Micah Toll

While I enjoy covering news and reviews related to new e-bikes and other micromobility vehicles, my favorite part of working in this industry is actually getting to go deeper behind the scenes, often pulling back the curtain to see what lies behind some of the biggest companies in the market. Most only show us their polished front-facing image, but there’s so much more to the story than that. From the people who build and operate these brands to the way new ideas work their way through the design pipeline and into bike boxes headed to our doorsteps, there are countless untold stories just waiting to be revealed. And that’s exactly what I set out to do when I visited the headquarters of EUNORAU, one of the most prolific e-bike makers in the world.

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 Trek’s first throttle e-bike, NYC imposing a 15 MPH speed limit for e-bikes, MeetOne Tour electric trike review, why your e-bike frame number is important, NIU’s stock is soaring, and more.

New York City officials are preparing to roll out a new speed limit for electric bikes – and it’s not exactly a green light. Under the newly announced plan, the city will soon set a 15 mph (25 km/h) speed cap for all e-bikes, as part of a broader crackdown aimed at addressing rising concerns about sidewalk safety, delivery rider behavior, and e-bike-related crashes.

The SONDORS electric bicycle company infamously went bankrupt in 2023, yet it now appears to be attempting a rise from the ashes. The company’s founder and former CEO Storm SONDORS is back at the helm and pre-selling a new electric motorbike with a somewhat familiar name – the Meta AT.

But will riders be once bitten, twice shy?

I’m super bullish on electric trikes. I may not be a silver-haired fox (yet), but even at a ripe 36 years old, I can appreciate the advantages of a comfortable e-trike just as much as their larger market of mature riders.

I don’t think age or accessibility should be the only factors when considering the advantages of three wheels over two, and the MeetOne Tour dual motor electric trike is a great example of that. Sure, it’d be awesome for folks who can no longer feel the same confidence or stability from two-wheelers. But it’s also just a blast to ride at any age and ability level!

The electric motorcycle market is a small and highly interconnected one, with a limited amount of suppliers and an even smaller number of actual honest-to-goodness motorcycle manufacturers. While Covid-era progress led to a series of highly-funded rapid advancements and flashy announcements, the last few years have been hard on the industry as funding and excitement have both dwindled, resulting in a smaller number of big releases. So it makes sense that people would jump at news that Honda is now producing its first electric motorcycle and that you can already buy it. The only problem is that none of that is true – finally some real fake news.

Brazil, a nation renowned for its vast landscapes and vibrant urban centers, is a fascinating case in the worldwide adoption of electric two-wheelers. Despite a robust two-wheeler market, with sales reaching approximately 1.9 million units in 2024, the adoption of electric motorcycles has been relatively modest. However, recent developments signal a shift towards electrification is gaining momentum and that the country is on the cusp of a significant transformation in its transportation sector.

In a historic first for electric marine travel, a Swedish team has successfully crossed the Mediterranean in an electric boat – and not just any electric boat, but one that flies. The voyage marks a major milestone in the future of clean maritime transport and shows that electric boats aren’t just ready for lakes and calm harbors – they’re ready for open sea.

There’s a number hidden somewhere on basically every electric bicycle – or pedal bicycle – including the one in your garage. If you haven’t found it yet, you should do it today. Here’s why.

Cargo e-bikes have long been a staple in European cities, seamlessly blending utility with eco-friendly transportation. Now, the U.S. is catching up, not just in adoption but in celebration.

In a significant move that marks a departure from its traditional e-bike offerings, Trek has introduced the FX+ 1, its first-ever electric bike equipped with a throttle. This launch responds to growing consumer demand for more versatile and accessible e-biking options, particularly in the North American market.

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 launch of a full-suspension e-bike from Velotric, Yamaha-backed company’s plan for battery swapping in electric bicycles, buying a super-cheap e-bike from China, testing the Meepo Flow electric skateboard, PodBike closes its doors, the impending launch of the Royal Enfield Flying Flea electric motorcycle, and more.

Velotric is breaking new ground – and blazing new trails – with the launch of its newest electric bike model, the Nomad 2X. Based on the popular all-terrain Nomad platform, Velotric has ratcheted up the action with a full-suspension version that doesn’t skimp on the features.

In a surprising and disappointing turn for fans of innovative micromobility, Podbike, the Norwegian maker of the sleek, fully enclosed Frikar electric pedal-car, has filed for bankruptcy. Despite gaining significant attention and accolades for its standout design and functionality, the company ultimately couldn’t overcome the financial hurdles that have cut down so many ambitious mobility startups lately.

Chinese electric scooter manufacturer NIU Technologies (NASDAQ: NIU) is experiencing a remarkable surge in 2025, with its stock price nearly doubling year-to-date. This impressive performance is fueled by a significant increase in electric moped sales, particularly within its domestic market, despite facing challenges such as international tariffs and rising freight costs.

Range anxiety on e-bikes (for those who even worry about that) might soon be a thing of the past. ENYRING, a Yamaha Motor-backed startup offering swappable battery subscriptions for electric bicycles, has announced a new partnership with Swobbee, the leading battery-swapping infrastructure provider in Europe. And now they’re set to soon bring their services to Amsterdam and Berlin.

Instead of ever needing to charge their own battery again, e-bike riders could swap it out for ready-to-ride batteries at swap stations.

Royal Enfield’s eagerly anticipated electric motorcycles, unveiled late last year under the Flying Flea brand, are now confirmed to hit the market early next year. Eicher Motors Managing Director B. Govindarajan narrowed down the release window, confirming that the two models currently in testing, the FF-C6 and S6, will debut in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2026, corresponding to January through March 2026.

Electric motorcycles may be the future, but most major Western companies still haven’t figured out how to make money from them. Not true for Barcelona-based Stark Future though, one of the only electric motorcycle makers outside of China to have reached profitability.

As perhaps one of the most prolific electric bike reviewers on the internet, I spend a lot of time riding city streets and have occasionally wondered if this is the way I’ll go out one day. Yesterday, I nearly had the answer to that question as a police cruiser almost smeared me across three lanes of traffic.

It happened to occur while I was in the middle of filming a review of a Velotric Breeze 1 electric bike. With the rare opportunity of catching a moment like that on camera, it turned into a chance for me to take a second look at what I did right as well as what I might have done wrong to wind up in that situation.

And why keep that kind of analysis to myself? Come along with me while I Monday morning quarterback myself.

Some of my regular readers may remember that I backed a risky-looking Indiegogo campaign for an ultra-low-cost electric bicycle that sounded almost too good to be true. I clearly advised readers against it, but I figured it might still be interesting to take on the risk myself to see what would happen.

This is the culmination of that story.

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 launch of the Lectric XP4 e-bike, a new set of RadRunners from Rad Power Bikes, California’s e-bike voucher program hits more hurdles, the effect of Trump tariffs on several e-bike and e-moto companies, and more.

After going car-free on Central Park’s main drives in 2018, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation has been preparing to wrap up a study on electric bike usage in Central Park. The results will help decide whether those electric bicycles will still be permitted inside the park.

It’s taken a while, but most Americans have finally come to realize that the new tariffs imposed on imported goods are in fact paid by US companies, not the countries where they are manufactured. What many still don’t realize, though, is how those same tariffs are actually crushing the American manufacturing they were ostensibly designed to promote.

In true Lectric style, North America’s largest e-bike company just unveiled the latest generation of its best-selling electric bike in a high-energy, adrenaline-fueled product launch this morning. The Lectric XP4 is the newest generation of the ultra-popular e-bike line, and once again brings a shocking level of upgrades at price points never before seen in the industry.

To put it simply, Lectric has done it again; they’ve absolutely crushed it and set a new high watermark for value in the US folding e-bike market.