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Published
16 January 2026
Written by Elliott Lee-Hearn
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Elliott from ipXchange stopped by the Nordic Semiconductor booth to check out ALSO’s TM-B e-bike, a connected micromobility platform built around Nordic’s wireless and power management ICs. Elliott spoke with Matt Liddle from ALSO to understand how the bike’s connectivity, security, and range are enabled at the silicon level, and why Nordic was the right fit.
A multi-radio architecture designed for real use
ALSO designs the TM-B as a complete system, not a bolt-on smart accessory. The bike combines short-range control, high-bandwidth maintenance, and wide-area security, using Nordic’s ecosystem to keep development fast and power consumption tightly managed.
For e-bikes, power management matters because batteries are comparatively small. ALSO uses Nordic’s nPM series PMICs to support system-level efficiency, helping deliver up to 100 miles of range with their performance battery configuration.
Bluetooth for proximity, UI, and helmet integration
Bluetooth connectivity is based on the nRF54L15. On TM-B, it is not just for setup, it is the always-on link between the bike and ALSO’s app. It enables proximity unlock and auto-lock behaviour, plus media controls and interaction with the bike’s user interface, which ALSO calls the Portal.
Matt also highlighted the connection to ALSO’s smart helmet, the Alpha Wave, as a key Bluetooth use case. It provides short-range data exchange between the helmet and the bike without adding wiring complexity.
Wi-Fi for updates, LTE for theft protection
Wi-Fi comes via the nRF7002 and is used for over-the-air updates, letting ALSO evolve the software platform throughout the bike’s life. For wide-area connectivity and tracking, ALSO uses the nRF9151 cellular modem with GNSS, enabling theft protection features like anti-theft mode, alerts to the owner’s phone, and location tracking if the bike is moved.
Why Nordic helped them move faster
Matt said Nordic’s firmware platform and tooling helped ALSO’s engineering team develop quickly, supported by strong integrations such as VS Code and community and engineering support through DevZone. The outcome is a production e-bike with advanced connected features delivered at a consumer-friendly price point.
ALSO is taking pre-orders for TM-B now, with shipments planned from April. For engineers looking for a real-world reference design for multi-radio, battery-powered products, the TM-B is a strong example of Nordic Semiconductor silicon in a complete system.
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