Micah Toll

Illinois just signed a sweeping new electric bicycle law that, among many other changes, finally answers a question that has been hanging over the rapidly growing market for high-powered electric bikes: What exactly are we supposed to do with all of these 35 and 40 mph “e-bikes” that don’t fit into the normal three-class electric bicycle system?

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 Flit and SONDORS (yep, that one), testing a battery charging cabinet and the Qronge e-moto, London cops riding Sur-Rons, and more.

Just when you thought the SONDORS story was over, Storm Sondors appears to be mounting another comeback.

The entrepreneur behind one of the most influential – and eventually most controversial – electric bike companies in the US has resurfaced with a mysterious new two-wheeler being teased on the SONDORS website.

London police have apparently decided that if you can’t beat them, join them – or at least get yourself the same electric bike.

Bafang has never exactly been known for building timid e-bike motors, but its latest pair of high-performance e-MTB drives takes things to a whole new level. We’re talking up to 1,700 watts of peak power, 150 Nm of torque, and 800% pedal assistance.

At that point, “pedal assist” is starting to do some pretty heavy lifting as a phrase.

One of the most common questions I get from readers isn’t just about speed or range anymore. Increasingly, I’m hearing more questions about battery safety.

People see the occasional viral video of an e-bike battery fire and wonder if they should be worried about charging their battery in the garage, apartment, or workshop. The reality is that quality lithium-ion batteries from reputable manufacturers are remarkably safe, but when failures do occur, they can be dramatic enough that many riders want an extra layer of protection.

That’s where products like Yolin’s lithium-ion battery charging cabinet come in. I recently spent some time testing the cabinet, and while I admittedly wasn’t sure what to expect going in, I came away more impressed than I anticipated.  

Heybike is expanding into a rather different corner of the e-bike market with the launch of the new Heybike Titan, a full-suspension, moped-style electric bike that can be had with either one or two batteries.

And perhaps just as importantly, Heybike is coming out swinging on price.

British folding e-bike maker FLIT has just unveiled its latest lightweight folding e-bike, the FLIT M2i. And at just 13.3 kg (29.3 lb), this thing is getting impressively light for a fully equipped electric bike.

Electric scooters have long demonstrated an interesting dichotomy. On one end of the spectrum, you’ve got cheap commuter scooters that feel like they’re one pothole away from shaking themselves apart. On the other end are increasingly large, dual-motor monsters that weigh 80 or 100 pounds (45 kg) and blur the line between scooter and motorcycle.

The VMAX VX2 Lite aims for the sweet spot in the middle. It promises a genuine full-suspension ride, respectable 25 mph (40 km/h) performance, and up to 56 miles (90 km) of claimed range without turning into something you dread carrying up a flight of stairs. After spending time riding the long-range version, I think VMAX got surprisingly close to that goal.

Ride1Up’s Portola has been one of those e-bikes that make a lot of sense on paper: a compact folding design, useful cargo capability, and the kind of pricing that helped Ride1Up build its reputation for high-value e-bikes in the first place.

For the last few years, it has felt like the electric bike industry has been engaged in a constant arms race.

Every new launch seems to promise more speed, more power, bigger batteries, and increasingly motorcycle-like styling. And every time a new model pushes the envelope, the comments inevitably fill with some people asking the same question: “Why not just make it faster?”

I think that’s the wrong question.

When New Jersey passed one of the country’s most restrictive e-bike laws earlier this year, plenty of riders, advocates, and bike shops warned that it would have consequences. Now, just a few weeks after the law officially took effect, those predictions appear to have come true.

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 Urban Arrow and Aniioki, Rivian’s ALSO bike is almost here, Colorado’s wild “free e-bike” saga, NYC wants fast e-bikes gone, Paris wants to paint scooter riders yellow, HMP Lightning Mk.II electric scooter, and more.

Urban Arrow has spent the last 14 years building a reputation around front-loading cargo bikes, becoming one of the biggest names in the family cargo bike world. Now the Dutch company is branching out into an entirely new category with the launch of the Urban Arrow Breeze, bringing its first-ever longtail electric cargo bike to the North American market. 

The wait for Rivian’s first electric bike just got a little bit shorter. After months of delays, ALSO has informed reservation holders that they’ll finally be able to place pre-orders for the company’s highly anticipated TM-B electric bike starting August 18.

It’s welcome news for the unknown number of people who put down reservations, though it’s hard to ignore just how far the timeline has slipped.

It started as one of the most talked-about e-bike deals in the country. Colorado residents could get what was advertised as a “free” electric bike by applying the state’s e-bike tax credit, with Bear Trail Bikes matching the discount. Customers were generally left paying little more than sales tax.

For many riders, it sounded too good to pass up.

A new player in the industry, Avore, thinks its EX2S electric motorcycle could shake things up with impressive performance and accessible pricing.

If you are like most people and currently drive a gasoline-powered car, the pain is about to become even worse. US government officials have warned that gas prices are expected to rise further as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt the global oil supply.

While we can’t control geopolitical events, we can control how much gasoline we actually need to buy. And that’s where e-bikes come in.

Electric motorcycles have already proven themselves in military roles thanks to their quiet operation, but Ukraine has just taken the concept several steps further. The country’s newly approved MUL.E electric motorcycle is more than just another battery-powered dirt bike – it’s an all-wheel-drive machine specifically designed for battlefield logistics, stealth operations, and even traversing certain minefields.

Back-to-school season often means shopping for backpacks, notebooks, and maybe even a new ride. For a growing number of families, that ride is an electric bike.

And I’m all for it. Giving teenagers the freedom to get themselves to school, sports practice, or a friend’s house without needing a car is one of the best things e-bikes can offer. But just like we’d encourage a new driver to wear a seatbelt, young e-bike riders should be equipped with the right protective gear too.

If you’ve spotted one of Monarc’s new e-bikes, there’s a good chance one of your first thoughts was, “Wait… did they install the fork backwards?”

Paris is getting tougher on electric scooter safety, with new rules now requiring riders to wear both a helmet and a high-visibility vest while using their scooters on public roads.

Zero Motorcycles has launched a new incentive program that offers cash back to newly licensed riders who purchase one of the company’s electric motorcycles or scooters. It’s an interesting way to encourage new motorcyclists to skip internal combustion and go electric from day one.

Micromobility regulation continues to tighten in New York City, and now Mayor Zohran Mamdani is taking aim at the online retailers that have become a major source of high-speed electric bikes and scooters.