Micah Toll

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-bike launches from Tern, Trek, Momentum, and Ariel Rider, reviews of the Infinite Machine Olto and Segway Xaber, and more.

Every now and then, a company launches something that doesn’t fit neatly into any existing category. Not because it’s obscenely powerful or flaunts conventional safety, but just because it doesn’t fit the mold that we’ve grown accustomed to. That’s exactly what the Infinite Machine Olto is.

Call it an e-bike, call it an electric moped, call it a scooter with pedals – everyone is going to have a different opinion. But after spending several weeks riding the Olto around town, I can confidently say one thing: it’s unlike anything else currently on the market.

Tern has unveiled an all-new version of its popular HSD compact cargo e-bike, bringing a long list of upgrades to one of the industry’s most respected family haulers. The new model keeps the same compact footprint that made the HSD so appealing in dense urban environments, but adds more carrying capacity, improved handling, Bosch’s latest drive systems, and new automatic shifting options.

Momentum, the urban-focused bicycle brand backed by cycling industry heavyweight Giant Group, has unveiled its latest commuter e-bike, the Vida E+ EX. Building on the original Vida E+ launched last year, the new model brings several notable upgrades aimed at making everyday transportation more comfortable, more capable, and a bit more tech-forward.

Germany is preparing to tighten the rules governing shared electric scooters, proposing new legislation that would make rental operators like Lime and Bolt directly liable for damages caused by their vehicles.

Swiss electric scooter maker VMAX has launched the new VX2 Lite, a commuter-focused electric scooter that packs premium features like full suspension, a 56-mile (90 km) maximum range, and up to 1,400W of peak motor power into a relatively lightweight package.

As communities across the US continue grappling with the rapid rise of electric bikes and scooters, one Oregon sheriff’s office is introducing a new tool designed to help identify trouble spots before someone gets hurt.

Yamaha has officially entered India’s increasingly competitive premium electric scooter market with the launch of the new Aerox-E, an electric version of its popular sporty maxi-scooter. Rather than chasing outright affordability, Yamaha is targeting riders looking for performance-focused urban transportation with premium features.

That has resulted in a more premium scooter, but also one of the highest scooter price tags in the country.

Trek is making a bigger push into the fast-growing fat tire e-bike segment with the launch of the new Borrego+, a Class 2 electric bike that blends adventure-ready capability with commuter-friendly practicality. The company is also offering a faster Borrego+ S variant for riders in markets where Class 3 e-bikes are permitted.

Ariel Rider has officially opened pre-orders for its new MUDD 72V, a high-performance two-wheeler that blurs the line between electric bikes (in the loosely defined sense) and lightweight electric motorcycles. In fact, the company itself is careful to market it as a “high-performance PPB (private property bike)” intended for off-road and closed-course use.

For some companies, the budget e-bike market has become a race to cram as many headline-worthy specs as possible into a bike without crossing the psychologically important $1,000 mark. Bigger motors, bigger batteries, higher speeds, full suspension – they’re all showing up on bikes that would have sounded impossible at this price just a few years ago.

The new Jasion Hunter Pro is the latest entrant into that category, promising an 1,800W peak motor, a 720 Wh battery, hydraulic brakes, full suspension, folding frame, and Class 3 speeds, all for just $999.

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 Gazelle, Amflow, and Monarc, the CPSC wants to clamp down on e-bike safety regulations, DeSantis vetoed an e-bike safety bill in Florida, and more.

Eurobike, the annual bicycle tradeshow that takes over Germany for several days each summer, always brings with it a fun array of new bikes and bike-related goodies. While the show wasn’t as big as it had been in previous years, there were still plenty of fun treats for the eyes and for the riding.

Check out the selection of fun takeaways below, in no order other than how they came out of my camera.

Yadea is best known for its electric scooters and motorcycles, which have helped cement the company as the world’s leading electric vehicle maker by production volume. But despite leading the world in EV manufacturering volume – or perhaps because of it – the company has also developed quite an interesting lineup of electric bicycles. On display at Eurobike 2026 was the company’s new full-suspension commuter e-bike, the Yadea Como.

Spend enough time reading the news and you’d be forgiven for thinking e-bikes are society’s newest menace. Every week seems to bring another headline about reckless teenagers weaving through traffic, riders flying down sidewalks, battery fires, or politicians introducing bills to crack down on electric bicycles.

Those stories are real, and coming up on two decades of covering the e-bike industry, I’ve written about many of those issues. But with that experience, including riding hundreds of e-bike models and countless thousands upon thousands of miles on electric bikes around the world, I can’t help but feel that we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture.

Canadian electric two-wheeler maker Beachman has taken the wraps off its latest model, the Aviator, expanding its lineup with a platform that spans everything from a Class 2 e-bike to a highway-capable electric motorcycle.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has proposed a sweeping new safety rule that could significantly reshape the e-bike industry, particularly when it comes to lithium-ion batteries and electrical systems.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bipartisan e-bike safety bill that would have introduced new rules for riders around pedestrians, effectively ending legislation that had passed both chambers of the state legislature unanimously.

Gobao has officially taken the wraps off several new e-bike drive systems, but while the company’s new continuously variable transmission (eCVT) motors are certainly intriguing, it’s the batteries that may end up stealing the show.

The Stark Varg has quickly become one of the most capable electric off-road motorcycles on the market (plus a pretty impressive on-road version as well), and now it’s getting another major performance upgrade without owners ever needing to visit a dealership.

Avinox may still be one of the newest names in the e-bike drive system industry, but the company isn’t wasting any time pushing the envelope.

At Eurobike 2026 in Frankfurt this week, the e-bike motor manufacturer unveiled its latest concept technology, dubbed the MG Concept Motor. Developed in partnership with major bicycle brands including Canyon, Commencal, Forbidden, and Mondraker, the new drive unit aims to rethink one of the most maintenance-intensive aspects of modern e-bikes: the drivetrain.

The electric vehicle industry has spent the last decade chasing bigger batteries, longer ranges, and faster acceleration. A new company called Amble thinks that approach may have missed the point for a large number of everyday trips.

Just a few months ago, few people in the e-bike industry had heard of Rad Life Mobility. Today, the company is already assembling a portfolio of brands it has scooped up in the North American e-bike market.

A new e-bike company has entered the increasingly crowded commuter e-bike market, but it’s doing so with a strategy that feels notably different from the usual playbook. The new Monarc Tracer combines a powerful Class 3 commuter platform with premium components, a surprising amount of integrated technology, and one feature that almost no other e-bike company includes as standard: a second battery.

Plus, it comes with the backing of the largest e-bike company in North America.