review

I try to never take for granted that, as an electric vehicle journalist, I’m often given the opportunity to test out some of the most interesting EVs on the planet. They come in many forms. Some have wheels. Some have wings. Some defy classification altogether. But the one thing they all have in common is that they use batteries and electric motors to go vroom, whish, or splash.

Just for fun as we round out the year, I wanted to take a look back at five of the most far-out electric vehicles I tested in 2021. Some are cool, some are weird, but all were awesome to experience and share. Now we can experience them together one more time and send off the year with a bang!

The SWFT Maxx electric moped is one of those rare two-wheeled EVs that tries to have its cake and eat it too. On the one hand, it’s a scooter for all intents and purposes. On the other hand, it offers performance that most people would associate more with electric bicycles.

So what’s it good for? Let’s dive in and see.

Ariel Rider has proven time and again that it knows exactly how to build fast, powerful electric mopeds that push e-bike performance to entirely new levels. And the Grizzly 52V dual motor e-bike is yet another great example of the brand’s dedication to high-performance bikes that combine light electric motorcycle specs with e-bike parts for a line-blurring ride.

I love riding electric bikes in part because of how many different uses they offer. I enjoy riding the trails or cruising the beach as much as the next guy, but e-bikes offer so much more than just fitness or recreational riding. Any day I can replace a car trip with an e-bike is a good day, and electric cargo bikes like the Blix Packa Genie I’ve been riding offer some of the best utility out there for true-errand running and people-moving.

I’m a huge proponent of electric motorcycles, which offer all the thrill of gas bikes yet without the emissions, maintenance, or generally associated ownership headaches. The only problem is that they’re traditionally much more expensive than gas bikes. Or at least they were, until the Kollter ES1 rolled into North America.

Ever since I began riding electric bikes from Ride1Up back in 2018, I’ve found that the company does two things very well. First, it makes classic-looking e-bikes that perform even better than they look. And secondly, it does so for a price that leaves me scratching my head wondering how they can sell it for that little. The Ride1Up 700 Series is a perfect example on both counts.

Right out of the box, this urban-assault commuter e-bike has everything a rider needs for a potent city e-bike.

Remember the good old days of your childhood, yanking your siblings around in a little red wagon or racing it down the hill like a rocket ship? I definitely do, and so when the original little red wagon company Radio Flyer announced that they were getting into electric bicycles earlier this summer, I was hot to trot for a test ride. Now that I’ve spent several days testing the Flyer M880 midtail cargo e-bike, here are my thoughts on this interesting new addition to the e-bike landscape.

I ride all types of electric bicycles, from the dainty to the powerful. And while I love any chance to throw my leg over a new electric steed, it’s usually the higher-power options that really tickle my fancy. And the Addmotor Wildtan M5600 is pretty much the living embodiment of the excessive, high-power electric fat tire bike movement, offering more fun and excitement than anyone really needs, but that we all truly want anyway.

The SWFT brand is relatively young in the electric mobility space, but it’s coming out swinging with a variety of options. Casting a wide net, SWFT sells direct and through Best Buy, both online and in 10 stores in the US. Today we’ll be reviewing an offering right in the middle with their electric cruiser, which is called the Fleet.

Lectric Ebikes first rolled onto the scene in 2019 when they dropped the affordably priced Lectric XP fat tire folding e-bike seemingly out of nowhere. At just $899, the fast and fun electric bicycle became the first e-bike of tens of thousands of new riders around the US. But like in most things in life, first attempts are seldom perfect. So with great anticipation, Lectric Ebikes launched their updated Lectric XP 2.0 earlier this year.

The new version improved upon the few shortcomings of the original bike and added plenty of new features that many of us didn’t even know we wanted.

I recently had the chance to borrow a Zero SR/S electric motorcycle for several days to test out how well the company’s flagship model rides. The result? I’m going to go broke if I keep doing this stuff, because now I really want one in my garage.

The Fiido X folding electric bike is the latest rendition of Fiido’s modern take on the classic folding bicycle. Not only are these electric bikes easier than ever to ride, thanks to their pedal assist feature, but now they come with fancy new tech for locking that innovative seat tube battery.

The Fiido X was originally released as part of a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year. But for those that didn’t want to take a risk on an Indiegogo project, now is your chance to snag a full-production model. And to let you know if it’s worth it or not, I put my body on the line to test this newfangled e-bike with the fanciest, most complicated battery locking mechanism I’ve seen yet.

The Juiced Scorpion X recently replaced the original Scorpion moped-style electric bike and offers new upgrades to improve upon an already strong entry in the market.

Electric cargo bikes are one of the most fascinating e-bike categories to me because of just how much creativity exists in the industry and how much utility the e-bikes offer. The EUNORAU G20 e-bike embraces the prototypical longtail cargo e-bike style yet adds new upgrades to the 2021 model, including a second battery for even longer range.

While staying in Munich for a week during the IAA Mobility show, Electrek’s Fred Lambert, Seth Weintraub, and I each got the chance to test out Unu’s electric scooters as a way to navigate the city. Unu was kind enough to loan the three of us our very own 4 kW matte black Unu scooters. Together we constituted Electrek‘s first and only short-lived, mild-mannered biker gang as we toured the city in formation on our electric steeds.

We’ve watched many electric bicycle models in North America push further into the heavier, more aggressive categories of fat tire e-bikes and electric moped-style rides. But the KBO Breeze takes a different approach, bucking the trend toward bigger and bolder e-bikes. This comfortable and leisurely contender is light on riders’ backs and even lighter on their wallets.

The GOTRAX Endura electric bicycle is the answer to the question, “What e-bike would you recommend if I wanted to spend as little money as possible but not get a pile of junk?”

It is far from the best e-bike I’ve tested, but it still scores major points for combining good-enough parts with a super-low price tag of $649. I’ve tested e-bikes that cut too many corners before, and this is not one of them. It makes some sacrifices that we’ll discuss, but it still lands a solid win in the end.

It was a cool summer morning overlooking the pier in Santa Cruz, California, when I first watched Zero CEO Sam Paschel pull the cover off the company’s latest electric motorcycle. I immediately fell in love with the design of the Zero FXE. But I also knew that it takes more than a sleek body to make a good bike. Only by throwing my leg over the shiny new metallic steed and hitting the open road could I know if the FXE was really worth the attention.

Fortunately I was doing exactly that barely an hour later.

I’ve tested a few different Cyrusher electric fat tire bikes over the years, and they all have the same basic qualities: The fit and finish might not match the pros, but the bikes offer a fun helping of ridiculous excessiveness. The Cyrusher XF900 full-suspension fat tire e-bike might just be the most excessive yet, in all the best ways.

Tenways has just launched a new belt drive e-bike known as the CGO600. We got a chance to test one out pre-launch to determine whether the nascent brand’s urban electric bicycle was worth a look.

Spoiler alert: It’s worth much more than a look.

Bodyboarding the old-fashioned way is plenty of fun, but what if the sea is too calm (or you’re in a pool or lake)? Then an electric bodyboard can give you the same thrill no matter what type of water you’re in. I just had the chance to test out Firduo’s electric bodyboard, and I haven’t stopped smiling since!