2 San Francisco Entrepreneurs Build Prototype 'Tesla' Of Electric Bikes

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Nate Jauvtis and Zach Levenberg, two moped-loving entrepreneurs with a common vision for green transportation, have built what they hope will become the Tesla of electric motorbikes in a San Francisco garage.

"Something about a smaller electric bike is really appealing but we were sick of the breaking down and the dependence on gas -- and literally mixing oil with the gas," Jauvtis said. "We want to solve the problem of urban transportation."

They call their solution The Bolt.

Like Elon Musk's famous electric roadsters, the Bolt is powered with lithium-ion batteries. It's also keyless -- you start it with your smartphone or with a unique password. And the bike's vital statistics are recorded in real time as well.

"Now we can integrate data -- your performance, your battery levels, your GPS navigation," Jauvtis explained.

The Bolt is reasonably fast for a moped, getting to about 35 mph. It can go up to 50 miles on a single charge and, of course, it's quieter than any gasoline-engine bike.

"We're not reinventing the wheel here. We're actually rediscovering something that we actually always loved," Levenberg told us.

The Bolt does come with a fairly hefty price tag at $5,000. But, as with most e-vehicles, its creators say it pays for itself over time.

"We're starting with a product that's not just cheap to get it out of the door," Levenberg said. "We want something that's a quality product, that's really fun to ride and that makes you cool," he added.

There's only one Bolt prototype so far. Jauvtis and Levenberg plan to launch a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter next year.