The landscape of electric micromobility vehicles is pretty crowded right now. There are pedal-assist e-bikes, standing e-scooters, e-mopeds, and straight-up electric motorcycles, all competing for scant real estate in America’s bike lanes.
While the various typologies of these small electric vehicles are confusing, their proliferation signals a growing demand for small, affordable electric mobility. Two-wheelers represent the largest segment of the EV market, and one we’re committed to covering here.
I recently spent a week riding the Infinite Machine Olto, a Class III “bike lane vehicle” that looks like a mashup of a Cybertruck and a Vespa scooter. The company behind it wants to be the Tesla or Rivian of non-car EVs, and I wanted to find out: Is this actually a great way of getting around a city, or just a novelty?
What Is It?
Made by New York-based startup Infinite Machine, the Olto is a two-passenger ride-on scooter that goes up to 28 miles per hour on pedal assist or throttle. It has a 1.2-kWh removable battery, which gives it up to 35 miles of claimed range at 20 miles per hour. It charges from 20-80% in about an hour or fully in about three hours on the included 14-amp charger.
The Olto weighs 175 pounds—a normal amount for a moped, but significantly more than a typical e-bike. It starts at $3,495 and rises to around $4,400 with a full kit of accessories, including a cargo basket, phone mount, and charging dock.
Infinite Machine promises automotive-grade quality and hardcore theft protection—both of which are important in an EV that needs to handle potholes and live outside. The Olto pairs with your phone via an app, which allows you to unlock it, adjust settings, view its location, and even get push notifications if someone’s messing with it.
The startup also sells the P1, a 65-mph electric scooter that can go up to 60 miles on a charge and costs $7,995. That one requires plates and insurance, so consider it more akin to a Vespa. The Olto skirts by as an “e-bike” thanks to its pedals, which act as footrests when you’re riding in throttle mode.
How Does It Ride?
The Olto is a blast to ride. It accelerates quickly up to about 17 miles per hour and cruises stably between 20 and 25 mph, thanks to its full-suspension design that soaks up potholes, frost heaves, and cobblestones. Due to the scooter’s low seat and knees-forward riding position, I found it a bit awkward to use pedal-assist mode and preferred to just twist the throttle.
Maneuverability and parking are a cinch, so long as you remember that this is closer in size and weight to a Vespa than an e-bike. The turning radius is wider than it would be on a bike, but cornering is stable and the Olto’s brakes are more than up to the task of stopping it, even down hills.
Carrying a passenger is no problem, as the Olto has a second set of foot pegs and enough power to cruise around 20 miles per hour even with two adults on board. I saw around 25-30 miles of real-world range with just me, and I didn’t go far enough with two people to estimate how that would impact the figure.
I did feel a bit weird riding the Olto on separated bicycle paths—while it’s technically legal, it felt a bit uncouth to zip around slower-moving folks using human power or pedal assistance on something closer in size and weight to a moped.
The Great
One handy feature is the Olto’s “back-up” button, which allows you to inch the scooter backwards at walking pace without having to drag it. I wish there was one for forward movement—you have to modulate the throttle, which I overcooked a couple of times.
Finally, I loved the Olto’s optional storage walls ahead of the driver’s seat. There’s just enough space for a backpack, a purse, or a bag of groceries, meaning you don’t have to think about securing most items you’ll carry every day to a rack or basket. It’s the kind of simple feature you look at and wonder, “Why doesn’t every scooter have this?”
The peace-of-mind provided by the Olto’s security suite is also a huge selling point for urban dwellers. The scooter’s steering and wheels lock in place when the owner’s phone or key isn’t present, and if the Olto detects movement, it sounds an alarm and sends a push notification to the owner’s phone. The battery locks securely into a compartment below the seat, so no one’s walking off with it. Finally, there’s GPS tracking even with the battery removed, so even if someone does manage to steal your Olto, you can alert police to its location.
Infinite Machine’s co-founder, Eddie Cohen, told me he stores his scooter outside, so during my five-day loan I did the same, locking it as recommended and monitoring it from the app. I once had a (locked) e-bike stolen the same week I bought it, so having the freedom to ride where I wanted without constantly looking over my shoulder was a huge plus.
The Not-So-Great
While the Infinite Machine app is slick, I expected a little more from the Olto's tech, if I’m honest. The battery percentage readout doesn’t provide a range estimate, which isn’t a huge deal once you get familiar with the Olto’s range, but it would be nice.
The screen is a simple, mostly black-and-white rectangle. This was most likely chosen for durability and cost, but it isn’t quite the full-color, interactive touchscreen interface that Rivian offshoot Also chose for its recently-debuted TM-B e-bike. Both startups have a similar vision of creating high-tech, software-defined micromobility vehicles in the image of Tesla or Rivian.
Looks are subjective, but not everyone will be into the Olto’s cyberpunk aesthetic. It’s much less intimidating than the Cybertruck due to its diminutive size, and the bulk of the comments I received while testing it were positive, but it isn’t quite the friendly, pastel bubble of a Vespa. I personally loved the look, and the flat surfaces made wiping it down a breeze.
Verdict
I used the Olto as my main mode of transportation for the better part of a week and loved it. I rode to work, shopped for groceries, and even took my partner out on a date. Would I buy one? I’m not sure.
The Olto is a pretty unique offering on the market right now, given its bike-lane classification, design, and anti-theft protection. The $3,500 price tag is a decent value for what you’re getting, considering that’s an all-in price (Class III e-bikes don’t require vehicle registration or liability insurance in most states). Vespa’s own electric range competes more directly with Infinite Machine’s P1 and requires moped registration.
Still, for my money, I might choose something more along the lines of the TM-B, which is lighter and designed to be pedaled. Part of the big advantage, to me, of micromobility vehicles is being able to use protected bicycle infrastructure to bypass larger vehicle traffic. While the Olto is bike-lane legal, it felt just a little too big and unwieldy to be truly at home on a bike path.
Whether an e-bike or scooter fits your lifestyle better is a valid question, and one we plan to cover in a future article. If you plan to carry another adult regularly or prefer cruising to pedaling, the Olto is a great choice.
