Can you imagine this electric motorbike cruising the orchards and vineyards of Leelanau County? Two county residents with ties to the agriculture industry are introducing a two-wheeled vehicle they believe will make life easier for those in the field.

Joe Alpers of Suttons Bay Agriculture Support and Northport cherry farmer Phil Hallstedt are starting a dealership for a line of electric bikes they hope will augment or possibly even replace the gas engine UTVs (Utility Task Vehicles) popular for use by those traversing their farms.

“My UTV holds two to three people and is indispensable, but most of the time I’m driving it by myself,” says Hallstedt, who with his wife owns and operates HH Cherries, a sweet cherry and flower orchard outside of Northport. He says for three years he’s been looking for a vehicle to supplement it, something that’s smaller and is low-maintenance. Now he thinks he’s found it: “A two wheeled, electric platform bike from a Swedish company called CAKE.” 

He saw the bikes at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, an annual showcase for companies across the globe to demonstrate the latest in any and all kinds of gear.

He explains that the wide tires, incredible torque, and the capacity to carry tools or pull a small trailer “fits our needs when we only need one person to run around the orchard.”

Hallstedt enlisted the aid of Alpers to stock the vehicles, which will have an entry-level price around $4,000. He says the Osa line, built for commercial use, will run $11,000.

The two will debut the vehicles March 5 at the Suttons Bay Fire Department from 10am-3pm. They’ll present a brief overview on the product every hour and a model will be available to ride, weather permitting. 

Alpers says the vehicle offers several advantages, starting with the fact it is electric. “The technology has caught up,” he notes. “You can go all day on a single charge. The torque has caught up.”

The electric motor means the maintenance and repair challenges Alpers sees every day with the vehicles clients bring in for him to fix will be significantly lessened. Hallstedt says that will be a huge benefit for farmers across the region, including himself. “One of my tractors is here in the shop now” says Hallstedt. He says he spent about $5,000 last year in repairs and maintenance.

Another score: The CAKE bikes have integrated power outlets, allowing them to be used as off-grid power stations for phones, laptops, drills, and other tools.

Hallstedt also points to the fact they are much quieter than gas engines. “You can put a gun rack on it and go hunting. You’ll get to the site faster and more quietly. If you bag a 220-pound deer with this you can easily tow it out.”

He says they are also simply enjoyable to ride. “If there’s a fun factor in there, I’m all in.”

Alpers believes that fun factor will be significant, especially for early sales. “I think the consumer side will take off faster than the agricultural side. Most farmers have got to see it work. I see that progressing a little slower.”

The Leelanau Ticker checked in with Frank Maly, an expert analyst with ACT Research, which focuses on market data and forecasting services for commercial vehicle and transportation markets. Maly lives full time in Bingham Township and is familiar with the agricultural backbone of the county. He says while ag is outside of ACT Research's specific area of expertise, he has observed that “one of the major challenges to entry of electric vehicles (EVs) in the commercial market can be charging and length of the vehicle’s route. So, shorter haul, return-to-base type of usage is a solid area for the current conversion in the commercial truck segment. Think Amazon vans, refuse hauling, city delivery, port yard tractors, etc.”

Likewise, Maly says, “an agricultural application would seem to be well suited given distances normally traveled and the ‘return to base’ aspect of farm equipment.” He also notes “there seems to also be a real opportunity for AV (autonomous vehicle) technology in the agricultural sector in the future.”

Paul Hamelin, who owns Verterra Winery, says he likes the idea of the orchard/vineyard bikes as a way to get away from gasoline engines. But he believes there are some potential drawbacks as well. “I think the challenge is, it is two-wheel. Vineyards and orchards are typically not level, you have side hill turning frequently, and two wheels is scarier up and down or sideways,” he says, particularly when the ground is wet.

Still, he says their ability to hit the streets as well as the farm makes them appealing, as does the price relative to bigger machines. He notes being able to go from field to field, down or across roads, or even into town adds to the allure.