Rivian’s delayed ALSO e-bikes are finally arriving to first customers, with mixed early feedback

This is an e-bike story rather than a home energy one, but here's what happened. Rivian's e-bike spinoff ALSO has finally started delivering its $4,500 TM-B electric bikes to early customers after months of delays. The bike uses an unusual "pedal-by-wire" system called DreamRide, meaning there's no mechanical chain connecting your pedaling to the rear wheel. Instead, pedaling sends an electronic signal that controls the motor, and the company can adjust how the bike feels through software updates.

Early owners posting online seem generally happy with the ride, including how the thumb throttle works: it only boosts power while you're actively pedaling, rather than letting the bike take off on its own like a basic throttle-controlled e-bike. One rider praised how responsive and fast it felt.

The company advertised up to 100 miles of range, but the first real-world test fell well short of that. Riding hard, with steep hills and headwinds, one owner got about 30 miles before the battery dropped to 4 percent. The bike also automatically reduces its power assist as the battery runs low, starting around 40 percent charge, so the ride gets progressively less powerful toward the end. This gap between advertised and real range is common across e-bikes generally, so it's not necessarily unusual for this model. More riders are expected to report their own results in the coming weeks, which should give a clearer sense of what this bike can actually do.