In what appears to be a first of its kind, a new law was just enacted in Arizona that seems to have swept up some electric bicycles in an effort to outlaw kids operating off-road vehicles.

As electric bicycles skyrocket in popularity and adoption rates soar, nearly everywhere in the US is seeing a higher number of e-bikes used for transportation. That is, except for one town that banned e-bikes and e-scooters devices altogether.

I’ve always found the sub-$1k e-bike segment fascinating. The bikes aren’t always the best, but the good ones are usually good enough for most casual and/or recreational riders. And this is the group of e-bikes with the biggest potential for winning over new riders who haven’t fully committed to the idea of a pricier e-bike replacing a good chunk of car miles. The $899 Starrun R20 is the latest folding fat tire e-bike that seems ready to compete in this quickly crowding market. So does it have what it takes?

Rattan, a long-time player now seeing increased penetration in the entry-level e-bike market, has rolled out new electric bicycle models for the 2024 riding season. And believe it or not, it’s the little guy that’s getting most of the attention. That’s right, it’s time to check out the company’s latest small format 20″ folding e-bike. Say “Hello” to Rattan’s new Pinus.

Electric motorcycles are likely not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of BYD, the world’s leading electric car maker. But thanks to a new agreement, the company’s batteries are heading to Africa, where they’ll be used in Ampersand’s electric motorcycles.

Everyone loves a good comeback story. Rocky. The Karate Kid. CAKE? That’s right, the Swedish electric motorcycle company is preparing to rise again.

As electric boats slowly gain market share among recreational boaters, a different breed of silent, efficient speed boats is now targetting commuters. Hydrofoil electric ferries are coming to a river or lake near you, and multiple companies are working to make it happen.

Swiss-based VMAX has been a key player in the European electric scooter market since 2015, and last year expanded into the US market. Now we’re getting our first look at two new models released into the US market, the VMAX VX2 Extreme and the VX5 Pro.

MAHLE, the German e-bike drive system maker that is part of the larger MAHLE Group, has announced its newest electric bicycle motor system, the MAHLE X30.

If a proposed new bill eventually becomes law, higher-speed electric bicycles may soon have a tougher row to hoe in California.

Rad Power Bikes, one of the leading electric bicycle companies in the US, has announced its response to rising e-bike costs in the US after the tariff exclusion on Chinese-produced electric bikes expires.

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 all the cool stuff we saw at Micromobility Europe 2024, new low-cost Lectric XP Lite 2.0, an 80 MPH military e-bike, how Paris cleaned its air by kicking out cars, and more.

Golf carts are no longer just for cruising the country club. In fact, these days, they’re more commonly found zipping through neighborhood streets or joy-riding around beach communities. These smaller, more efficient alternatives to traditional cars might just be a good choice for your ‘second car’, believe it or not.

I recently had the chance to attend Micromobility Europe 2024, the latest industry tradeshow promoting the proliferation of right-sized personal electric vehicles. For two days, the show took to Amsterdam to showcase many of the newest innovations and companies pushing the envelope on what micromobility vehicles can offer to urban residents.

Here is a smattering of many of the most interesting things I saw (and test rode) while exploring the show.

The ‘One simple trick’ trope has long become a running joke among journalists, usually signifying the beginning of a scam. But every once in a while, it’s exactly right. Such is the case with how Paris was able to transform its air quality and thus the quality of life in the city in the run-up to the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics.

So what was the trick? Kicking out cars.

At the Micromobility Europe conference in Amsterdam last week, I got my first look at (and first ride on) the new folding electric bike known as FLIT. As it turns out, there’s a new ultra-compact British folding e-bike in town.

In what could likely be a sign of continued overstocking issues in the North American electric bike industry, Ride1Up has drastically reduced the price of its much acclaimed Prodigy electric bike. Now just $1,495, this marks the lowest-priced Brose-powered electric bicycle ever from a major retailer.

There’s a good chance that when you were a teenager, getting your driver’s license was seen as a rite of passage, and you probably couldn’t wait for the freedom promised by that shiny new card in your credit card-less wallet. At least, that’s unless you’re a teenager today, and then the picture might not be so cut and dry. Unlike when I got my learner’s permit 20 years ago, today’s teenagers have already been enjoying a new form of affordable and effective transportation freedom: electric bikes.

And it’s changing the way they view getting a driver’s license.

This past week, I attended the Micromobility Europe event in Amsterdam, where I saw many familiar company faces and several new ones in the broader micromobility world. One of the most fascinating new startups I saw at the show was Hydroride Europe AG, which showed off several hydrogen-powered bicycles and a small at-home hydrogen generator for “recharging” the bike by producing small bottles of hydrogen gas.

When I recently took a trip to China to see the world of electric micromobility, I was greeted with a wide range of personal electric vehicles. From e-bikes to e-scooters and even e-dirt bikes, I saw it all. But one of the most interesting examples, and clearly the most divergent from our own vehicles in the West, was what I saw while touring Wuzheng’s electric three-wheeler factory.

Polaris, which pushed hard into electric vehicles with its Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic electric UTV, has just announced the launch of a “first of its kind” off-road charging network in Michigan’s upper peninsula.

Kandi America, best known for its range of electric golf carts and eUTVs, has just unveiled three new electric go-karts designed for off-roading fun.

Los Angeles-based electric bike brand Hi-Power Cycles has announced the opening of a new “defense division” known as HPC Defense. To kick things off, they’ve unveiled an 80 mph (130 km/h) military electric bike as one of the division’s first products.

I’ve spent countless hours here at Electrek doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, I’ve learned these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That dedication to real-world e-bike testing has helped me find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.

Below are some of the top e-bikes I’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of June 2024. Summer is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about how we can make the most of the warm weather! Just like the ultra-competitive e-bike selling year last year, 2024 has become the year of the e-bike sales. So check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.