Micah Toll

When it comes to finding the coolest and/or weirdest EVs in China for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column, I’ve never shied away from work vehicles. Whether that’s tiny electric fire trucks or an ice cream van shaped like a 60s VW bus, odd little work vehicles somehow have extra charm. But today’s entry is certainly unique among past offerings, making it one of the cleanest builds yet. Or perhaps the cleanlinest.

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 major upgrade from Lectric eBikes, new e-bike models from VanMoof and Yamaha, plus some interesting larger vehicles such as an RV built on a pedal tricycle, a scaled up RC car for adults, and a Chinese micro-car that woke up in the US.

We’ve been eagerly following the AYRO Vanish since late last year, when the electric mobility company unveiled the mini-truck platform and touted its final assembly in AYRO’s Texas facility. Finally reaching a critical milestone, AYRO has just announced that the multi-use platform is now available for pre-order.

Believe it or not, a stranger in China sent a massive shipping crate to my house with what supposedly contained an electric micro-car. What would happen next was far from an ordinary Tuesday.

Yamaha has just announced a new limited edition electric bicycle known as the 30th Anniversary Special Edition YDX-MORO 07.

The Lectric XP 3.0 is the best-selling electric bike model in the US for one simple reason: value. The $999 e-bike has been the go-to electric bike for bang-for-your-buck riders since it launched last year. And now it is getting better than ever with the inclusion of hydraulic disc brakes.

Living the RV life is a dream for many people. Taking a camper out on the open road, exploring at your own pace and sleeping at impromptu sites along the way, it all carries a certain romantic charm. But what if you’re not super excited about the whole “motor vehicle” part of the RV adventure? Well, then you just might take a similar route to these two handy fellows who built their own mini-RV on the back of a bicycle.

Have you ever sent an R/C car ripping across the dirt or asphalt and wondered what it would be like to shrink down and ride inside of it? Well, don’t be silly, that’s impossible. But don’t give up hope, either! The Little Car Company has done the next best thing: They’ve scaled one up so that you can get that same thrilling experience without going all Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Meet the new Tamiya Wild One MAX Launch Edition.

There’s been a lot of fuss about the supposed “$14,000 GM electric mini-truck” recently, but you probably shouldn’t get too worked up about it.

Electric surfboards aren’t anything new. I’ve enjoyed covering modern electric surfboards for at least half a decade on Electrek and they’ve been around in more primitive forms since the early 2000s. But one common thread that has run through nearly all e-boards so far is the astronomically high price they carry. Well, at least until today’s find: a cheap Chinese electric surfboard that has earned it the dubious honor of becoming this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week.

In the highly-competitive world of electric bike design, there are often originators and follow-on imitators. But when Himiway rolled out its new Pony micro e-bike a few months ago, the blurry line between imitation and inspiration seemed quite clear to JackRabbit, who alleges that Himiway ripped off the design of its popular electric micro e-bike.

Some things in the universe are constant. Gravity, the slow march of time, and the same three questions that every new electric bike owner will get from friends, family, and strangers. Those questions are always “How fast is it?,” “Does it pedal when you charge it?,” and the most difficult of all to answer, “How far does it go?”

Going on 13 years of e-bike building innovation, Dutch electric bike maker VanMoof has just announced its new VanMoof S4 and X4 e-bikes with “iconic tech” and four vibrant new colors. The new models come in at a lower price thanks to reduced features.

Female-focused electric scooters and e-bikes are coming, thanks to the launch of new women’s models from companies like Segway-owned Ninebot and Engwe, among others. Two of the latest entrants into the female micromobility market include the Ninebot Q80C and the Engwe L20.

When it comes to the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column, we don’t discriminate based on wheel number. We’ve covered plenty of two- and four-wheelers, but three-wheelers need some love too. As long as a product is weird and wild, and comes from the seemingly endless Alibaba shopping catalog, it has a chance of earning this coveted weekly title. And that’s just what this awesome little electric trike has achieved today.

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 electric bike launches from Razor and Heybike, whether or not e-bike companies are honest with their range ratings, Polaris and CSC shipping highly anticipated electric UTVs and motorcycles, and an interesting new electric kayak or SUP conversion kit.

As many of my regular readers will know, nearly two years ago I set out on a saga to buy an electric mini-truck from China. Now that it’s been with me for over 18 months, I’ve had the chance to put in a number of awesome upgrades to turn the truck into a true workhorse.

It’s a tale as old as time. Man sees electric bike advertisement touting 50-mile range. Man buys e-bike. Man’s first ride gets 25 miles before the battery’s charge dwindles. Man is justifiably disappointed.

So what gives? Why does it seem like you can never trust the range numbers that the electric bike makers tell us?

BOTE is known for its wide array of inflatable watercraft like kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), as well as plenty of other inflatables from docks to beach furniture and even beach games. But now with the help of an electric motor system Bixpy, BOTE is making it easier than ever to turn a kayak or SUP into an electric boat.

When it was unveiled last year, the CSC RX1E joined a select group of electric motorcycles that could reach highway-capable speeds yet at an affordable price. Now the bike is joining an even more limited category: those bikes that are actually shipping.

Razor is back with yet another electric two-wheeler for adults, though this time it comes in the form of a slick-looking moped-style e-bike. The Razor Rambler 20 was just announced today, adding a larger format e-bike to the existing Razor Rambler line.

Have you ever wanted to tow an electric bike with your own e-bike? Ok fine, that might be a niche case. But if you ever do in the future, now there’s a kit for you thanks to Tern bikes. And it also works for the somewhat more common case of pulling a trailer behind your e-bike.

Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) are popular off-roading vehicles thanks to their versatile applications in agriculture, hunting, recreation, other general off-road riding scenarios. As electric vehicle technology continues to progress, the time is coming for electric UTVs to bring significant change to the industry.

In yet another entry of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week that takes us into new territory, this week it’s time to grab your backpack and lunch money for your first day of school. Or at least your first day out and about on a new electric school bus. That’s right, this awesome electric school bus could be yours… if you want to bring it over from China.