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36 votes
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Volkswagen to invest up to $5 billion in EV maker Rivian as part of tech joint venture
20 votes -
EV maker Fisker files for bankruptcy
18 votes -
BYD: China’s electric vehicle powerhouse charges into Europe
16 votes -
Brussels is gambling that tariffs on Chinese EVs are a prod, not a punch
15 votes -
EU expected to impose import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles
26 votes -
Electric cars are suddenly becoming affordable
48 votes -
Militarized Cybertruck cop cars are coming
21 votes -
Jury finds Boeing stole technology from electric airplane startup Zunum
26 votes -
Toyota’s bet on hybrids was mocked, then vindicated. Now it’s trying to repeat the trick with an unlikely bet on the combustion engine.
41 votes -
Electric bikes are about to get more expensive in the US
8 votes -
Teslas can still be stolen with a cheap radio hack—despite new keyless tech
17 votes -
The inside story of Elon Musk’s mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff
36 votes -
E-bikes: Seeking advice on a commuter bike that meets disability needs
I've done considerable e-bike research, and I'm still struggling with unanswered questions... I'm looking for a mid-range e-bike mainly for commuting, approximately 3 miles/5 km each way. Part of...
I've done considerable e-bike research, and I'm still struggling with unanswered questions...
I'm looking for a mid-range e-bike mainly for commuting, approximately 3 miles/5 km each way. Part of the route is on unpaved but graded park trails, otherwise paved (sometimes very bumpy) streets and sidewalks. I don't anticipate using the bike for heavy cargo, rough trails or long powered rides, but wouldn't mind working up to 30 mi/50 km trips with partial assists.
The primary goal is a safe, stable ride that gets me to work reliably without leaving me too banged up.
Requirements:
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Major assistance with steep hills. Though I've rebuilt decent endurance and muscle strength, I've got two artificial hips, and occasional inflammation in knees, ankles, and feet that makes powering up a long incline painful.
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Suspension fork and relatively upright riding position. Even with gel gloves, bumps and bangs through a rigid frame and forward leaning will wreck my wrists and hands quickly.
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Step-through frame. Thanks to hip replacements, my balance and range of motion aren't all they could be.
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Local service availability. Fortunately, I'm in a town with great (if expensive) bike shops.
Nice to have:
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60 lbs. or less. I don't expect to wrestle the bike up/down stairs or into vehicles frequently. It's more a question of being able to propel it under my own power most of the time and carry it on a standard car rack. I've looked at e-trikes for stability, but they're too heavy and cumbersome.
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Hydraulic disc brakes, belt drive and sealed motor hub (expensive but cleaner for commuting and lower maintenance), torque sensor.
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Integrated lights.
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Fenders, chain guard, rear rack, kickstand, phone holder included or available at reasonable cost.
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Visual appeal - colors, not too obvious battery, etc.
Overnight recharge is fine, the battery doesn't have to be removable.
Possibilities so far:
Priority Current (via Costco). review,
review
Con:- Rigid frame
- Complaints about required pedalling and power distribution on hills
Pro:
- Meets most of the requirements
- Model has been out for a few years with an established track record
- Well-reviewed
RadPower Radster Road Regular review, review
Pro:- Checks all requirements
- Safety emphasis
Con:
- Heavy (78 lbs.)
Electric Bike Company Model E or R
review, review
Pro:- Extensive customization available
Con:
- Cruiser style less likely to be comfortable for long rides
- Model R is 78 lbs.
Ride1Up 700 Series ST review, review
Pro:- Inexpensive
- Meets most requirements
Con:
- Assembly difficulties reported, no local dealer
Aventon Level.2 Step-through review, review
This is still early research... but more questions:
- What am I failing to consider?
- What's an appropriate price point to look at for my requirements (keeping in mind that I'd be paying as much as $150/mo. for transit when not using the bike)?
- Anyone else in a similar spot?
Edit - updates on continuing research, for those interested in comfort bikes... So many manufacturers! It might be time to turn the optimizer brain off. Quite a few of the online-only vendors are just mixing and matching Chinese parts. Reports of terrible customer support and quality/safety issues are common.
New candidates:
Cannondale Adventure Neo 2 EQ Speed
Reviews of this specific newer Class 3 model are scarce, but other Neo models get mostly rave reviews from older riders with various disabilities. As much as I've loved Cannondale bikes, there are some reported quality and design issues in comments that give me pause. The only reason I'd consider an e-bike in this price range is if it's a durable, realistic car replacement capable of safe use in very bad conditions.
Pro:- Most of the important wishlist items covered
- Top quality powertrain and gearing parts
- Torque assist - comments say it's smooth and you never miss a manual throttle
- Versatile for city and road
- Locally available
Con:
- High price even with quality factored in
- Chain guard not included, and it should be at this price
- Comments mention battery is difficult to remove
Envo seems like a reliable Canadian brand that's doing interesting things. There are U.S. distributors. Dollar purchasing power makes this a potentially excellent value choice.
Envo Lynx 20" Only one professional review, but customers seem happy. I wasn't considering folding bikes originally, but this seems well-made, has English-language support, and has decent specs for the price and flexibility.Envo ST 50 - few if any comments available, but the stepover D50 model gets rave reviews. Meets all requirements, with excellent range for longer trips.
Mokwheel Asphalt ST review, review, review
Pro:- Meets wishlist with moderately priced accessory package
- Adjustable stem angle
- Excellent price for features
- Extra safety lights
Con:
- DTC-only (US-based)
- Lower-quality and range of gearing
Tenways AGO T review, review
Pro:- Meets wishlist
- Premium components
- No-brainer torque control and CVT
- Stylish
Con:
- May be underpowered for steep hills
- Class 2 limited (may be hackable)
- DTC, based outside US
Zen Photon Pro review
Pro:- Wishlist mostly covered
- Premium components
- Powerful hill-climbing capability
- Long range
Con:
- Price is over upper limit of budget
- Relatively new to market
- Users complain about weight
Ride1Up Prodigy V2 LS CVT review, review, review, review non-CVT. This might be the pick - meets requirements and then some, good value for quality, relatively future-ready, adaptable for the conditions I'm likely to encounter, and comfortable. It doesn't hurt that it's $300 off right now.
18 votes -
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Tiny electric trucks are coming to a bike lane near you
18 votes -
Chevrolet Malibu heads for the junkyard as GM shifts focus to electric vehicles
17 votes -
Tesla’s two million car Autopilot recall is now under US federal scrutiny
22 votes -
Ford just reported a massive loss on every electric vehicle it sold
25 votes -
Tesla recalls Cybertrucks over accelerator crash risk
31 votes -
Indiana will test a highway that can charge moving vehicles
4 votes -
India’s electric rickshaws are leaving EVs in the dust
14 votes -
EV bargains to be found as Hertz sells off some of its US electric cars
31 votes -
You're wrong about Aptera's car. It's ridiculously efficient (and solar powered).
24 votes -
Fisker's EV prices slashed by up to $24,000, Tesla freezes them as trades
27 votes -
Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires
39 votes -
Cowboy launches all-road electric bike to attract riders beyond European city centers
6 votes -
Tesla's gear-shifting problems known long before Angela Chao's death
36 votes -
Indonesia’s e-bike shops are building their own batteries
10 votes -
A mistake in a Tesla and a panicked final call: The death of Angela Chao
27 votes -
Shock of the old: the amazing, infuriating history of the electric car – in pictures
14 votes -
BMW is a surprise winner in electric vehicles
20 votes -
Can European carmakers stop China’s electric behemoth BYD?
16 votes -
UK requesting comments for updating ebike power laws
9 votes -
Apple to wind down electric car effort after decadelong odyssey
32 votes -
Norway is well on the way to achieving its target of 100% new electric vehicle registrations by 2025 – the situation is different for vans
18 votes -
Blood, guns, and broken scooters: Inside the chaotic rise and fall of Bird
15 votes -
Pace of electric car adoption has markedly slowed in the US
39 votes -
Tests show that guardrails possibly do little to stop EVs and other heavier vehicles. And US transportation officials are concerned.
16 votes -
Electric cars are not the future – In cities at least, e-bikes make more cultural and consumer sense
62 votes -
Electric vehicles: can 'lightweighting' combat range anxiety?
24 votes -
Verge TS Ultra - The hubless electric motorcycle with sci-fi style and a great name
20 votes -
Hyundai unveils ’crab-walking” car that makes parallel parking a snap
16 votes -
Hertz is selling 20,000 electric vehicles to buy gasoline cars instead
26 votes -
Red Sea attacks halt Tesla production at German plant
10 votes -
In Slovakia, electric vehicles are jeopardizing a successful car industry
10 votes -
Tesla overtaken by China’s BYD as world’s biggest EV maker
37 votes -
Legislators in Kentucky and other fossil states charge EV drivers more than double in taxes than ICE drivers
41 votes -
Is it realistic to operate a fleet of electric buses in countries like Norway? Tackling challenges with the range of buses being shorter in cold weather.
8 votes -
How Tesla, BMW, Ford, GM and Mercedes driver assist systems compare
12 votes -
Tesla faces an inquiry by Norway's traffic safety regulator into suspension failures in the company's electric cars that could result in a recall
13 votes