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Rivian's E-Bike Spin-off Is a Pedal‑by‑Wire System That Works Like a Tesla
(www.gadgetreview.com)
this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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micromobility - Bikes, scooters, boards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
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To call this an "article" would be charity gone too far. It's basically a list of talking points, direct from the manufacturer.
But examining the merits for what it is, the first thing I noticed is that this supposedly has regenerative brakes on both wheels. That's... a bit odd, seeing as there's only one visible mid-drive motor. I can plausibly believe that the rear wheel is regenerative, since if their goal is fewer drivetrain parts, then eschewing the ratcheting freehub makes sense. But for the front, there's nothing which appears to sink energy, apart from what appears to be a conventional disc brake. Is there a motor hidden in the front fork? Or an induction pickup in the brake caliper?
But more pressing than that, a fully "pedal by wire" ebike may run afoul of the definition of ebikes currently adopted in several states. In California, CVC 231 and 312.5 define a bicycle and electric bicycle, respectively. The latter mandates that an ebike must meet all the requirements of a bicycle, but is allowed to have a 750 W motor, and must have working pedals. The problem here is that "working pedals" in CVC 312.5 and "propelled ... through a belt, chain, or gears" in CVC 231 can only reasonably be reconciled if the pedals are mechanically attached or linked to the belt, chain, or gears. Which has been the case for all legal ebikes... until this one.
As written, California law would put this two-wheeler into legal limbo. A District Attorney could certainly make a good legal argument that the Also TM-B is not an ebike, making it an unregistered motorcycle. If there is any functional, steady-state mode where the pedals can turn forward but not move the bike, AND the bike can run the motor without the pedals moving, I believe that would not meet the text of the law. The Legislature would have to change the definition to allow this.
As it happens, other reporting suggests that this has a 28 MPH (45 kph) max speed and also a throttle. That combination is not legal in California or anywhere else, as a Class 3 ebike.
Actually class 3 ebike in lots of places permit 28MPH and throttle assist up to 20MPH.
I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, but which places allow that?
Several states
Such as?
Maybe it's like an electric car, which uses a combination of regen, and disc brakes. Depending on the car I think letting off the accelerator (in one-pedal mode) engages regen, while the brake pedal uses the disc brakes, and does not capture energy. Or in some cars the brake pedal uses regen braking for a portion of its travel, and disc braking if you press harder.
Maybe this bike uses regen when you stop pedaling, and has regular disc brake levers for faster stopping? Or maybe regen back-pedaling?
The phrasing from the "article" says this:
The only way I can parse this is if "power output" means the regen power. But even so, it explicitly says both wheels, and I can't figure out how it would do that. Or perhaps "power output" also includes the dissipated heat from friction braking. Truly a strange statement to try to pick apart