Amsterdam-based VanMoof has just unveiled two new classy looking electric bicycles. The Electrified S2 and the smaller Electrified X2 are upgrades to their existing electric bicycle line and each comes with an array of new features.
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As electric fat tire bicycles, or e-bikes with tires wider than 4 inches, become more popular, companies are responding to the higher demand with an increasing numbers of models. Now California-based Lithium Cycles has revamped their Super 73 line of electric bicycles and introduced the newest and most affordable member of the family, the Super 73Z.
At just $950, it is less than half the cost of other Super 73 models already offered by the company.
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Nearly five years ago, Superpedestrian’s Copenhagen Wheel burst onto the electric bicycle scene and created a radical new shift in the light electric vehicle industry. The Copenhagen Wheel combined all of the components of an electric bicycle, including the battery, motor, controller and throttle into a slick-looking red disk in the wheel’s hub.
But not content with just one industry-changing breakthrough, Superpedestrian has been quietly developing stealthy sensor technologies and gathering a vast amount data from the millions of kilometers traveled by customers on Copenhagen Wheel powered electric bicycles. Now they are preparing to put that massive data collection to good use with a new service designed to help make electric vehicles in ride-share programs safer and more effective.
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Electric bicycles, which can provide anywhere from a small electric power assist to a completely effortless electric vehicle experience, are showing strong sales growth year after year. And while most consumer products are moving towards online sales, electric bicycles are one of the few holdouts that are still flourishing with retail sales in brick-and-motor stores.
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Santa Clara, California based Vintage Electric has just unveiled their new Scrambler S electric bicycle, with a style that invokes classic WWII-era motorcycles and with performance to match.
With so many electric bicycle designs available today, it is becoming difficult for any e-bike company, let alone an American e-bike company, to compete on price. With Chinese e-bikes undercutting prices of western alternatives, this American e-bike manufacturer has decided to focus on style and performance instead of joining the price race to the bottom.
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What do you get when you combine the buoyancy of a boat, the power of an electric bicycle and the efficiency of hyrdofoils? An awesome new way to zip across the water, apparently.
The Hydrofoiler XE-1 is just that: part electric bicycle, part watercraft. Designed by New Zealand startup Manta5, the XE-1 is built on an aluminum frame with carbon fiber hydrofoils and propellor that lift the craft out of the water as you pick up speed.
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Most retail electric bicycles focus on mountain bike or hybrid style designs, leaving few options for those seeking sleek electric road bikes. But that could be about to change, as Chinese electric bicycle parts manufacturer Bafang announced a series of new mid-drive motors and batteries at the China International Bicycle and Motor Fair in Shanghai.
One of the most promising of Bafang’s new offerings is the M800 system designed specifically for road bikes, which includes a 5 lb (2.3 kg) mid-drive motor, a 4.4 lb (2 kg) integrated frame battery, satellite shifter pods and a color display. The entire package weighs less than 9.7 lbs (4.4 kg).
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According to investigations launched by the European Union, the Chinese government has been engaging in the process of dumping electric bicycles in Europe. This dumping has consisted of subsidies being supplied to Chinese companies that allow them to export their electric bicycles at or below their actual manufacturing costs.
According to the EU’s official journal, the European commission found sufficient evidence that such subsidies were allowing Chinese companies to dump electric bicycles in the EU, undercutting the prices of European electric bicycle manufacturers.
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Despite the large number of electric bicycles out there already, the e-bike industry remains very much in its infancy. This leaves substantial room for electric bicycle manufacturers to get creative with their designs, and it appears the new Italian-made STORTA e-bike has embraced this opportunity with open arms. And open frames.
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Electric bicycles are quickly working their way out of the shadows and into the mainstream cycling world as e-bike sales continue to grow. E-bikes combine the draws of cycling, including low-cost, fun and traffic-free commuting, with the advantages of cars and motorcycles – namely, that the vehicle does the work for you.
Great for more than just utilitarian uses, electric bicycles are also excellent for pleasure riding. The addition of an electric motor ratchets up the fun on everything from bicycle trails to snowy slopes and sandy beaches. If one electric motor can have this much impact, imagine what two motors could do!
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Words like “premium” and “quality” are thrown around a lot, but every now and again an electric bicycle comes along that is more deserving of these accolades than the rest. Today, that ebike is the Stromer ST5.
The Stromer ST5 is the product of extreme attention to detail and a refusal to cut corners. The result is an ebike with incredible performance combined with features and finish that would surely make even Elon Musk proud.
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Electric bicycles make commuting around cities and urban areas much easier, but the good ones can be quite hard on your wallet. High quality electric bicycles by top brands like Trek’s Super Commuter 8s or Raleigh Redux IE offer both high performance and high quality in a sleek package. However, with top-end electric bicycle prices from $3,000-$5,000, that extra quality does not come cheap.
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Bosch today announced that its PowerTube 500 batteries would be coming to US bikes. As the name implies, these are 500Wh batteries that will be integrated into the down tubes of bikes by manufacturers. As Bosch is the leading supplier of high-end ebike powertrains, the news will likely signal a shift to a more integrated look for “bike shop” quality ebikes.
Announced by the company today, Uber has bought the ebike sharing company Jump for reportedly around $100M to $200M. This could be a boon for ebike sharing and it has everything to do with Uber’s *uber* popular app and the integration of “ebiking” as a cheaper, more fun, and often quicker option than calling a car. Oh, and without fossil fuels…
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I know a high-end ebike when I see one and this Ancheer 250W is absolutely not high-end. In fact, it would probably be a bit of a stretch to call this a mid-tier electric bike. Ancheer, a Chinese company that also sells USB peripherals, Fitness equipment and other knick knacks, took a bunch of base level components and put them on a Huffy-level all aluminum bike frame and out of this concoction got a good sub-$600 ebike. So how good/bad is it? Let me tell you…
Today, we are reviewing a different kind of bike, the Pedego Ridge Rider, a hardtail mountain bike with RockShox Recon adjustable front suspension. Pedego likes to view itself as the Tesla of e-bikes, according to the CEO, Don DiCostanzo. Apparently, Elon Musk has a few in his garage. Unlike some other e-bike manufacturers, Pedego only makes electric bicycles. For them it is not some afterthought, it is their only thought. We had the Ridge Rider for a couple of weeks towards the end of the summer and after a few long rides, we can say that we thoroughly enjoyed it.
A few weeks ago, I was able to get my hands on the 2017 Raleigh Redux IE Diamond Frame and it has become one of my favorite commuter-style e-bikes ever. The Redux IE is fast, very maneuverable, light (for an e-bike anyway), quiet, it strikes the right balance when it comes to value for money (regularly $3199, on sale now for $2699) and maybe most importantly, this bike is so fun I can’t wait to ride.
Bosch eBike Systems acquired COBI, a connected biking startup that enables cyclists to use their smartphones as an eBike control and display unit. The exact amount and terms have not yet been disclosed publicly.
COBI already offers many more services than the Bosch’s current eBike system which focuses mostly on drivetrain functionality. With COBI you can use services such as GPS navigation, music, phone, and fitness but also services such as Strava, Spotify, Apple Health and third-party Bluetooth fitness sensors, whereas with Bosch your display is really only a control panel for your bike. Cobi integrates both worlds and connects the rider….
I’m in Wisconsin visiting with in-laws this week but when I heard that Trek announced its new CrossRip+ ebike, I knew it would be a great opportunity to visit the headquarters/factory in nearby Waterloo. I was neither disappointed by the factory, bike celebrities wandering the halls during the World Cup event, nor the CrossRip+ electric cyclocross which Trek let me take on a 10 mile on and off road test ride…
“Goodbye car,” is what it says on the Trek website and that was our initial question: Can this bike replace a car for a meaningful percentage of commuters?
Clearly, Trek is positioning the Trek Super Commuter +8S bicycle as a viable alternative to a car for your daily commute. As far as the price of this bike goes that comparison is a fair one. For the $4,999.99 that you have to shell out for this bike, you could buy a used car! But let’s not talk money yet, could this bike replace a (preferably electric) car for your daily commute? Is the bike good enough and practical enough to replace the car for your drive to and from the office? I rode the Trek Super Commuter +8S from Croton-on-Hudson, NY to New York City to find out. Along the 40+ miles I rode on this bike, I encountered backroads, muddy single tracks, gravel roads, bike paths and the busy city streets of Manhattan. Granted, I don’t expect people to use this bike for a daily 40 miles commute each way, but the point was to put the Trek through its paces and see how it would stack up. How good of an electric bike is it really?
A startup working on a new low-cost solar and human-powered vehicle has received funds from the Energy and Environment Partnership in order to bring the vehicle to Africa and contribute to the continent’s economic development in remote areas.
The vehicle called Solar-E-Cycle functions as an e-bike, but it is assisted by both a battery pack and a solar panel.
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I had the pleasure of joining the Trek team in New York City this morning for a small briefing and a ride over the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn on the new Trek Super Commuter 8S which due for consumers in the US later this Spring. What got us interested in this event wasn’t so much the Bosch 350W motor/500Wh battery technology but the marketing Trek was using in its campaign to sell this $5000 bike…
Pure Cycle’s latest creation, Volta, hopes to be the “smartest eBike ever.” Recently launching on Kickstarter, Volta delivers an eBike in a sleek and budget-friendly design. It only weighs 35 lbs, which helps it provide 40 miles per charge along with a variety of features.
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LeEco has introduced a pair of technology-infused bicycles at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. Covering both road and mountain varieties, these new smart two-wheelers are built around a four-inch touchscreen display that runs on a special version of Android software. Riders will be able to receive turn-by-turn GPS directions and manage device features like messaging or music playback. Additionally, the built-in sensors are designed to track a variety of fitness data.
Both models are made from Toray carbon fiber frames with the road bike weighing in at 18-pounds while the larger mountain version is listed at nearly 27. This is largely due to its SR Suntour XCR Air fork on the front and additional components made for rough terrain. LeEco has yet to release final pricing information on these two models. If you’re a fitness enthusiast and Android user, these new rides might be an attractive alternative to mounting your device on long rides.
You’ll find all of our coverage from CES 2017 here.