ebikes

If you thought the horse and buggy was the end of the line for Amish transportation, think again. Across many parts of Amish country, including Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, electric bicycles are starting to show up parked next to Amish barns or quietly zipping down country roads underneath their Amish riders.

Paris’ bike-share system, Vélib has long been considered one of the shining success stories of urban micromobility. With a massive fleet of over 20,000 pedal and electric-assist bicycles around Paris, the service has helped millions of residents and tourists get around the City of Light without needing a car or scooter. But lately, a growing problem is threatening to knock the wheels off this urban mobility marvel: theft and joyriding.

The Honda Ruckus has earned cult status thanks to its minimalist styling, exposed frame, and seemingly endless customizability. The scooter, also known in international markets as the Honda Zoomer, has spent years being seen as a blank canvas for scooter tuners, urban commuters, and anyone who just wanted something simple, small, and kind of weird to zip around town. A few years ago, Honda finally answered the call for an updated version by announcing and producing the “Zoomer e:”, which was an electric version of the Honda Ruckus. So where is it?

Heybike, one of several fast-growing electric bike makers in the US and European markets, unveiled its new Galaxy Series last week. The new e-bike series isn’t just a single model, but rather a fleet of five new e-bikes comprising the Galaxy line.

The various designs seem to cover riders looking for an e-bike designed for commuting, exploring, hauling gear, or just hitting mountain trails.

While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.

If Mayor Adams gets his way, New York City will institute a new speed limit on electric bicycles, reducing the cap to just 15 mph (24.1 km/h) from the previous e-bike speed limit of 25 mph (40 km/h). It’s a move that is ostensibly meant to protect New Yorkers, but which experts have said will actually result in risking more lives.

Every year, it seems like there’s a new headline about the world’s lightest electric bike. Each year, engineers manage to shave a few more grams off of an exotically designed frame built with even more exotic materials. And each year, the continuously lower weight is balanced by continuously higher prices – often exorbitantly high. But now Dahon has bucked that trend, offering us an incredibly lightweight electric bike at a price that normal e-bike riders can afford. Meet the Dahon K-Feather.

Last week, we reported that the e-bike world had a new motor claiming to be the lightest and most efficient. Now, we’re already seeing TQ’s new TQHPR40 motor proliferate on more road and gravel e-bikes, including the recently announced E-ASTR from Ridely.

Electric bicycles have already conquered city streets, mountain trails, and delivery routes. But lately they’ve been moving into a new frontier: military operations. Across several branches of the US armed forces, e-bikes are finding real-world tactical applications – from silent scouting missions to quick-response patrols – proving that the humble two-wheeler isn’t just for commuters anymore.

Police across the US are cracking down on illegal use of out-of-class e-bikes or non-street-legal electric motorcycles used on public roads. It used to be that if you sped off on an illegal electric dirt bike or mini bike after a traffic stop in California, there was a good chance you’d get away. Most police departments don’t want to engage in high-speed chases over these types of violations, especially if the rider isn’t wearing a helmet or is weaving through dense traffic. And since these types of bikes almost never have license plates, merely outrunning or outmaneuvering a police cruiser through some bushes or over a sidewalk was usually enough to evade justice. But lately, a new kind of chase is happening – from above.

There’s a reason the phrase “you get what you pay for” has stuck around for so long – because it’s usually true. And when it comes to electric bikes, that old saying might be more important than ever.

At Eurobike 2025 in Frankfurt, folding bike pioneer Dr. David Hon made a major splash by showcasing a completely revamped lineup of Dahon bikes that includes new carbon models, upgraded folding designs, and a growing portfolio of electric two-wheelers aimed at changing how people get around cities.

A major part of the reveal centered around Dahon’s latest innovation, a patented frame platform called DAHON‑V, which promises significantly improved stiffness and aerodynamics, especially on folding and road bikes.

TQ, the German force behind some of the lightest and quietest e-bike motors on the market, just took a leap forward – again. Barely weeks after debuting the lightweight HPR60 e-bike drive system, the company has introduced the HPR40, now claiming the title of the lightest and most efficient mid-drive motor in the world.

The HappyRun G300 Pro is the epitome of an out-of-class electric bike. That is to say, it has many of the components of an electric bicycle, key among them the functional pedals, but its extremely high power and speed place it well outside the limits of traditional e-bike classifications. The result? Basically, an electric motorcycle with pedals. And I’ve got some thoughts about that.

Electric bikes have exploded in popularity – and so have the risks. In Huntington Beach, California, rising e-bike crashes involving young riders prompted the city’s police department to launch what may be California’s first police-led e-bike safety course for kids, and it might be exactly the kind of inventive community-based program more places need.

Electric bikes are getting better, safer, and more affordable every year. Even so, in the US, e-bikes are still relatively expensive despite being such an incredibly price-sensitive market. Whenever someone asks me to recommend an e-bike for them, one of their first requirements is invariably that it doesn’t cost a fortune. Though the tradeoffs for dropping the price can sometimes rear their ugly head with their own hidden costs.

And let’s be real: the sub-$1,000 category has always been a bit of a minefield. For every great deal, there are a dozen cheap frames with underpowered motors, sketchy brakes, or batteries that make me nervous just looking at them. But with a lot of digging (and a lot of riding), I’ve managed to find a few standout electric bikes that prove you can get a surprisingly good ride without breaking the bank.

A man in California has sued Amazon as well as the maker of an electric bike that he purchased on Amazon after he claims that the bike malfunctioned, resulting in a crash that left him severely injured.

ONYX Motors has just announced the second version of its storied RCR electric moped launched since the brand’s revival late last year. The new ONYX RCR 80V pushes the bike to its highest performance yet, breaking new power and speed records for the company while simultaneously raising questions about how to properly classify these fast electric motorbikes with pedals – and just who they’re for.

A new electric hub motor just dropped at Eurobike 2025, and it’s a big deal – mainly because it’s so small. Developed through a partnership between Moving Magnet Technologies (MMT), Swiss mechatronics firm Sonceboz, and French e-bike software company eBikeLabs, the new motor aims to set a new benchmark for premium urban e-bikes.

And based on the specs alone, it just might.

Raleigh is rolling out a new chapter in its long legacy of bicycle design with the launch of the Raleigh ONE, a sleek, smart e-bike aimed squarely at the European urban mobility market. Officially unveiled today, the Raleigh ONE combines classic British cycling heritage with modern connected tech, delivering what the company calls “the only e-bike you’ll need in the city.”

Taking a page out of Big Tech’s playbook, Raleigh is also offering a membership program to unlock extra features. But will riders pay up, or will they balk?

If you’ve ever thought, “I could totally ditch the second car if I just had the right e-bike,” then Urban Arrow may have just dropped your dream machine. The Dutch cargo bike powerhouse has launched its newest model, the FamilyNext Pro, in North America – and it’s easily one of the most impressive family-focused electric bikes I’ve seen hit the market.