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The likes of Trek and Kona are trendsetters so it’s interesting to see Kona following Trek in a more budget, hub motor direction, with three varied offerings all powered by the same rear hub motor and in-frame battery combo. Just why they have chosen now to do so when they have had competition from cheaper hub motor machines for many years is an interesting question. Perhaps they foresee the arrival of more and more e-bikes from Asian competitors that look anything but cheap and cheerful as almost all once were. If the new Chinese NIU e-bike proves a raging success the $2000 ‘quality budget’ e-bike sector can only see more entrants. And with 916Wh battery capacity, a Gates Carbon Drive and full equipment, the Chinese e-moped specialist could well have just announced itself as a major player in this market.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• NIU’s highly capable looking BQi-C3 Pro goes on sale at $1999
• Kona launches three hub motor models around the $2000 mark
• Tiler’s charging kickstand system redesigned
• Kleuster Freegônes’ incredible e-cargo bikes now assembled and distributed at Renault’s French truck facility
• Just when will the UK legalise e-scooters?

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Niu Moped Specialist’s E-bike, Kona Goes Hub Motor and Much More!

Whilst most readers probably won’t be spending the $9,000 (or more) Trek are asking for their latest and lightest yet e-road bike, the implication from this week’s news is clear. You can only push prices down so far before something gives, is the implied moral of the fate of some 22,000 e-bikes from Ancheer which have been selling over recent years at sometimes seemingly unfeasibly low price tags. Whilst there are undoubtedly bargains to be had at the budget e-bike end of the market it’s also true that, as in most areas of life, you get what you pay for, so think twice before buying an e-bike with a price tag that pushes credibility…

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Trek’s 24lb e-road bike
• VELLO crowdfund lightweight e-cargo bike
• Robo System’s incredible 4-WD e-scooter
• Ancheer recall 22,000 budget e-bikes over battery fears

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Trek’s Lightest Road Bike, Vello Lightweight E-cargo and Much More!

Although today’s lead story about Specialized seems, on the face of it, to amount to releasing a couple of PR pics for their latest tease at the upcoming Globe Haul ST, there is a lot riding on the future success of Specialized’s forthcoming ‘budget’ e-cargo bike. To quote this Cyclist article on the history of Specialized, ‘Since then (the 1974 company founding date), the company has developed beyond all recognition, growing to the point where it not only follows trends in the cycling market but often dictates them.’

So will Specialized kickstart a new movement in the e-bike industry for companies that have traditionally produced premium priced bikes, often with elements of their own proprietary technology, to head downmarket? And will innovative design and tech be a feature of the new lower-priced models or are Specialized simply aiming to compete on price? EBR will let you know very shortly….

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Specialized gives first clear photos of Globe Haul ST
• People For Bikes Urges Class 1 Use Only On Non-Motorized Trails
• Delfast’s New Moped Style E-Bike
• All The Latest With E-MTBs
• NYT Looks at Van Moof and E-Bike Growth

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Specialized Again Tease ‘Budget’ E-bike, Class 1 Trail Access Policy and Much More!

Will Yamaha be the first major mid-drive manufacturer to be a global e-bike player as well? To date, competitors in this area like Bosch, Brose and Shimano have stuck to making mid-drive systems and not ventured as far as whole e-bikes – and that doesn’t look likely to change any time soon. But Yamaha are a bit different; after a strong start in the fledgling e-bike industry in the early 90s they faded from view somewhat but made a strong comeback around 2013 with their new triple sensor mid-drive system and a major push on the international market, supplying major players such as Giant and Haibike. They have made own-brand e-bikes for the US market for a while now and have always sold them in their home market of Japan, so it will be interesting to see how far their instantly recognisable and highly-esteemed brand name takes them in the intensely competitive European market.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Vvolt’s new belt drive model with stepless gears – the Centauri
• Yamaha announce new own brand e-mtbs
• Premium Californian brand Ibis launch new e-bike
• OKAI wireless update sees speed increase
• Pure’s new, extra stable e-scooter
• Magene radar for rear view safety
• EAV supply e-bikes for London street cleaners

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Vvolt Centauri, IBIS and Yamaha EMTBs and Much More!

Stuttgart, Germany—In a move that will excite eMTB enthusiasts, Bosch has introduced a limited-edition motor destined specifically for eMTBs that will be raced. While eMTB racing isn’t huge in the U.S., in Europe eMTB racing has taken off and the e-bikes used by racers have been dropping in weight. This new lightweight motor is called the Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition; it presents an evolution and upgrade from Bosch’s existing Performance Line CX motors. This new motor will be found on top-of-the-line eMTBs from recognized brands.

What Makes The Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition

The Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition can, like some of Bosch’s other motors, multiply a rider’s effort up to 400 percent, while tipping the scales at just 6.1 lbs., making it the lightest motor in the Bosch e-bike portfolio. In decreasing the motor’s weight, the overall e-bike weight will be reduced, which will improve the eMTB’s handling and make it easier to corner with and jump over obstacles. The controller will offer a “Race” mode which will offer even punchier performance than found in Bosch’s Turbo mode. They claim that only very experienced riders will possess the skill set necessary to fully utilize and control the motor’s performance in Race mode.

In designing the Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition, the engineers gave it some very impressive performance parameters. In addition to multiplying a rider’s effort by as much as 400 percent, the motor also delivers a whopping 85Nm of torque, which will deliver exceptional performance on steep climbs. They also gave Bosch’s Extended Boost feature an upgrade. Extended Boost allows for an extra kick when encountering boulders, stairs, downed trees or extended rooty passages; it is said to provide additional power for up to 2m (about 6 feet). Top speed will be limited to 20 mph.

[Read more…] about Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition: A Motor For eMTB Racing

Some e-bike trends are easy to spot and obvious; Bosch launching a lighter mid-drive that offers a greater level of support is very welcome but hardly a surprise. After all, who wouldn’t want less weight and more power? The rise of e-bike subscription services, where customers effectively rent an e-bike has thus far been dominated by smaller specialist startups (even if they happen to use e-bikes made by major brands) and is clearly something of a niche, despite it being popular amongst delivery workers. But now the biggest player in the US e-bike market, Rad Power, is dipping its toes into the subscription market but only in one German city, albeit that Berlin is one of the hubs of the micromobility universe. As ever, only time will tell if this is the very start of a sea change or a short lived experiment only.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Bosch’s Performance Line CX Race – lighter and more assist
• Pikaboost – the 6.6lb friction drive to crowdfund
• Cannondale Trail Neo 1 – the e-mtb that will take lights and rack
• Beyond and D-Fly – two companies launching specialist e-scooters
• Rad Power and Cycle join forces to launch Berlin-based subscription service

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Bosch’s lightest mid-drive, Pikaboost Friction Drive and Much More!

IDoes Ghost’s recent announcement they will use the lightweight (8.8lb) Fazua 60 mid-drive system on a new line of emtbs in 2023 show where the future lies for hardcore e-mtb riders? That weight – and it’s the total system weight including battery – is as much as some mid-drive motors alone. Of course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, as rider reaction and review opinion filter back from the bikes online, as and when they move out of the ‘announcement’ phase and into real world use.

Elsewhere this week we take a look at whatever happened to federal e-bike tax credits, shared micromobility that lets you take a passenger onboard and a promising-sounding second life solution for ‘retired’ electric vehicle batteries.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Ghost announces Path Riot lightweight emtbs
• Death of federal e-bike tax credits put the spotlight on state actions
• The Veo Apollo – a shared e-bike made for two
• Mercedes and Batteryloop use old EV batteries to help power Swedish homes
• Carlsbad’s 50ft e-bike dismount rule hits the local headlines
• 500 share e-bikes imminent in London, England

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Lightweight Ghost EMTB, Federal E-bike Subsidies (Not) and Much More!