Classy e-bike is designed like a luxe vintage car

Electric bikes are gaining traction in cities as a fast and relatively affordable way to get around. They are not, however, a particularly attractive mode of transportation generally speaking. Vintage Electric, an e-bike company out of California, wants to change that with the Roadster, a handsome e-bike styled like an old-school sport car.

You could think of the $6,995 ride as the Rolls Royce of e-bikes. It has a powder-coated aluminum frame that arches into a streamlined black swoop. A vintage-style headlamp adorns the front of the bike and glows with LEDs. Riders sit atop a sable leather seat that matches the brown leather handlebar grips, echoing the luxe carseats and steering wheels of yesteryear.

Vintage Electric

Vintage Electric

The Roadster hides its electric guts behind an aluminum casing where a 1,123-watt battery powers the bike for up to 75 miles. The bike is controlled from a digital interface on the handlebars that lets riders choose from five power modes, including instant acceleration. Though e-bikes are only road legal up to 32 mph, the Roadster can hit 36 mph in race mode when it’s used on private property—not that you’d want to hide it.