A Tesla self-starter: The Balance Bike is sold out immediately
Tesla fans have long wished for an e-bike. Now they get a futuristic balance bike for toddlers that sacrifices safety features for design - and immediately buy out the entire stock.
Ever since Elon Musk hinted at a possible e-bike in a podcast in 2018, his fan base has been waiting for it. Instead, a balance bike for children aged two to five has now appeared on Tesla's website. Priced at 225 dollars, it sold out within a few hours. However, the number of units offered is not known. Currently, interested parties can sign up for the waiting list and hope for a delivery in August. Or they can simply buy it on the secondary market, as the first bargains are already available on eBay.
True fans don't care that the product information is quite sparse. Not even the weight of the balance bike is given on the website. It only mentions a lightweight magnesium frame that is suitable for children with an inseam length of 35 centimeters or more. Thanks to the saddle, which can be moved up and back in five stages, the balance bike grows with the child – so the offspring can ride around with the brand logo until they are about 1.20 meters tall or weigh 35 kilograms.
What falls victim to design
Visually, the dwarf bike, as is typical for Tesla, is clean. Despite high-quality materials, some features are missing that are usually found in manufacturers specializing in children's products such as Woom or Puky.
The handlebars, which appear quite bulky for small hands, do not have the knobs known as impact protection caps at the ends, which protect fingers from painful scrapes on the nearest wall, prevent slipping sideways and impalement injuries in the event of falls. A steering angle limiter, which prevents the handlebars from turning sideways or completely, also seems to be missing – and there is no brake. To get on, children have to swing one leg comparatively high over the silver outer casing.
While most manufacturers rely on rounded shapes, Tesla sticks to the Cybertruck aesthetic: The angular seat surface merges into an equally angular and wide rear, on which the brand logo is emblazoned. The black rims in a two-spoke design are minimalist chic, but Tesla dispenses with tires with reflective stripes, as are standard with Woom, for example.
With small 12-inch wheels, angled car valves are helpful to be able to reach them with any pump. On Tesla's Balance Bike, they are straight, but seem to be at least halfway accessible due to the special design. Also important for parents is the question of how well such a vehicle can be carried. Other manufacturers come up with ideas for this, offering models with recessed grips at the center of gravity, carrying straps or lockable handlebars so that they don't hit the shin when walking.
Tesla remains puristic and markets the balance bike more as a trunk-friendly accessory for the car – the first batch was exclusively unlocked for vehicle owners. The Balance Bike complements the fleet and joins the Cyberquad and Cybertruck for Kids. You can never start too early to bind children to the brand.
Autonomous driving for the little ones – soon with us too?
With the Balance Bike, the little ones can get on and drive autonomously, as far as their balance carries them. The parents are not available as driving assistants. The words "Zero Emissions" are emblazoned on the casing of the balance bike – which is true, apart from perhaps some anxious sweat from the parents.
Whether and when Europeans will also be allowed to race after their Tesla-driving offspring is not yet known. After all, the instructions have already been translated into various languages and attentive observers point to the existing CE mark. So there is nothing against it. Tesla does not have to revolutionize this market. Although Tesla's first bike lacks a motor, software and innovations, it is nevertheless obvious: a self-starter.
Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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