ebikes

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.

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!

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.

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.

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).

Electric bicycle incentive programs have grown considerably over the last few years, and Washington State is one of the most recent to lay the groundwork for yet another program designed to reduce the cost of this alternative transportation for lower-income commuters. But the state is also going about it in a unique way, by using funding raised from its emissions taxes.

JackRabbit, the maker of pint-sized electric microbikes, is back with a new product designed to quickly recharge their batteries from pure, uncut photons mainlined into an e-bike directly from the sun. In true independent charging form, the Solar Charging Kit from JackRabbit keeps riders rolling even when there’s not a convenient AC outlet in sight.

As electric trail bikes like Sur Rons and Talarias gain popularity among off-road enthusiasts, a growing conflict is emerging on mountain bike trails. These powerful machines, capable of speeds and torque far beyond that of a traditional mountain bike, are raising concerns among trail users, land managers, and environmental advocates.

A new bill submitted to the Oregon Legislative Assembly seeks to ban street-legal Class 3 electric bicycles from bike lanes in the state.

The US electric bike industry has already seen a regulation-heavy start to 2025. Now, New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s potential new restrictions on fast and exceedingly heavy electric bikes could add to the proposed and enacted legislation we’ve seen lately.

Even if you’re not knee-deep into electric bikes like many of us, you very likely may have heard of the e-bike brand SUPER73. The company’s motorcycle culture-inspired electric bikes have proven incredibly popular among teens and young adults, but the heyday of fast and questionably (or clearly) illegal e-bike modes seems to be coming to an end for the brand.

Earlier this month, California enacted new regulations for electric bikes that resulted in stricter speed limits on e-bikes with throttles. At the time, it was unclear how electric bike makers would respond to the new regulations, but we’re now starting to see at least one manufacturer pushing to bring its existing e-bikes owned by California residents into compliance.

Heybike is well-known as an entry-level electric bike brand, so what is this company doing building a mid-drive e-bike that is leaps and bounds above anything they’ve produced before? That’s exactly what I wanted to find out – and why I decided to become the first to ride this newly introduced e-bike.

Bosch eBike Systems plans to announce something new at CES 2025, perhaps related to advances in its electric bicycle battery technology. A cryptic teaser video gives a taste of what’s to come.

As powerful electric motorbikes such as those from brands like Sur Ron and Talaria become more popular, especially with teens, police departments in the US are increasingly cracking down on their use on public roads.

California has led the nation in electric bicycle adoption, helping more people than ever before switch away from cars and toward smaller and more efficient transportation alternatives. However, the proliferation of electric bicycles has also led to a major uptick in higher-power models that have flouted established e-bike laws, often being used on public roads and bike paths to the chagrin of many local residents.

A new law that came into effect this week has now further clarified which electric bicycles are street-legal and which fall afoul of regulations.

Last September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB-1271, which redefines and adds to several electric bicycle regulations in the state. Chief among them is a clarification of the three-class e-bike system, which is likely to now rule that many of the throttle-enabled electric bikes currently available and on the road in California will no longer be street legal.

In an end-of-the-year miracle to close out 2024, the often-lauded ONYX moped maker has announced its return after shutting down operations earlier this year. The company’s return kicks off with the release of 100 limited edition electric mopeds.

More people are shifting from car-focused lifestyles to a mix of cars and bikes—or even going mostly car-free. While switching to a bike or e-bike might seem limiting, the cycling industry offers a wide range of categories to suit various needs.

Take cargo e-bikes, for example. These are basically the SUVs or pickup trucks of the electric bike world. And having spent many good miles on the Xtracycle Hopper cargo e-bike, the newest offering from the most famous cargo bike maker in the US, I can tell you that this family truck in an e-bike form is capable of a lot more than many people would expect.