Micah Toll

Electric tricycles are having something of an e-bike renaissance. They’ve been around for years, but now they’re finally starting to get the credit they deserve as both utilitarian runabouts and a great way for older riders to get back in the saddle again. I’ve been testing out the Viribus Trio Plus e-trike (the dual-chain version), and I’m blown away by how good this e-bike is for the price.

The US’s electric micro-car market is rather limited compared to Europe and Asia, but the Dutch company Squad Mobility hopes to change that. The startup has announced that its solar-powered EV is now available for pre-order ahead of US entry.

VanMoof’s epic fall from grace and eventual bankruptcy was one of the most talked about electric bike stories of the year. But as it turns out, we’re far from the final chapter. New management has a plan to resurrect the company and do right by its enormous customer base.

Food delivery in crowded cities – or really any type of delivery – tends to work better on two wheels. Smaller vehicles just slip through densely packed streets more easily. Electric bikes and e-scooters have become the dominant form of food delivery in many cities and countries worldwide. Now, a new partnership between Uber Eats and Gogoro is helping make those deliveries even quicker and easier.

Electric bikes have grown in popularity every year, and so too have their news stories. (If you don’t believe me, just ask yourself why your favorite car or motorcycle media sites are all suddenly covering e-bikes too.)

This year was no exception to the expanding e-bike takeover, with millions of you surfing on over to check out the most popular electric bike stories on Electrek. As 2023 winds its way down, let’s take a look back at the most popular e-bike stories of the year.

If there’s one thing I love nearly as much as electric bikes, it’s getting to enjoy some new gear on my rides. With the holidays barreling down on us, there’s still a little bit of time left to bring that joy to an e-bike lover near you! Here are some of the coolest pieces of gear I’ve tested this year that would make great stocking stuffers for anyone who rides an e-bike (or a pedal bike!) in your family or friend group.

Most of the fun electric vehicles I discover in the depths of Alibaba require me to sit in, on, or around them. But this time, I’ve found something that barely even needs me involved. Check out this awesome electric hand truck that can climb stairs thanks to its nifty tank track operation!

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 low-cost carbon fiber road e-bike, a review of Electric Bike Company’s Model J moped, what happened in Paris after shared e-scooters were banned, an upcoming electric ATV, and more.

Sponsored by VMAX: If you’re looking for a high-quality e-scooter with superior performance, check out the new VX5, VX2 Pro, VX4, and the R40 and R55 high-speed race scooters from VMAX.

Unlike Europe, the US just doesn’t have very many higher-speed seated electric scooters to choose from. But that could change as more models slowly enter the North American market. The latest to hit the streets in the US is the CSC ES5 electric scooter, which is now shipping to reservation holders and available for order.

Electric Bike Company was once the go-to source for US-built electric beach cruiser bikes. Now that they’ve expanded into folders, adventure-style e-bikes, and e-mopeds (like the Model J here), EBC seems like the go-to source for a much wider range of locally-assembled e-bikes.

But the even bigger differentiator, outside of the Southern California-based assembly, is that you can customize the bike with thousands of color customizations on every part, plus a huge array of accessories.

As electric bicycles quickly expand delivery options for companies in densely populated urban areas, other interesting solutions are also starting to pop up. One unique alternative is the Scootility cargo electric scooter that is designed to perform a similar role, yet with a slightly different vantage point.

And a slightly different ride.

If you’ve got a fat enough wallet, there are some seriously high-end electric bikes floating around out there from top-shelf e-bike companies. But what if your taste for finer things doesn’t quite match up with your real-world budget? Now Ride1Up is unveiling the answer in its new CF Racer1 carbon fiber electric road bike and gravel bike.

After first running a successful pilot program in India to test the local market, e-scooter and battery-swapping giant Gogoro is now making a major expansion into India. But Gogoro isn’t only bringing its technology to India, it’s actually producing new scooter models there.

My wife has always been bike-curious. As the partner of a mobility journalist and prolific electric bike reviewer, it would be hard for her to avoid them if she tried. But most of her brief experiences with e-bikes comes from joining me on riding trips or the occasional rented e-bike on vacation. She’s the proverbial barefoot kid to my proverbial cobbler.

After beginning a new job this year though, she decided that she wanted to start riding an e-bike to work. Now over 100 miles (160 km) in, I pestered her with a bunch of questions to figure out what a relative newcomer to bike commuting has learned from the experience, both the good and the bad.

When it comes to searching for odd vehicles on China’s largest online shopping site, I try not to limit myself too much. Sure it’s fun to find various things that zip around on wheels, treads, wings, or fins. But sometimes, you have to expand your horizon beyond just air, land, and sea. That’s the case with this week’s find for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week. Meet the awesome human-powered backyard rollercoaster!

The motorcycle industry has long stood at the crossroads of tradition and innovation. While roaring engines and iconic designs have been the pride of the past, the future holds the hum of electric powertrains. Until recently, the electric revolution largely focused on creating the fastest, most powerful electric bikes, often sporting equally hefty price tags. However, the emergence of medium-power electric motorcycles has ignited a new spark in the two-wheeler universe, one that promises to bring more new riders into the fold.

When Ride1Up unveiled the Portola folding electric bike, it was obviously a major play to snatch the title for the leading low-cost electric bike. Now that we’ve had sufficient time in the saddle, it’s high time to see how this budget electric bike stacks up.

Paris raised eyebrows earlier this year when the city voted to ban shared electric scooters. While privately owned electric scooters were still allowed, the thousands of shared electric scooters that were commonly used by locals and tourists were forced to vacate the city, with unexpected results.

San Diego-based e-bike company Juiced Bikes has just launched a new version of one of the company’s most popular electric bikes. The updated Scrambler X2 is “back and better than ever!”.

The field of electric ATVs is small yet growing quickly, and now we’re getting our first look at a new entrant. The LIVAQ EQUAD claims to be the “most capable electric ATV ever.” Let’s see how it stacks up.

The Cybertruck wasn’t the only Tesla electric vehicle unveiled late last week. Although overshadowed by its oversized brother, the Cybertruck for Kids is a real, small-sized EV that can have your kids showing off their forward-thinking philosophy or urban excess (depending on your desired camp) right in your own front yard.

Honda recently unveiled a small, folding electric scooter known as the Motocompacto that is often referred to as a suitcase scooter. But now a rival Japanese electric scooter company has what could become a serious competitor. Meet Arma, the first lunchbox scooter.

There’s something about pint-sized vehicles that just gets me going. Anyone can have a van. But what about a van that looks like it went through the washing machine on diaper setting and then a few extra trips around the dryer? Now we’re talking!

Check out what I believe to be the unconfirmed reigning world’s tiniest electric delivery van.

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 Harley-Davidson’s electric bicycle company Serial 1 getting acquired, Lectric Ebikes going above and beyond with philanthropy, E-bike riding as a food courier, Ryvid Anthem motorcycle deliveries, closer look at Kawasaki’s electric Ninja, and more.