The indoor expo at the 2018 Interbike bicycle trade show in Reno, NV has kicked off. Nearly all of the world’s biggest electric bicycle brands are here showing of their newest e-bike models, parts, accessories and even some surprisingly weirder offerings.
Here’s a breakdown of all the best new offerings in the world of electric bicycles and other light electric vehicles.
Let’s start off with the brand new releases from the major electric bicycle manufacturers. And if you think this is just going to be a list of $4k+ e-bikes that most of us can’t afford, think again. The prices of the bikes here range from $600 – $10,000, so there’s a bit of everything for everyone.
Yamaha unveils new “Wabash” electric gravel bike
Yamaha already has an impressive line of electric bicycles available in the US, and now they are unveiling their newest model, the Wabash gravel bike. The bike is designed to tackle a number of different terrains, allowing riders to take the road bike experience off-road and onto dirt and gravel paths.
According to Drew Engelmann, Yamaha’s Power Assist Bicycle group sales and marketing manager:
“The Wabash is the best new gravel e-Bike designed and developed for cycling adventures over whatever terrain you come across – hard surfaces, dirt, and gravel. You’ll be able to take this Wabash adventure gravel bike just about anywhere, and we expect riders will really appreciate the versatility and performance that make this a popular and rapidly expanding segment.”
Full specs on the motor and battery are not yet available, as the final parameters are still being tweaked before the Wabash is released to the public.
Check out our interview with Drew Engelmann from Yamaha below, where he gives us the scoop on the Wabash as well as insight into Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles.
iGo releases 17 new models, including electric carbon fat, road and mountain bikes
iGo is showing off a pile of new electric bicycles. Some of the most impressive are their performance+ series, which includes carbon fiber fat tire, road, and mountain e-bikes.
The 28.8 lb (13 kg) Carbon eRoad is one of the first e-bikes to use Bafang’s new super lightweight M800 drivetrain to create a sleek road bike that barely looks electric. The Bafang display shows all the relevant performance data measured from the 200 W minimalist mid-drive and Bafang battery. The Carbon eRoad also uses Shimano’s 105 hydraulic drivetrain for a smooth and nimble ride.
The Carbon e27.5 matches, using Shimano’s E-8000 motor integrated with its carbon frame and FOX front and rear suspension for a high performance, lightweight electric mountain bike. The bike also includes carbon FSA cockpits and wheelsets, complementing the already high-end e-bike.
The Carbon eFat is the go anywhere, do anything member of the iGo Performance+ series. It features a fully submersible MPF motor, an 11 speed SRAM drivetrain and RockShox suspension. The Carbon eFat is definitely a premium electric fat bike for riders who want a high end tank of an e-bike.
In addition to the three carbon e-bikes that are part of the Performance+ series, iGo also has a number of other interesting designs, including their utility cargo bike with a 500W DAPU mid-drive motor and dual 48V 624 Wh batteries for over 1.2 Kwh of battery capacity. The bike has 8 levels of power assist and is rated for 120 km (75 mi) of range.
Oyama has two new 1,000 W and 2,000 W electric bicycles
Oyama has two very nice 20″ folding electric bicycles in the CXE 8D I ($1,299) and the upgraded version with a larger battery and hydraulic disc brakes, the CXE 8D II ($1,899).
We recently reviewed the CXE 8D II and found it to be a very nice electric folder.
This was my first chance to try the previous model, the CXE 8D I. To be honest, it was surprisingly good. The acceleration and power were spot on, and if you can live without some of the nicer features like hydraulic brakes and larger battery, then this is a very good alternative to the somewhat higher priced CXE 8D II.
Now Oyama is stepping up their full size e-bike game with two powerful new offerings.
The Bright E9D V2 is an all-around city bike that comes with Schwalbe Marathon tires, Juin M1 hybrid hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano Altus 9 speed cassette, torque sensing bottom bracket and a massive 1,000 W MAC rear hub motor. It’s a pedal assist e-bike, so you still have to pedal a little, but the powerful motor will take care of most of the work.
My favorite of Oyama’s new bikes though is the Thunder X1, which is an all-wheel-drive electric fat bike that sports two of the 1,000 W MAC motors found on the Bright, for a total of 2,000 W. High quality EDS controllers and display, hydraulic disc brakes, and a high-capacity 48V, 14.5Ah and 700 Wh battery all contribute to making this a crazy powerful machine. With all wheel drive and 2 kW of power at your fingertips (or feet rather, as it’s a pedal assist e-bike) you could zoom up some serious mountains and over tough obstacles like few other e-bikes could ever do before.
The price isn’t finalized, but the dual motor Thunder X1 should come in somewhere around $3,499.
We would have loved to give these two a ride, but unfortunately they were both stuck at the port in Los Angeles and didn’t make it to the show in time. But we’ll be test riding them soon enough with a full review here on Electrek.
Yuba debuts the electric Supermarché front loader cargo bike
Yuba has been building cargo bicycles for years, and has even released a few electric cargo bike models. But now they’ve gone even further with what I believe is the most impressive of Yuba’s electric cargo bikes to date.
The Electric Supermarché has a wide cargo box at the front that is rated for 220 lbs, as well as a rear cargo rack rated for an additional 80 lbs.
A powerful Bosch mid-drive motor makes it easy to pedal the e-bike when loaded up with cargo, even when climbing up steep inclines. I know, because I that’s exactly what I did.
My publisher Seth and I took the Yuba Electric Supermarché for a test ride – with him driving and me sitting in the cargo hold. Even with two adults on the bike, it was a breeze to pedal and showed impressive acceleration.
I then took it on a ride up an 8 ft (2.4 m) ramp, which it also powered up with only minimal effort from me. On the flats I pedaled a bit harder and made it 20 mph (32 km/h), which is probably faster than most people will ride a giant cargo bike anyways.
One of the coolest things about the Yuba Electric Supermarché was the steering. There’s no rigid mechanical linkage like on most front loader cargo bikes. Instead, steering arms are replaced by dual steering cables. Not only does that remove the risk of catching low-clearance steering rods on obstacles, but it also gives the Yuba buttery smooth steering. When I took it around the hairpin turns on the test track, I felt like I was gliding around them with a tight steering radius that betrayed the length of the e-bike, which Yuba describes as “Eight and a half feet of cargo hauling happiness”.
Another nice feature on the Yuba is the adjustability. While most bicycle headsets might give you an inch of adjustability, the Yuba’s looks to have at least 5-6 inches, plus an adjustable handlebar stem, meaning it could fit a very wide range of riders and sizes.
Tern’s GSD cargo bike and Vektron folding almost-cargo bike
We saw Tern’s two really cool e-bikes at the show. The GSD is a cargo bike that is the size of a standard bicycle, yet can fit a massive 400 lb (181 kg) of cargo. To achieve that feat, they had to design the bike from the ground up for such heavy loads, including a specialized frame, custom tires, dual piston hydraulic brakes – the works.
A cool feature of the Tern GSD is its ability to carry multiple kids or even adults on the back. I was skeptical, but Tern’s founder and Team Captain Josh Hon gave me a ride around and I was super comfortable in the rear carrier, believe it or not.
I graduated to the front seat afterwards and found the GSD to be quite nimble as I wove through a crowd of people packed into the display booth area.
You’ll definitely want to learn more about both of these bikes – so check out our in-depth review of Tern’s e-bikes here.
Bulls incorporates Fauza drive for removable battery AND motor combination
Removable batteries are standard on almost all-electric bicycles. But if you want to pedal your bike without electricity, you’ll still have to push around that extra motor weight even if you’ve left the battery at home. But the new German-made Fauza drive allows you to remove both the battery and motor in one single unit, meaning you can choose to have a pedal-only bike or completely electric bike anytime you wish.
You can hear one of Bull’s reps, Adam Anderson, tell us more about the motor below.
Bulls is one of the first companies in the US to offer this drive in an e-bike, and it is featured in their new Alpine Hawk Evo. Its 255 W motor paired with a 255 Wh battery are not big by any stretch of the imagination, but as the Bulls team described it, the Alpine Hawk Evo is designed to enhance a road biking experience, not replace the rider’s effort all together.
The bike includes high-end Shimano Ultegra shifters, derailuers and hydraulic brakes all with internal cable routing, DT Swiss rims, Schwalbe Durano racing tires and a carbon fiber frame. At $6,599, it’s not for the faint of heart or wallet.
For those looking for a somewhat more affordable bike for cruising around the city, the new Sturmvogel Evo Street is likely more up your alley. The $3,999 aluminum frame e-bike features a whisper quiet Brose Drive T mid-drive system and a larger 37V 17.5Ah battery good for around 650 Wh. The bike still uses good quality Shimano shifters, derailleurs and hydraulic brakes, but not the same top-of-the-line parts used on the Alpine Hawk Evo.
If you’d rather have the ability to go both on and off-road with a full suspension hybrid mountain bike, check out the new Iconic Evo TR1, which features a Bosch Performance Speed mid-drive that can reach up to 28 mph (45 km/h), a Bosch PowerTube 500 Wh battery that hides down inside the frame, a 10-speed Shimano drivetrain, 120 mm of suspension travel both front and rear, and integrated lights, all for $5,099.
Additionally, Bull’s German sister brand, PEGASUS, has announced their entrance into the US market and showed off some of their e-bikes at Interbike as well. PEGASUS focuses more on city bikes and has a line of more affordable bikes that lack the top-end components, but offer simpler yet effective electric bicycles for utilitarian and recreational use.
Haibike shows off the new Flyon e-bike for the first time in North America
We’ve covered the Haibike Flyon recently after it was first unveiled at Eurobike, but now we’ve finally seen it in the flesh after Haibike brought it to the US for the first time at Interbike.
While it’s not really a “concept” bike since it is well on its way to production, it still has to go through a certification process before it can be sold in the US, so we won’t expect to see this until later in 2019, likely badged as a 2020 model.
According to Accell representatives, the parent company of Haibike, the Flyon should retail for anywhere between $5,000 to over $8,000 depending on the quality of the components selected for the different models in the product line.
With its own proprietary mid-drive motor packing 120 Nm of torque, the Flyon is sure to be a beast when climbing the steepest trails. In fact, it appears to be the only e-bike with a ducted air intake for cooling its batteries, which should help it climb longer and harder than other e-bikes that might need a cooling off period after long sessions at full power.
We also rode some Haibike models down the Northstar California Resort’s mountain bike trails, including the awesome Haibike XDURO NDURO 10.5, so you’ll want to check those out too.
Raleigh came prepared with a handful of new electric bicycle models
Raleigh certainly did not disappoint us, arriving at Interbike with a handful of new e-bike models running the gambit from street to hybrid to off-road e-bikes.
Raleigh’s Redux electric bicycle was updated this year, swapping out the older Brose mid-drive motor for a Bosch unit, reshaping the battery mount to drop the battery deeper into the bicycle frame and hiding it from view, and upgrading the stock tires to a wider size that absorbs more impact from road irregularities.
Another interesting addition to the Raleigh lineup was the Retroglide Royale, which was presented in a brushed aluminum finish. The Retroglide Royale was one of the most affordable Bosch-powered mid-drive bikes that we saw, with an MSRP of $2,299. Despite the lower price, this e-bike still comes stock with hydraulic disc brakes, plush spring seat, integrated rack and wide fenders that complete the retro look of the e-bike.
Another affordable member of the Raleigh family that we saw was the Sprite iE, which retails for only $1,999. It’s hard to hit that price point while maintaining premium electronics and motor components like those in the Bosch system, and so this e-bike features a more budget-friendly 350 W TranzX mid-drive motor and swaps out the hydraulic brakes for mechanical.
Stromer has a new “affordable” e-bike coming
We have previously reported on Stromer, an ultra high-end electric bicycle company that manufacturers the $10,000 ST5 electric road bicycle meant for serious commuters.
The majority of their line consists of $6k+ electric bicycles, but we spied the newest addition to the lineup, the ST1. This e-bike is designed to be their “affordable” model, priced at just $4,199.
This brand new aluminum chassis Class 3 e-bike can reach speeds of 28 mph (45 km/h) under pedal assist (sorry, no throttle) with its 800 W rear hub motor. Battery choices include a 492 Wh or 618 Wh option.
The bicycle components are noticeably lower end compared to the fancier models. For example, instead of luxurious electronic shifting on the ST5, the ST1 includes just a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain and a lacks many other fancy features, though it still retains the integrated lights, horn and bluetooth display connectivity.
The Stromer representative told us that this is their perfect “millennial bike”, meant for those looking to save money by not buying a city or campus car, and instead picking up an e-bike. I kind of see where he’s coming from, but I don’t know many millennials that are going to be forking over $4,199 for an e-bike anytime soon.
While we are on the subject of Stromer, we got the chance to ride around on the famed $10,000 ST5.
I’m going to put this as bluntly as I can: It’s a really nice e-bike, but it just isn’t $10,000 nice.
Sure, I loved the electronic shifting. I enjoyed the power of the highest “S” mode unique to the ST5. The custom Pirelli tires that last years with almost no wear are nice too.
But quite frankly I’ve ridden e-bikes that cost much less and were much more fun. I guess Stromer isn’t going for fun; they are going for commuters who want to ride 40 miles per day, every day. If that’s you, then maybe the ST5 is for you? But as an actual millennial with a real world wallet, it just isn’t for me. Sorry Stromer.
Green Bike Electric Motion is a new company in the US offering budget-friendly e-bikes
Green Bike began operations in Israel back in 2005, making them one of the oldest electric bicycle companies anywhere. They specialize in what I would describe as “electric bicycles for the common man”. Basically, these aren’t the absolute highest quality, but they are good middle-tier electric bicycles for city use that are affordable for almost anyone. If I was riding off-road or racing, I’d shop elsewhere. But for a daily driver e-bike that can get you to work or school, these e-bikes are perfect.
The company has a number of models from small folding bikes to giant fat tire bikes, but here are a few that caught our eye.
Their cargo bike is a 48V 500W mid-drive bike, meaning it has both the power and low-end gearing to haul cargo around and even up hill. Battery options include either a 10.4 Ah or a 12.8 Ah LG or Panasonic battery, bringing the price to $2,799 or $2,999 depending on the model.
The Enduro 48 is a full-suspension mountain bike with 27.5″ wheels and a 48V 10.4 Ah battery good for 500 Wh. Just like the Magnum Peak mountain bike we test rode a few days ago, this is a mountain bike that is best used for hopping curbs and potholes in the city, not dirt ramps and boulders on the mountain. But for just $2,250, it’s a lot cheaper than some other city bike options.
Green Bike’s truly affordable bikes are their folders, with their 48V City Hybrid HD priced at $1,550 for a 20-inch wheel folding bike and the Yoko at just $1,299 for a 14-inch wheel folding bike.
There’s also a pile of other interesting electric bikes on their site, with prices mostly ranging from $1,499 to $2,250.
Greaser’s new vintage motorcycle styled e-bikes
Interbike was full of interesting new designs, including these vintage looking Greaser electric bicycles.
The bikes have long faux-tanks, big Duro 26×3.0″ tires, Tektro hydraulic brakes, 7 speed Shimano Acera gears, double crown forks and either 350 W or 500 W motors paired with 36V 13Ah (468 Wh) or 48V 14.5 Ah (700 Wh) batteries. The faux-tank can be opened to remove the battery, though you’ll need a screwdriver, so it’s not a quick procedure.
They remind me of Curtiss’ new electric motorcycle based off of the record-setting motorcycles of the early teens and twenties. If you’re looking for the most sensible choice, the Greaser probably isn’t it. But if you want to stand out, well then here you go!
GenZe’s electric bicycles and electric moped/scooter
GenZe is another company that was presenting at Interbike. They are owned by Mahindra, an Indian company, but have a production facility in Michigan.
They have two types of electric bicycles that have interesting connectivity features. With their downloadable app, you can view all of your e-bike’s diagnostics on your phone. And if your e-bike ever has a problem, the app will tell you exactly where the problem is located on the bike, making it easier to fix and potentially saving you a trip to the bike shop or service center.
Another cool feature of the app is the route planner. Simply tell it where you need to go and it will plan a route for you that is bicycle friendly, providing turn by turn directions.
The company also has another fun vehicle, the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter. It reaches speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h) with a range of 34 miles (55 km). This is the scooter most commonly used in electric scooter share programs such as Scoot in San Francisco and Scoobi in Pittsburgh.
It also has a similar companion app with a few cool upgrades. In addition to being able to check your vehicle’s battery life and other diagnostics remotely, you can also see a constant GPS feed of your scooter. If it ever moves without you being there, you’ll get a notification. And if it is stolen, you can lead the police to its exact location with the GPS tracker.
Guess what just rolled into the @ElectrekCo test center? @RideGenZe pic.twitter.com/McCzMSdW3Q
— Micah Toll (@MicahToll) September 20, 2018
I currently have both a GenZe e201 e-bike and a GenZe 2.0 scooter that I’m testing out. So far they are both working great, but I’ll have a full review here on Electrek soon.
InMotion presented their small e-bikes with small prices
InMotion showed off their miniature P1F and P2 bikes. I rode the P2 around, it was a fun little bike that reminded me of a smaller version of the Swagtron EB-5 that I recently reviewed.
I’m not sure if the $649 P1F actually qualifies as a bicycle, since it has foot pegs instead of pedals and relies entirely on electric power. But considering it can reach speeds of 18.5 mph (30 km/h) with its 350 W motor and 36 V 8.7 Ah battery, it definitely has electric bicycle-level specs.
The P2 replaces the foot pegs with actual pedals, meaning you can pedal if you run out of juice. Both were fun little rides and great for stashing in the trunk of a car.
Just for fun, I also tried out InMotion’s Hover Shoes, which are like a mini hoverboard for each foot. They are self-balancing and make it look like you’re skating, but without the leg muscle requirements. They were surprisingly easy to learn how to use. Despite figuring I had a 50/50 shot of injuring myself after my 100% certain fall, I was actually able to get the hang of them after a minute or two and didn’t even fall once. They’d be great for riding around on smooth ground and having fun, but I don’t think I’ll be riding them to the supermarket anytime soon.
Also, you might spy another InMotion product in the top left corner of the photo of the two bikes above. It’s an electric unicycle. These things are apparently crazy fun, though this one is also crazy powerful, so they weren’t giving out test rides. As I understand it, they take a few days to get used to, but then are really convenient to ride if you have reasonably flat ground. You can go as fast as many e-bikes, but also pick up your vehicle and carry it like a lunchbox – much more convenient than locking an e-bike.
The V10 is InMotion’s new electric unicycle from the above photo, and it’s pretty nuts based on the teaser video below. Anyone want to take it off some sweet jumps with me?
Bosch’s new Kiox display
Previously debuted at Eurobike earlier in the summer, Bosch is now showing off their new full color Kiox display for the first time in North America.
The display is designed to meld man and machine by offering super connectivity via bluetooth sensors. The Bosch team showed us how the device works, and we could see the Bosch rep’s heartbeat rise in real-time on the display as he simulated heavy riding with some squats and jumping jacks on the floor of the Interbike expo (unfortunately no riding was allowed indoors, which seems sensible with 800 companies packed into a single giant room).
The display also changes color to indicate what riding mode is selected, making it easy to determine the mode at just a glance instead of having to search through text on the screen – something that might be difficult to do when you’re flying through the air on an electric mountain bike.
The display features Gorilla Glass to ensure it won’t crack during spills. It is also attached with strong magnets that will securely hold it during most falls, but will allow it to pop off during direct hits, which should prevent it from snapping as it might if it was rigidly mounted. A small tether attachment point is included on the display to keep it from continuing down the mountain by itself if it should ever evacuate itself from its mount during hard hits.
The Bosch team also had a snazzy looking fire e-bike at their booth which they’ll be donating to the Laguna Fire Department after the show for testing and evaluation.
Brose’s newest ultra-quiet drive
Despite Bosch being such a common sight on so many electric bicycles at the show, and Raleigh even switching over their Redux model to Bosch this year from its original Brose drivetrain, don’t count Brose out. They have an impressive new mid-drive that improves on their already whisper quiet motors.
Unlike other mid-drives that use solid gears, usually metal on nylon, the Brose system uses belt reductions inside their mid-drive motors. We test rode a 2019 Raleigh Tamland IE with a Brose mid-drive a couple of days ago on some California mountain roads and I honestly couldn’t hear the motor, it was that quiet.
Weird and retro driveshaft electric bicycles
Interbike was also full of strange bikes that I’ve never seen before, such as these retro-looking chromed out driveshaft electric bicycles.
Notice that there’s no chain or belt. Just a driveshaft like in a car that transfers power from the pedals to the rear wheel.
We couldn’t get too much info on them so I don’t know their full specs, but they sure are fun to look at!
GoSpade and Hycore T1 conversion kits
In addition to pre-built electric bicycles, there were some novel electric bicycle conversion kits on display as well.
A company known as GoSpade has unveiled their new mid-drive conversion kit with a tiny motor about the size of two cans of tuna stacked on top of each other. I didn’t expect much out of such a small motor, but they let us borrow a couple of bikes to ride around the parking lot before the show started and I was quite impressed with how powerful the little motors were. The acceleration was more impressive than some big name mid-drives I’ve tried.
I have no idea how long the mid-drives would last, but the performance and acceleration were quite impressive. They offer a number of different battery sizes, and ranging between $600-800, you can fairly easily convert a standard bicycle into a mid-drive electric bicycle, battery included. Not bad!
Another novel conversion kit we spied was the Hycore T1. Similar to the Copenhagen wheel or FlyKly, it’s an all-in-one electric wheel that you swap onto your pedal bike. For now there’s no throttle – it’s only available with pedal assist that activates when you begin pedaling. However they may plan to offer a bluetooth connected throttle in the future.
The T1 has three main “spokes”, one of which contains a battery while the other two each contain a 180W motor and motor speed controller. So I guess you could have a “dual motor” e-bike, even if it’s single wheel drive.
The South Korean company is already producing the wheels, and they should be available through retailers soon.
Mercane 1.5 kW electric scooter
This thing is nuts. It’s a 28 mph (45 km/h) 1000 W 48V dual motor electric scooter, with each wheel containing a 500 W motor. The wheels themselves are super wide, giving you at least some hope of gaining traction from those powerful motors.
We were riding the scooter around on the polished concrete floors of the Reno Sparks Convention Center where I was doing double wheel burnouts – on an electric kickscooter, mind you. I definitely recommend riding this thing somewhere where you have better grip, like on asphalt, as there’s a crazy amount of power coming out of this scooter.
Perhaps the nuttiest part of all was the price – just $889 for the 19 mile (30.5 km) model and $989 for the 31 mi (50 km) model – both of which are probably more range then you’ll ever need.
Plus it’s available on Amazon, meaning you don’t need to worry about trying to buy it directly from the South Korean company.
But if that wasn’t crazy enough for you, the Mercane representative told us they’re working on a 2.5 kW version that can travel up to 70 km/h (43.5 mph) and will cost in the neighborhood of $1,500.
“Wow, isn’t that dangerous?” we asked him.
“Oh yes, very dangerous,” he replied.
Wrap up
Honestly I don’t even know how to wrap up such a wide array of electric bicycles. The entire Interbike show was simply an amazing collection of the coolest (and sometimes weirdest) new products that the electric bicycle industry has to offer.
Considering that this was a bicycle show – not just an electric bicycle show – the sheer number of electric bicycles on hand really demonstrates the magnitude with which e-bikes have taken over the industry.
E-bikes are no longer obscure toys relegated to the corner of the bike shop. They are tried, tested and true electric vehicles that are designed to be perfect commuter and recreational bikes for the masses.
If you haven’t at least tried one yet, then you owe yourself the experience.
We’ll have more in-depth coverage on some of these bikes in the coming days and weeks, but for now, this is a pretty good summary of the coolest things we saw at Interbike.
Which was your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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