Micah Toll

For years, “next-gen battery tech” in the e-bike world (and the EV world in general) has mostly been a promise. Solid-state batteries were always just around the corner, hyped in EV headlines but nowhere to be found on actual bikes you could buy.

That may finally be changing.

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new e-bikes from Juiced, Ride1Up and Jackrabbit, e-moto news from Segway and Honda, new e-bike laws, and more.

Ride1Up is expanding one of its most popular lightweight commuter e-bikes with a new version aimed at riders looking for a bit more comfort on rougher roads and longer rides. The company has now officially begun shipping the new Ride1Up Roadster V3 Suspension model, adding front suspension to the sleek urban e-bike while keeping much of what made the original such a hit.

Tenways has been steadily growing its reputation in the commuter e-bike world, especially in Europe, where the company has become known for sleek urban bikes that feel a bit more refined than their price tags might suggest. But even humble Americans have been able to enjoy Tenway’s e-bikes for years, plus with the added bonus of accessing higher speeds and power levels that bump models up into Class 3 territory.

The new Tenways Wayfarer continues that trend, while adding something the company hasn’t leaned as heavily into before: more comfort, more utility, and a more approachable ride for everyday riders.

One of the biggest advantages of electric motorcycles has always been their simplicity. No clutch, no gears, no stalling – just twist the throttle and go. They’re basically big, fun scooters, at least in terms of operation. But Honda appears to think there’s still something worth preserving from the old-school riding experience, especially for off-road riders.

A newly revealed Honda patent shows the company developing a simulated electronic clutch system for electric motorcycles, complete with torque-boost launches and even haptic feedback designed to mimic the feel of a combustion engine.

And surprisingly, it might not be as gimmicky as it first sounds.

I recently had the chance to test out two very different styles of locks from Hiplok: Their Hiplok Urban D and their Switch 105. They come with unique use cases and security levels, so testing both gave me a unique view of when and where they fit best into my bike lock quiver.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering one of the most comprehensive micromobility regulatory overhauls we’ve seen in the US yet, proposing a new legal framework that would categorize everything from bicycles and e-bikes to electric scooters and Sur Ron-style electric motos into a four-tier speed classification system.

And unlike many recent state proposals that have focused narrowly on restricting e-bikes, the Massachusetts bill appears to be taking a more nuanced – though still fairly aggressive – approach to defining where different types of electric vehicles belong.

Juiced Bikes is officially back.

After the brand was acquired by the team behind Lectric eBikes, perhaps the biggest name in the budget e-bike space, Juiced is relaunching with a renewed focus – and two new models that feel very much like a return to its roots. The new Juiced Scrambler Hardtail and Scrambler Full Suspension aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, bur rather are doubling down on what Juiced always did best: fast, powerful, moto-style e-bikes that punch above their price.

And this time around, they’re doing it with a stronger emphasis on safety, component quality, and long-term reliability.

San Diego, California-based electric bicycle maker Ride1Up has just carved out a place for itself in the history books, announcing today the world’s first electric bicycle with a semi-solid state battery, the Ride1Up Revv1 EVO. It could be one of the most important technological shifts we’ve seen in e-bikes in years.

The new battery touts many major advantages, from safety to longevity with a 10-year lifespan. And unlike some other major solid state battery news that is increasingly starting to look more like fluff than substance, Ride1Up is actually positioned to deliver.

I recently got a chance to test out the Macfox X7 electric bike, and after spending some time riding it around, one thing became immediately clear: while this model isn’t trying to be a traditional e-bike, it still sticks the landing with a legal and fun moped-like ride.

And that’s exactly why a lot of riders are going to love it even more.

I’ve spent countless hours here at Electrek doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, I’ve been fortunate to learn these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That long-term experience with real-world e-bike testing has helped me find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.

Below are some of the top e-bikes I’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of May 2026. With great riding weather upon us, it’s time to get back in the saddle! Check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.

Segway may still be best known for its scooters, but the company has been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) expanding deeper into the electric two-wheeler space. Between its growing e-bike lineup and earlier Sur Ron-style off-road models, the trajectory has been clear. Now with the launch of the new Xaber 300, Segway is diving headfirst into the electric powersports market.

And make no mistake: this is a motorcycle, not an e-bike or an e-scooter.

If you’ve been paying attention to the e-bike world lately, you’ve probably noticed a trend: riders always seem to want more power and torque. And Bosch’s latest update looks like a direct answer to that demand.

The company has announced its new Performance Upgrade 2.0, a software-based boost for its popular Performance Line CX and CX-R drive units that can push torque up to 120 Nm and support levels as high as 600%. 

For years, much of the electric motorcycle spotlight has focused on startups and legacy spinoffs. But quietly – and increasingly not so quietly – Japan’s motorcycle giants have been laying the groundwork for a major shift of their own.

Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki may not be flooding showrooms with high-performance electric superbikes just yet, but they are steadily building portfolios, factories, and long-term strategies that point clearly in one direction: electrification.

JackRabbit has made a name for itself by doing things differently in the e-bike world, and now the company is taking that same unconventional approach into cargo territory. This week, the San Diego-based micromobility brand unveiled the new MG Cargo, an ultra-lightweight cargo e-bike that aims to deliver serious hauling capability without the size and weight penalty that typically comes with the category.

A billion-dollar valuation is a headline that’s hard to ignore. And when it’s attached to a new e-bike brand spun out of a company like Rivian, it’s even harder not to get swept up in the excitement.

But zoom out for a moment, and a more complicated picture starts to emerge.

As electric bicycles continue to grow in popularity and grab headlines, regulatory debates are heating up. More states are clamping down on how and where e-bikes can be ridden, and even what constitutes an e-bike.

This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes Segway’s new cargo bikes, pedal-by-wire drive systems, semi-solid-state batteries for electric bicycles, more laws on the way, Yozma IN10 review, and more.

A new e-bike drive system in development is aiming to do something pretty radical: get rid of the mechanical connection between your pedals and the rear wheel entirely and replace it with a copper wire. Or more accurately, a few copper wires.

Segway has announced a milestone that might be easy to gloss over at first glance, but that actually says a lot about where micromobility is headed: the company has now sold more than 1 million units of its Ninebot E2 series electric scooters worldwide. 

A new bill in Minnesota is taking aim at one of the fastest-growing gray areas in micromobility: high-powered electric two-wheelers that blur the line between e-bikes and motorcycles.

Electric boats have been steadily gaining traction, but a new pilot project in Norway is making a pretty compelling case that they could do more than just clean up waterways – they might actually replace expensive infrastructure projects altogether.

Late last year, I had the chance to check out the world’s first semi-solid-state batteries designed for electric bicycles. At EICMA 2025, I visited T&D, an electric mobility company that was spun out of e-bike component maker Bafang (and founded by the same co-founder of Bafang, Sunny He). There I saw the first production-destined semi-solid-state e-bike batteries.

At the time, it was a big secret which company would be the first to put them into e-bikes and get those new batteries on the road. But now we’ve finally learned who will claim the title: Giant.

Cargo e-bikes have quickly become one of the most practical segments of the electric bicycle world, offering car-replacing utility at a fraction of the cost of owning and operating a vehicle. But while they’re cheaper than cars, they’re still not exactly cheap.

Most decent cargo e-bikes tend to start around $1,500 and can easily climb past $4,000 or more, especially when including higher end components, larger batteries, and from brand names known for longer-lasting bikes. So with cargo e-bikes nearly always costing well into the four digits, an unassuming entrant from Buzz Bikes now seems particularly eye-catching, with the company touting its affordable Beekeeper cargo e-bike at a shockingly low price of just US $799.