Micah Toll

Velotric has continued to regularly update its popular e-bike models, with the latest launch today bringing us the Nomad 2. This fat tire adventure bike carries a host of new features and components, offering a powerful yet comfortable ride on both city streets and off-road trails.

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 merger between Electric Bike Company and Integral Electrics, California looking to clamp down further on Sur Ron hooligans, a Super73 recall, Cowboy’s production move, a tour inside Bafang’s factory in China, and more.

NIU, best known as a leader in the electric moped market, has expanded considerably over the last few years. In addition to offering a hot-selling new electric dirt bike and showing off concepts for electric ATVs, the company is now unveiling an electric microcar known as the NIUMM 500.

Aventon, one of the most well-known players in the US electric bicycle market, has announced the launch of its latest model, the Level 3. A smart e-bike designed for modern commuters, the Level 3 is packed with advanced security features, extended range capabilities, and comfort-focused components. It’s all part of the new Aventon Control Unit (ACU), which serves as the central brain of the smart bike, and helps it offer new standards in daily riding and commuting convenience.

Several well-known players in the US electric bicycle market have recently joined forces in creative ways. Electric Bike Company, known for its local manufacturing in Southern California, has just announced a major merger with Integral Electrics, an e-bike brand uniquely designing electric bicycles for women and other short statured riders.

The Engwe LE20 is an interesting take on the cargo e-bike format. It’s marketed as a budget-friendly utility e-bike that can handle hauling groceries, gear, or even a passenger. At the same time, it looks like a cross between a compact cargo bike and a semi-fat tire hybrid-style bike, with a chunky frame, small wheels, and a long rear rack. But how does it actually perform in the real world? After spending some time riding and testing it, here’s what I found.

In a reflection of growing sentiment in the US against reckless electric bike riders, one California town is preparing to enact a series of new restrictions and legal clarifications for e-bike riders.

Super73, a leading e-bike manufacturer based in Irvine, California famous for its moped-style electric bikes, has issued a recall for two of its popular models.

Cowboy, the Brussels, Belgium-based electric bicycle maker famous for its modern take on classic European-cycling designs, is nearshoring its production to speed up delivery times.

If you’ve been hanging around in the world of electric bikes for any decent amount of time, you’ve probably come across Bafang. They don’t make electric bikes, but they’ve long made many of the components used by them. I visited the factory back in 2019, and recently returned for a second visit to see what had changed. Boy, was I unprepared for what awaited me…

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 an NYC program to give out free e-bikes to delivery riders, a new bicycle handlebar designed with help from Onlyfans, Vammo’s 1 million battery swaps, a new e-moto/e-snowmobile project, Lift electric hydrofoil boards, and more.

New York City’s Department of Transportation has a novel idea for helping get the most common uncertified e-bikes off the city’s streets: let their riders swap them for a safer UL-compliant electric bike for free.

It’s a tale as old as time. A man takes a ride on an electric motorcycle and thinks to himself, “This is great, but you know what it’s missing? The ability to morph into an electric snowmobile, too.”

Ok, perhaps it’s not the most common thought among us. But that hasn’t stopped it from apparently becoming a reality thanks to Canadian designer Steven Foster, who has now spent three years developing and testing that exact concept to bring the Avvenire Combat e-motorcycle to life.

We’ve spent years following interesting high-tech developments in the e-bike industry, often while the more traditional non-electric cycling industry has had to make do with comparatively lower-tech leaps. But now all cyclists can rejoice in an interesting new “smart handlebar” that happens to have gotten a friendly helping hand from an unlikely source.

When it comes to oddities of the electric vehicle variety, it doesn’t take much to pique my interest. If it’s got an electric motor and a funky shape, I’m down to clown. But being an electric bicycle guy through and through, anytime we can work some good ol’ pedaling action into the mix, I’m all the happier. And this week’s edition of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week sure tickles my fancy!

The Candela P-12 is the first hydrofoil electric ferry in the world to begin commercial operations. The 30-seat electric ferry uses a set of computer-controlled hydrofoil wings to fly above the surface of the water, resulting in a smoother and more efficient ride. But what happens when the seas get rough?

Vammo, a battery-swapping service for electric motorcycles in Latin America, has just announced that the company has surpassed an impressive 1 million battery swaps in a little over a year.

Last month I was fortunate enough to take a trip to China and visit seven different micromobility companies, each of which invited me to tour their factory, test out their new products, or attend their major events. The trip is something of a sequel to the first Chinese factory tour trip I took last year (with the documentary of that trip racking up millions of views on YouTube).

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing detailed articles and videos about each of the following visits. But in the meantime, consider this as a preview of what’s to come.

This isn’t exactly my first time dropping a container full of Chinese electric vehicles in the yard and cracking it open with childlike glee. But it is likely one of the most unique experiences I’ve had so far doing this, revealing inside a fleet of battery-powered Chinese electric mini-excavators and assorted accessories.

With the flick of a Sharpie marker, new tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China were imposed this morning and will take effect next week on February 4, 2025. According to President Trump, the tariffs are intended “to protect Americans”, though nearly all economists agree that they will result in higher prices for consumer goods and increased inflation, devaluing the US dollar.

The Trump Administration’s new 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are larger than the 10% additional tariffs on Chinese goods, but the latter will have the biggest impact on the electric bicycle industry in the US.

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 solar charging kit from JackRabbit, a reversal on a plan to double the power limit for e-bikes in the UK, China is pushing to replace lithium-ion battery e-bikes with lead acid battery alternatives, the Dallas Cowboys all got new electric motorcycles, UBCO enters receivership, and more.

There’s no denying how popular high-power electric bikes have become. And a quick way to get more power without having to go with a ridiculously large motor is to simply double up, putting one motor in each of a bike’s wheels. That’s what Wallke did with the Wallke H7 AWD, and the result is a fast e-bike that is as powerful as it is chunky – which is to say, very.

If it sounded too good to be true, that’s because it was. A proposal made last year to double the allowable power limit of electric bicycles in the UK was canceled after pushback on the plan.

In what might seem like a headscratcher, China is now urging its citizens to trade in their lithium-ion battery-based electric bikes for newer models with sealed lead-acid batteries (SLAs).