Infinite Machine, a New York-based startup, has released the Olto, an electric vehicle that is legally classified as a bicycle but is designed and ridden almost entirely as a scooter. The product reflects a wider trend of electrified personal transport devices being built to exploit bike lane access while offering scooter-like performance, raising questions about how such infrastructure, originally intended for pedal cycles, is now being shared and used.

The Olto features a Vespa-style layout, a large battery, rugged construction and security features, and costs less than half the price of Infinite Machine's fuller-featured P1 scooter. It retains pedals so it meets the legal definition of an e-bike, switchable via a phone app between Class 2 (throttle or pedal assist up to 20mph/32km/h) and Class 3 (pedal assist only, up to 28mph/45km/h) modes, but its low, wide seat makes genuine pedalling impractical. Riders are instead expected to disengage the cranks, fold them into footrest pegs, and operate the roughly 175lb (80kg) machine purely by twist throttle, with two acceleration settings available in Class 2 mode.