grid independence, from forest raves and live concerts in the outback to building a house in the middle of nowhere.” Or, say, surviving one of California’s many rolling blackouts.

Given the far more reasonable sticker, it’s possible Cake’s second try will find a wider audience—such as, perhaps, Millennials who are attracted to a Tesla Model 3, but can’t afford the steep cost of admission.