OKAI, maker of all those sharing electric bikes, launches its first consumer e-bike with a bang

Massive electric two-wheeler manufacturer OKAI has just launched its first consumer-oriented electric bicycle, the OKAI Stride. And for a first consumer e-bike, it comes with surprisingly nice performance specs like an industry-leading speed of 28 mph (45 km/h).

If you’ve ever ridden a shared electric scooter or e-bike like those from Lime, Bird, or countless other manufacturers, you’ve probably ridden an OKAI-manufactured product without even knowing about it.

The company has recently branched out from only producing light electric vehicles for other brands to actually producing under its own label as well.

That means it is combining its massive manufacturing prowess with its experience building ruggedized personal EVs designed to withstand serious abuse.

Now we’re getting our first look at the fruits of that labor, namely the OKAI Stride electric bike.

The OKAI Stride is powered by a 750W rear hub motor from Bafang that blasts the e-bike up to a maximum speed of 28 mph (45 km/h).

The company claims a maximum range of 40 miles (64 km) in low power mode. However, they offer more realistic figures of a throttle-only range of 25 miles (40 km), and a pedal assist range at higher power of 30 miles (51 km). Those numbers seem to jive somewhat better with the 48V and 460 Wh battery.

OKAI says they use LG cells in the removable battery, and they claim the battery can be swapped out in one second.

That must require some mighty fast fingers, but even if the battery takes a few seconds for the clumsier among us, I’ll still hand it to them for what looks like a slick design.

The 64 lb (29 kg) e-bike features a step-through frame for easier mounting and comes with a Shimano 7-speed transmission as well as Tektro mechanical disc brakes. There’s no suspension, which is likely a nod toward its city use as well as OKAI’s experience building rugged bikes with few parts that can break down.

The wheels are 27.5 inch and include fenders for splash protection.

There’s an interesting color display built into the head cap that also interacts with an NFC chip in the physical key used to unlock the battery. Simply tap the key fob to the display to electronically lock and unlock the bike, adding another layer of theft deterrence.

That color display is also customizable via the OKAI app, so you can change the skins to make the display look more agreeable to you.

The app also allows you to make other adjustments to the bike, including locking the bike, activating the lights, adjusting the ride mode, modifying the regenerative braking power, and locating the bike on a map.

Other historical data functions include tracking previous rides and running diagnostics, in addition to displaying current ride data.

The OKAI Stride is now available in the US for $1,599, with shipping said to be available immediately.

We recently had the chance to meet some of the OKAI team in person and check out their rides at the 2021 Eurobike show. You can see them at 8:13 in the video below.