ebikes

Just as the dust is settling from New Jersey’s widely criticized move to treat many electric bicycles more like motor vehicles, another state is floating a proposal that has riders and advocates shaking their heads.

Rad Power Bikes has officially found a buyer. Just over a month after entering the bankruptcy process, the once-dominant direct-to-consumer electric bike brand has reached an agreement to sell its assets.

When storms roll through and the power goes out, most people think about flashlights, candles, or portable power stations. But there’s a backup power source sitting in a lot of garages that often gets overlooked: your e-bike battery.

New York City’s food carts are part of the city’s soul. They’re loud, fast, fragrant, and everywhere – serving up everything from tacos to kebabs on street corners that somehow never sleep. But for all their charm, there’s one thing almost everyone agrees could disappear tomorrow without being missed: the rattling, smoky gas generators that keep those carts powered.

Now, in a twist that feels peak New York, some of those carts are starting to run on the same batteries that power the city’s e-bike delivery fleet.

Lectric doesn’t really do old-school sales. At least not the kind most of us think of when we hear the word. Sure, North America’s largest electric bike retailer, Lectric eBikes, has tons of great deals all year round. But the seasonal sales are often value bundles where the prices remain the same, but you get a ton of great accessories thrown in. Now for a limited time though, Lectric has launched an honest-to-goodness, save-you-some-real-money sale on America’s most popular electric bikes.

New Jersey has just rewritten the rules on electric bikes – and not in a way most of the e-bike world was expecting.

New Jersey has just taken one of the most aggressive – and controversial – steps yet in regulating electric bikes, and it’s a move that’s already drawing sharp criticism from cycling advocates.

In yet another unfortunate setback for Rad Power Bikes, a structure fire has been reported at the company’s Huntington Beach retail store. Rad Power Bikes once held the position as the top-selling electric bike retailer in the US, but has been struggling for some time and recently declared bankruptcy while it works to keep the company afloat.

California lawmakers are once again taking aim at the gray areas of electric bike regulation, this time by targeting what has quietly become one of the biggest loopholes in the state’s e-bike laws.

I’ve spent countless hours here at Electrek doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, I’ve been fortunate to learn these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That long-term experience with real-world e-bike testing has helped me find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.

Below are some of the top e-bikes I’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of January 2026. It’s a brand new year and many retailers are trying to start it off strong, snagging customers who might regret not getting an e-bike during the holiday season. So you just might find a better deal than you were expecting on a new e-bike. Check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.

Ananda is taking a notably different approach to e-bike motors with the launch of its new M7000 Series, unveiled this week. Instead of pitching a single standout motor, Ananda is introducing what it calls a scalable mid-drive platform, one designed to underpin entire e-bike lineups across multiple segments, from aggressive eMTBs to everyday urban commuters.

Electric bikes and scooters are usually framed as a cleaner, quieter solution to urban mobility. But in parts of Australia, police are now taking a far harsher stance on certain e-rideables – including seizing them and sending them straight to the crusher.

Aventon has just pulled the wraps off the Soltera 3 ADV, and on paper, it looks like one of the cleanest, most thoughtfully designed lightweight urban e-bikes the company has released yet. Announced this week, the Soltera 3 ADV builds on Aventon’s minimalist roots with a refined single-speed setup aimed squarely at city riders who value simplicity, low maintenance, and easy handling above all else.

Despite several indicators that Rad Power Bikes could be heading for closure soon, the brand announced the launch of a novel version of its cargo e-bike today, the “New RadWagon.”

When Ridley Bikes first introduced its Noah model two decades ago, it was a statement piece. Now the model is getting its most modern touch yet with a deceptively quiet twist: an electric drive unit that turns it into the E-Noah.

The Pikaboost electric bike conversion kit is back, this time with an even lighter version. The new Pikeboost 2 Lite was shown off last week as a more minimalist version of the popular friction drive conversion kit.

Segway is back at CES with a noticeably broader take on electric mobility. This year, Segway is rolling out two new production e-bikes aimed squarely at everyday riders, along with an all-new electric dirt bike that leans hard into performance and software-driven features.

E-bike theft is one of those problems that never really goes away. Those of us who have been victims of it will never really forget that feeling. Of course, good locks can help, and GPS trackers might assist in getting a stolen bike back. But once a bike is stolen, the real incentive for thieves is simple: resale. And that’s exactly the problem Bosch is aiming to tackle with a new software update unveiled at CES 2026. 

If you’ve spent enough time riding electric bikes, you quickly realize that power is only part of the draw. Another big part is sound – or more accurately, the lack of it. A smooth, quiet motor can make an e-bike feel refined and premium, while a buzzy, rattly drivetrain can cheapen the experience no matter how strong the specs look on paper.

That’s something Bafang, one of the world’s largest e-bike motor manufacturers, says it has been focusing on for years. And after I took a trip inside their motor testing grounds, I got to see how they do it.

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 new semi-recumbent e-trike, regen from hub motors, a 10,000 mile e-bike, new CA e-bike laws, Talaria Komodo, and more.

One of the biggest unanswered questions for many folks considering an e-bike isn’t how a bike rides on day one, but rather how it holds up after years of daily use. Reviews and first impressions are everywhere, but genuine long-term ownership stories are surprisingly rare. That’s why a recent shared case from a rider who just crossed 10,000 miles (16,000 km) on their e-bike caught my attention.