Electric Bikes

Bike shop owners say the law, which places heavy restrictions on e-bike ownership in the state, is fueling a steep drop in sales, with some saying as much as 90 percent of their business has evaporated.

The very popular Dutch maker of cargo bikes is now selling its Breeze Stateside. You can’t pass a school in Amsterdam without seeing a dozen Urban Arrows with kids frolicking in their front buckets, but longtails seem to sell better in the US of A. Prices start at $6,999.

Trustees are trying to keep Accell Group’s operations running while takeover bids are considered, but manufacturing in Hungary, where operations were recently centralized, has halted leading to concerns about spare parts and warranty claims. The Hungarian factory has an annual capacity of almost 300,000 bicycles, of which almost 99 percent are e-bikes.

Rear-facing radar is already an add-on for roadies, and comes integrated into some high-end eSUV bikes. Now N+, the company responsible for the Mercedes-branded e-bikes, is taking things a step further by linking it to a video camera visible on the display of its €3,999 VW-branded e-bike.

Accell Group is the latest victim of Bikeaggedon: the turmoil created by soaring e-bike demand at the onset of covid, followed by a collapse of the supply chain, and then a period of massive oversupply.

The New York City Council just released a surprisingly large raft of bills — 17, to be exact — aimed at overhauling the city’s enforcement and regulation of electric bikes. The council is considering a ban on higher speed e-bikes, new license and insurance requirements for delivery companies that rely on e-bikes, and stricter penalties on riders who flee the scene of a crash. But transportation advocates are worried that the bills will discourage people from using e-bikes while also ignoring the larger danger posed by reckless driving. Either way, the great e-bike crackdown continues.

The first-of-its-kind rest stop, which includes e-bike battery recharging equipment, was erected in record time thanks to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s request to get it done in time for his first 100 days in office. Workers had to improvise a crane-lift because they didn’t have the right permit, and also deal with a misplaced electrical wire. But in the end, they finished it. (Hopefully future shelters will include bathrooms, though.)

The company trying to become a “leading vertically integrated electric mobility platform in North America” says it will “support Rad riders through post-closing customer programs, including honoring certain warranties and gift cards.” It also plans to transition production of Rad Power-branded e-bikes to the US using components sourced globally.

Florida-based Life EV won the auction to buy the struggling e-bike brand last week, as reported by TechCrunch. The sale comes just a month after Rad Power Bikes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing “significant financial challenges” and “the sudden drop in consumer demand” post-Covid in a letter to employees.

On his last day in office, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that will likely halt the widespread adoption of e-bikes in the state, limiting their utility as an effective car replacement and punishing those who would use them to reduce their own carbon footprints. The new law requires registration, license, and insurance for any e-bike regardless of its class or speed, effectively lumping low-speed pedal assist bikes in with high-powered electric motorcycles and dirt bikes. It’s the latest troubling sign for the growing e-bike movement in the US.

When the company introduced the TM-B e-bike in October, it said the Launch edition and Performance models would cost $4,500. We knew there would be a cheaper base model, but the price wasn’t announced at the time. Now we know it’ll be $3,500, but will only have 5x power assist and a 60-mile range.

A letter sent to employees warned that the company could be forced to close up shop in January if it can’t find more funding soon. A “very promising” deal to keep Rad alive was in the works, but unfortunately “did not come to fruition.”

Weight can be a major factor in whether an e-bike makes sense for a certain customer, especially those that live in cities. With that in mind, here’s how Rivian’s new Also TM-B bike stacks up, as per a spokesperson:

It’s due to be announced tomorrow by the company’s micromobility spinoff Also, with an initial focus on US and European audiences. You can read more over at Electrek.

My absolute favorite thing I own is a Flyer L885 electric cargo bike. It’s not the most powerful or most expensive, but it fits my lifestyle perfectly. I use it almost everyday to replace car trips, which is no easy task in a nation as car dependent as the US.