Micah Toll

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 the potential end of Rad Power Bikes, Tern’s new belt-drive Vektron, a semi-solid-state e-bike battery coming soon on a production e-bike, ALSO drops price on its entry-level model, a tilting flat-bed electric trike/truck, and more.

Pedego, one of the most recognizable names from the early days of American e-bike brands, is entering a new era. The company has been acquired by the “US-based” ownership group behind the Asian e-bike brand Urtopia, a relatively young, tech-forward electric bike brand known for carbon fiber e-bikes with built-in connectivity and smart features. The result is a newly formed New Pedego Holdings Inc., which both companies are pitching not as a takeover, but as a reboot designed to modernize Pedego and rebuild the dealer network that once made it a retail powerhouse.

Future Motion – the company that basically invented the “self-balancing asphalt surfboard” category with the Onewheel – has officially entered the two-wheeled world. And in typical Future Motion fashion, they didn’t just build a bike. They built a weirdly wild, 1970s-inspired electric mini bike that can literally hold you in a wheelie.

There’s a popular belief that slower equals safer. The concept is not entirely without merit, but it doesn’t apply universally, and especially not to electric bicycles.

For those brave enough to power through their gritted teeth and keep reading, let me explain.

Electric motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes these days, but few take the idea of “small format” as literally as the new Icoma Tatamel Bike. Designed by Takamitsu Ikoma – a former toy designer who clearly never lost his taste for Transformers – this little EV doesn’t just shrink.

It folds itself into a tidy rolling suitcase shape that can follow you into elevators, offices, and apartments, where full-sized bikes are a non-starter.

Cargo e-bikes are already replacing cars for a surprising number of people, but Cube’s newest electric trike goes a step further – literally adding a miniature pickup bed to a tilting three-wheeler platform designed for hauling just about anything. Meet the Cube Trike Flatbed Hybrid 750, the newest member of the company’s increasingly versatile Trike Hybrid lineup.

Kandi has become fairly well known in the US for its electric golf carts and work-focused UTVs, but the company has teamed up with Lowe’s and the NFL on something more playful: the Kandi 4P electric golf cart. Sold through Lowe’s with official NFL team liveries, this four-seat neighborhood cruiser is aimed less at the fairway and more at cul-de-sacs, grocery runs, and game-day tailgates. I spent time with a Miami Dolphins–themed 4P in South Florida to see what it can really do.

ALSO, the electric bike spin-off from EV-maker Rivian, just dropped some welcome news: a more affordable version of the bike is coming. Officially called the TM-B, the new model will launch at $3,500, coming in a full $1,000 under the previously announced $4,500 TM-B Performance we saw last month.

If there’s one thing Yadea doesn’t do, it’s show up quietly. At this year’s EICMA 2025 show in Milan, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer brought its usual overwhelming display of two- and three-wheeled electric machines, plus a few surprises. From high-performance motorcycles and sleek urban scooters to battery tech and even self-folding micromobility oddities, the company’s booth had a bit of everything – and a lot of it.

Let’s start with the main event.

Tern’s popular Vektron folding e-bike just got a big upgrade for the US market. The urban mobility brand has announced the launch of the fourth-generation Vektron, now available in two models, including a long-awaited belt-drive option that promises lower maintenance and a cleaner ride.

Solid-state batteries have long been the holy grail of electric vehicles, especially for light EVs like electric bicycles that are usually charged indoors. They hold major safety benefits over traditional lithium-ion batteries, plus offer better energy density, making it possible to use smaller batteries or simply fit more capacity in the same-sized battery pack.

Rad Power Bikes, one of the most well-known electric bicycle companies in North America, appears to be headed for collapse as troubling signs have continued to stack up.

SUPER73 just pulled the curtain off its latest e-bike, the SUPER73-MZFT, and it looks like the brand is coming back to its roots – with a twist. Known for building retro-inspired, moto-style electric bikes that blur the line between fun and functional, SUPER73 now says the MZFT represents the first in a new generation of e-bikes that’s designed to welcome in a broader, more diverse group of riders – especially those just getting started.

NIU is back at EICMA 2025 (the Milan Motorcycle Show) with a fresh lineup of electric two-wheelers that push the boundaries of performance, design, and smart connectivity. The Chinese electric mobility giant, already known for selling over 5 million electric scooters and motorcycles across over 50 countries, used the Milan show to unveil its 2026 product range – and it’s clear NIU is looking to hang on to that leader status.

At EICMA 2025, Honda finally pulled back the curtain on its first full-size electric motorcycle with the first-ever public unveiling of the Honda WN7. As someone who’s followed the electric motorcycle space for over a decade, I’ve been waiting a long time to see Big Red bring some serious voltage – and it looks like that moment has arrived.

While NIU showed off a full lineup of production-ready electric scooters and motorcycles at EICMA this year, one of the most eye-catching was something you can’t buy just yet – but will definitely want to. It’s called the Concept 06, and it’s NIU’s boldest vision yet for the future of electric two-wheelers.

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 a new e-bike model from Tenways, California kills off its e-bike voucher program, a review of the new VMAX VX2 Hub e-scooter, Zero launches a scooter, NIU’s got a new micro-car, and more.

When it comes to high-performance electric scooters that are still reasonably priced, it’s a tricky balance. Most affordable scooters are underpowered and wobbly. The powerful ones often creep into motorcycle territory – with prices to match. But the VMAX VX2 Hub might just be the sweet spot we’ve been waiting for. It’s fast, it’s strong, it’s well-built, and most importantly – it actually feels good to ride.

Let’s dive into what makes this scooter stand out.

In a landmark move for sustainable maritime transport, Swedish firm Candela is bringing its hydrofoiling electric vessel, the Candela P‑12, to the Maldives, promising faster, cleaner, seasickness-free transfers from the airport to the remote atolls.

Zero Motorcycles turned heads in Milan at EICMA 2025 with the unveiling of its new LS1 electric scooter, a sleek and practical 60 mph (100 km/h) commuter built for European city streets. With its swappable batteries, off-board charging, and smart safety tech like ABS and traction control, the LS1 is clearly a strong contender in the urban EV space. It also marks a major shift for Zero, expanding beyond full-size electric motorcycles into a more accessible, everyday format.

But will it come to the US market?

Royal Enfield’s new electric motorcycle brand, Flying Flea, just pulled the wraps off its second model – the scrambler-inspired FF.S6 – at EICMA 2025, and it’s an agile, tech-packed machine that brings serious trail-ready vibes to city streets.

Earlier this year, we covered the unveiling of the NIUMM, an electric microcar designed for urban residents (and especially those with a NIU scooter already, since it shares the same batteries). Now the company is actually bringing it to market.

Zero Motorcycles, long known for its powerful electric motorcycles, is diving deeper into the world of urban mobility with the launch of the all-new LS1 electric scooter. Unveiled today at EICMA 2025 in Milan, the LS1 is designed to expand Zero’s reach beyond motorcycles and into the increasingly important city commuter segment.

Verge Motorcycles just took the wraps off the next evolution of its flagship Verge TS Pro electric motorcycle at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, revealing a dramatically upgraded version of its best-selling model. And we’re here to see it firsthand.