When my high-end electric bike was stolen last year, the intense combination of feelings ranging from violation to anger was hard to describe. But that is nothing compared to what one innovative electric bike maker is going through after $1M worth of unreleased new e-bikes was stolen in one fell swoop.

I’d like to think that the only thing I need to live a car-free life is my bike and my enthusiasm. But it’s the extra gear that helps me stay as two-wheeled as possible. In this regular column, I take a deep dive into some of the coolest and most interesting gadgets and pieces of kit that make it possible to swap a car for an e-bike on a daily basis. This time, we’re checking out a fascinating smartphone-controlled keyless e-bike lock called the Linka Lasso.

When I first got into flying quadcopters (back when they were still called quadcopters), I would sometimes imagine what it would be like to shrink myself down Rick Moranis-style and hop aboard. But now thanks to some enterprising Chinese engineers – or perhaps garage tinkerers – I don’t have to imagine it anymore. Instead of shrinking the passengers down, they’ve scaled up the entire drone and added a pilot’s chair.

Now the only question is, how brave are you?

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 several interesting new electric bike launches such as the Lectric ONE, Biktrix Juggernaut FS XD, Ampler Curt Anyroad, a discussion about Rad Power Bikes’ new potted batteries, and more.

LiveWire, the all-electric motorcycle company spun out of Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle division, has just unveiled its latest electric motorcycle. The new LiveWire S2 Mulholland is the brand’s first cruiser electric motorcycle, and in fact the first cruiser of any major electric motorcycle maker.

In the world of electric bikes, the words “carbon fiber” usually means big bucks. Actually, it’s the same in the pedal bike industry, it’s just that e-bikes already start out more expensive. That means carbon fiber electric bikes have always commanded premium prices – at least, until now. When Ride1Up rolled out the new CF Racer1 e-bike, it shook up the electric gravel bike market with a reasonably priced direct-to-consumer model that can scratch that lightweight e-bike itch for more hardcore riders.

The innovative Swedish electric boat maker Candela has just announced its biggest funding round ever, reeling in €24.5M (US $26.6M). Fresh off the announcement of the first commercial user of the company’s new P-12 electric ferry, Candela is now flying closer to its goal of replacing combustion engine watercraft with efficient electric boats in both the recreational and commercial boating industries.

Ampler Bikes, an Estonian e-bike company that prides itself on high-quality, local European manufacturing, has announced new e-bike models that expand the brand’s focus past the bike lanes and onto the trails.

Remember how the Bluth family drove that airplane staircase truck in the TV series Arrested Development? My apologies if not, since that’s a bit critical to the lead image gag above. But either way, you can surely appreciate how ridiculous it would be to actually own and drive one of those as a real vehicle. And now thanks to Alibaba, you might not have to purely imagine it anymore.

Earlier this week, Phoenix-based e-bike maker Lectric Ebikes surprised the industry with the unveiling of a high-end yet low-cost electric bike. The $1,999 Lectric ONE e-bike, which includes components like a Pinion automatic shifting gearbox normally found on models approaching five figures, resulted in a flood of questions. To get to the bottom of the most pressing concerns, we sat down with Lectric’s CEO Levi Conlow to discuss the decisions made in designing and producing the new e-bike.

If you’ve been wanting to get your off-road e-biking thrills but think all the current eMTBs on the market are too weak with their paltry 750W motors, then Biktrix has just what you’re looking for. The new Biktrix Juggernaut FS XD is the full-suspension electric mountain bike equivalent of the hot-rodder’s hot rod.

I’ve tested several Engwe electric bikes by now, and each time I’ve come away with a solid feeling. The Engwe E26 continues that trend with a fairly priced ($1,199) electric bike that comes with a surprising amount of nice features for the price.

New Zealand’s Lake Manapōuri is often described as the cleanest lake in the world due to its crystal clear water fed by melting glaciers that carved the lake, as well as yearly snow melt. Now the lake’s hydro-electric power station is getting even cleaner with the adoption of the world’s first flying electric hydrofoil ferry.

Gazelle Bikes, the largest Dutch bicycle maker with dozens of popular bicycle models, has just announced the launch of its Gazelle Eclipse trekking model for the US market.

In what is likely to the biggest shock unveiling in the e-bike industry so far this year, leading electric bike maker Lectric Ebikes has just rolled out the new Lectric ONE. Positioned as a premium commuter e-bike in the budget space, the new model marks equally new territory for the low-cost e-bike company turned premium space competitor.

It’s hard to imagine India’s roads without picturing the country’s popular three-wheelers weaving around traffic jams. They’re a staple of India’s transportation ecosystem, and now leading three-wheeler manufacturer Mahindra is hoping to turn them all electric with the help of IRP Systems’ cutting-edge electric vehicle technology.

MOD BIKES, the Austin, Texas-based maker of a wide range of electric bikes (including an impressive sidecar electric bike that I tested last year), is announcing today its 2024 lineup full of new models and impressive upgrades. In an unveiling at the South By Southwest Expo, the new e-bike models are taking center stage to show off their new features and tech, including upgraded performance, components, safety equipment, and accessories.

Engwe has recently updated its popular 20-inch e-bike, now launching as the Engwe L20 2.0. While it lacks some of the fancier features seen in many of today’s leading e-bikes, it still appears to pack in some solid performance at an incredibly low price.

Whether you love them or hate them, electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular on streets and trails around the US. First embraced across Asia before rolling their way across Europe for the last decade, e-bikes are now surging in popularity in North America.

But while you’ll see plenty of people espousing the supposed advantages of electric bikes, it’s important to keep in mind some of the hidden costs of owning and using these two-wheeled electric vehicles.

Ah yes, good ol’ Alibaba. It’s the place to go whenever you want to see just how weird and wild the world of Chinese electric vehicles has become. It’s all fun and games to laugh and enjoy the weirdness, though it’s important to remember that China actually leads the world in real electric vehicles, too. But we’re not here for those boring things. We’re here to see a full-size bug-eyed electric bus shaped like a fish, and at the cost of a couple car payments in the US.

Electric bikes just may be the biggest transportation revolution of our generation, helping millions replace car usage with more affordable, more efficient alternatives. But there’s no denying that concerns have been swirling about the safety of e-bike batteries, even if such fire fears have primarily been overblown by much of the media.

Leading electric bicycle maker Rad Power Bikes has just unveiled its new “Safe Shield Battery” in an effort to mitigate worries over e-bike battery safety. And it’s something we need to talk about.

Full-suspension and fat tires are basically the holy grail of comfort when it comes to e-bikes. They’re excessive in many situations, but that doesn’t stop a large swath of new e-bike shoppers looking for both. The only problem is they both tend to add to the cost of an e-bike, often pushing the number into the $2k range or higher. But what if you could get a full-suspension fat tire electric bike for under a thousand bucks? That’s what the Mukkpet Tank offers, and so I was excited to test it out and see how good it could be.

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 pile of new electric bike launches with four new models from Rad Power Bikes as well as e-bikes from Aventon, Frey, and Ride1Up, an awesome little micro golf cart, and more.

Rad Power Bikes, the Seattle-based electric bike maker that spent years at the top of the US e-bike sellers list, has occasionally rolled out major updates alongside the launch of a new model. But today the company is announcing the biggest shakeup in its history, simultaneously debuting two brand new e-bike models, two majorly updated e-bike models, and new battery technology that could help push the industry towards safer batteries. The Rad lineup is now welcoming the new Radster Road and Radster Trail e-bikes, as well as the RadWagon 5 and the RadExpand 5 Plus models.