Electric bicycle manufacturer Super73 has become the latest company to pull out CES 2022. The news calls into question the potential unveiling of an electric motorcycle from the company.
Large and small companies alike have been canceling their plans to attend the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, citing concerns over the rapidly spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and many other tech companies have all announced that they have pulled out of the show, scheduled to begin in less than a week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Canceled in 2021, the last CES event in 2020 is widely speculated to have been one of the first superspreader events for the new COVID19 virus nearly two years ago.
Now, California-based e-bike company Super73 is the latest company to announce that it has pulled out of the trade show.
As Super73 CEO LeGrand Crewse explained:
“This was an extremely difficult decision. But with the latest COVID-19 outbreak deepening, the safety of our team is paramount.”
The company had originally planned to reveal several new models of electric bikes at the trade show.
One of the most anticipated unveilings was rumored to be an electric motorcycle, which would be a first for the company.
It wouldn’t necessarily be a major leap though, considering Super73’s electric bikes already invoke moped and light motorcycle styling. Many models are high-powered and arguably possess light electric motorcycle performance, despite also having bicycle pedals and fitting into electric bike classifications.
Speculation regarding the potential electric motorcycle unveiling began with Super73’s announcement for several new models to be unveiled at the event in Las Vegas.
According to a marketing email sent out by Super73, the company announced that it “plans to turn two-wheeled transportation on its head by unveiling a bold new concept, segment-busting new models, as well as new accessories and apparel lines.”
The “bold new concept” didn’t come with any extra details, but a Vegas-style neon sign in the shape of a motorcycle provided a fairly obvious hint at what Super73 had up its sleeve.
It wouldn’t be the first time an electric bicycle company branched out into electric motorcycles. SONDORS famously unveiled an electric motorcycle known as the Metacycle nearly a year ago, marking that e-bike company’s first foray into full motorcycles.
Now with Super73 pulling out of CES, it is unclear how or when the company may unveil its new models and potential electric motorcycle.
According to an email sent out by the company:
“Exercising an abundance of caution, the team at SUPER73® has chosen to withdraw its staff from the Consumer Electronics Show, which is scheduled to begin on January 5, 2022. With one week remaining before CES opens its doors, SUPER73 was preparing to announce a host of new products in Las Vegas. However, the company will now reveal everything at a later date. In the meantime, SUPER73 fans can visit the CES Digital Activation at the CES website from next week.”
Electrek’s Take
This is a tough blow. Every time Super73 has unveiled a new model, it has been quite epic.
Even the company’s custom models, like an e-bike recently built for Santa Claus, are always impressive.
A company like that branching out into electric motorcycles is surely going to yield something very interesting, especially in an industry that is yearning for more affordable light electric motorcycle options.
So few options exist for a market that is seeing incredible demand, meaning market conditions are ripe for new companies to enter with game-changing options.
Hopefully Super73 will still be able to roll out these highly-anticipated models soon, showing the world what they’ve been working on behind closed doors.
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