Micah Toll

One of my favorite parts of perusing Alibaba for fun and outlandish electric vehicles is seeing just how creative the designers can become. In this case, I’ve found what looks like a mini-minivan that took an extra spin or two around the window factory before emerging complete.

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, we’re covering the biggest stories of the entire year, covering everything from Honda’s e-bike debut, bans on e-bikes at college campuses, bike-based micro-campers, OneWheel recalls, and more.

Sponsored by VMAX: If you’re looking for a high-quality e-scooter with superior performance, check out the new VX5, VX2 Pro, VX4, and the R40 and R55 high-speed race scooters from VMAX.

The last time I was on a Varla electric scooter, it was a fun and recreational ride. Not a powerhouse, but an exhilarating ride, nonetheless. This time, they’ve stepped things up significantly with the new Varla Eagle One V2.0 electric scooter. With two powerful motors and dual suspension, this ride is seriously high-performance!

Here at Electrek, I’ve had the pleasure of covering some fascinating electric boat news stories. In just the past year, we’ve seen everything from high-power electric speed boats and pleasure cruisers to efficient flying electric ferries. But when it comes to the most popular electric boat news stories of the year – the ones that our readers were most interested in – the results might surprise you.

Electric bicycle ridership grew to never-before-seen levels in 2023. But despite the increased ridership, or perhaps even because of it, this year has seen an increase in the number of limits and bans placed on electric bicycles and e-scooters. Here’s a look back at some of the most infamous bans and what led to them.

After a series of financial setbacks, followed by an Electrek exposé revealing the failed Metacycle electric motorcycle project, e-bike maker SONDORS has appeared to enter receivership. The search is now on for a buyer who can scoop up the company and its assets.

I’m admittedly more of a two-wheeled kind of guy, owning and riding just about every type of electric bike, scooter, and e-motorcycle out there. But I’ve always thought that the thing that could get me to buy an electric car would be a short little electric roadster – something like an e-Miata. After browsing through Alibaba recently, I thought I had finally found my muse. At least, until I dug a little deeper.

What has three wheels, three motors, and seemingly endless possibilities? The Dolas Defender 250 electric bike. It may be a three-wheeler, but just don’t call it a tricycle. It’s something of a rollerblade to the rest of the rollerskates of the trike world, fitting all three of its wheels in a single track.

Electric tricycles are having something of an e-bike renaissance. They’ve been around for years, but now they’re finally starting to get the credit they deserve as both utilitarian runabouts and a great way for older riders to get back in the saddle again. I’ve been testing out the Viribus Trio Plus e-trike (the dual-chain version), and I’m blown away by how good this e-bike is for the price.

The US’s electric micro-car market is rather limited compared to Europe and Asia, but the Dutch company Squad Mobility hopes to change that. The startup has announced that its solar-powered EV is now available for pre-order ahead of US entry.

VanMoof’s epic fall from grace and eventual bankruptcy was one of the most talked about electric bike stories of the year. But as it turns out, we’re far from the final chapter. New management has a plan to resurrect the company and do right by its enormous customer base.

Food delivery in crowded cities – or really any type of delivery – tends to work better on two wheels. Smaller vehicles just slip through densely packed streets more easily. Electric bikes and e-scooters have become the dominant form of food delivery in many cities and countries worldwide. Now, a new partnership between Uber Eats and Gogoro is helping make those deliveries even quicker and easier.

Electric bikes have grown in popularity every year, and so too have their news stories. (If you don’t believe me, just ask yourself why your favorite car or motorcycle media sites are all suddenly covering e-bikes too.)

This year was no exception to the expanding e-bike takeover, with millions of you surfing on over to check out the most popular electric bike stories on Electrek. As 2023 winds its way down, let’s take a look back at the most popular e-bike stories of the year.

If there’s one thing I love nearly as much as electric bikes, it’s getting to enjoy some new gear on my rides. With the holidays barreling down on us, there’s still a little bit of time left to bring that joy to an e-bike lover near you! Here are some of the coolest pieces of gear I’ve tested this year that would make great stocking stuffers for anyone who rides an e-bike (or a pedal bike!) in your family or friend group.

Most of the fun electric vehicles I discover in the depths of Alibaba require me to sit in, on, or around them. But this time, I’ve found something that barely even needs me involved. Check out this awesome electric hand truck that can climb stairs thanks to its nifty tank track operation!

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 low-cost carbon fiber road e-bike, a review of Electric Bike Company’s Model J moped, what happened in Paris after shared e-scooters were banned, an upcoming electric ATV, and more.

Sponsored by VMAX: If you’re looking for a high-quality e-scooter with superior performance, check out the new VX5, VX2 Pro, VX4, and the R40 and R55 high-speed race scooters from VMAX.

Unlike Europe, the US just doesn’t have very many higher-speed seated electric scooters to choose from. But that could change as more models slowly enter the North American market. The latest to hit the streets in the US is the CSC ES5 electric scooter, which is now shipping to reservation holders and available for order.

Electric Bike Company was once the go-to source for US-built electric beach cruiser bikes. Now that they’ve expanded into folders, adventure-style e-bikes, and e-mopeds (like the Model J here), EBC seems like the go-to source for a much wider range of locally-assembled e-bikes.

But the even bigger differentiator, outside of the Southern California-based assembly, is that you can customize the bike with thousands of color customizations on every part, plus a huge array of accessories.

As electric bicycles quickly expand delivery options for companies in densely populated urban areas, other interesting solutions are also starting to pop up. One unique alternative is the Scootility cargo electric scooter that is designed to perform a similar role, yet with a slightly different vantage point.

And a slightly different ride.

If you’ve got a fat enough wallet, there are some seriously high-end electric bikes floating around out there from top-shelf e-bike companies. But what if your taste for finer things doesn’t quite match up with your real-world budget? Now Ride1Up is unveiling the answer in its new CF Racer1 carbon fiber electric road bike and gravel bike.

After first running a successful pilot program in India to test the local market, e-scooter and battery-swapping giant Gogoro is now making a major expansion into India. But Gogoro isn’t only bringing its technology to India, it’s actually producing new scooter models there.