Origin Materials , based in West Sacramento , uses patented techniques to run wood chips into bioplastics . The company has been testing its technique at a pilot plant . PHOTO COURTESY OF ORIGIN MATERIALS
his own research in electric bikes — and their inherent flaws . “ They were heavy , they were slow , they weren ’ t ready for prime time ,” he says .
The battery technology wasn ’ t sufficient . Around 2010 , for a college project , Chittock decided to build a complete custom e-bike . He put in lithium batteries and a brushless motor . From there , he realized he might be onto something . He purchased e-bikes online to modify them with bigger batteries and new motors . In August 2015 , he officially started Bolton Ebikes .
At the time , it was just a side job that allowed him to sell parts and make a few extra dollars . It brought him back to his younger days , tinkering with classic cars and radio-controlled cars and airplanes . “ I saw the transition happening very early in the radio-controlled space ,” he says . “ People started going away from gas-powered , and electric started to take over .”
In late 2018 , after he started a You- Tube channel ( currently getting over 500,000 views per month , he says ) about e-bikes , business ramped up , and he began building e-bikes from scratch . Based in Grass Valley , Bolton Ebikes now has a team of six . To this day , he says , he doesn ’ t do any traditional advertising beyond maintaining a social media presence . The parts and manufacturing happens overseas in Taiwan and China . Through the pandemic , e-bike sales have skyrocketed , he says , but factories slowed down , creating a huge gap between supply and demand . “ I ’ m ordering parts a year in advance to guarantee I have e-bikes at all ,” he says .
Chittock hopes this reality allows manufacturing doors to open in the U . S . If only 15 percent of commuters in the U . S . switched to e-bikes , carbon dioxide emissions from passenger transportation could drop by 12 percent , according to a 2020 study . The recently introduced Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act proposes a 30 percent consumer tax credit up to a maximum of $ 1,500 on purchases of e-bikes less than $ 8,000 . If that goes through , Chittock says , sales will spike even more .
Notably , customers aren ’ t typically the commuters on a mission to reduce emissions . Chittock says 99 percent of people who buy his e-bikes are older than 60 , either retired or on the cusp . They buy e-bikes , he says , because they are easier to use than traditional bikes . They help seniors get exercise , get outdoors and have fun . “ After having fun ,” he says , “ they realize they can ride to the grocery store or to run errands . Then they use it for things we want them to use it for .”
A self-described aviation nut , Chittock names his e-bikes after various aircraft . One of his most popular models is the Bolton Ebikes Blackbird ( named after the SR-71 Blackbird , which used to fly out of Beale Air Force Base ). This one comes with several features , such as a seat dropper post , tubeless ready rims and tires , adjustable stem for comfort , and more .
“ I will never have the cheapest bikes ,” he says , “ but I hope to always be extremely competitive for the price with features other bikes simply don ’ t have .”
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