Tenways CGO800S belt-drive commuter electric bike review: A lot to like!
After having previously tested out Tenways’ first single-speed electric bicycle last year, I was excited to give the brand’s newest model a try. Now that I’ve spent some good saddle time on the Tenways CGO800S, here’s what I think about this new ride.
First of all, there’s definitely a lot to like in the Tenways CGO800S. It’s not all perfect, and there were a few misses, but it’s largely a very nice offering.
This is absolutely an urban-oriented e-bike though, so don’t expect to turn this into your hybrid trail rider or anything like that.
It’s also a pedal-assist e-bike fitting in the Class 1 designation in the US, so you’ve got to go into this review knowing that this is an e-bike made for cyclists. This is not a motorcycle with pedals.
With that frame of mind in place, let’s dive in here. You can start with my brief video review below, then keep reading for the rest of my thoughts.
Tenways CGO800S video review
Tenways CGO800S tech specs
- Motor: 250W rear hub motor
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) in US, 15.5 mph (25 km/h) in Europe
- Range: Claimed up to 62 miles (100 km)
- Battery: 36V 10.4Ah (375Wh)
- Weight: 50.7 lb (23 kg)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy 6061
- Suspension: Front suspension fork
- Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes
- Extras: Gates carbon belt drive, color LCD display including speedometer, battery gauge and PAS level indicator, front and rear LED lights, torque sensor, included rack and fenders, three color options
- Price: $1,999
Great for the city
As I mentioned, this isn’t one of those “motorcycle with pedals” types of electric bicycles. This is a relaxed e-bike that feels much more like a standard city bicycle, albeit one that doesn’t make you work very hard if you don’t want to.
The upright ride with tall handlebars gives a comfortable body position and the modest 250W motor doesn’t feel overpowered. It still has some nice acceleration in higher-power pedal assist modes, but no one will accuse the Tenways CGO800S of being too much bike to handle. It just isn’t going to knock anyone’s cycling socks off, so to speak.
That means it is better suited for someone who already enjoys cycling, but wants a nice boost added to their usual ride. And perhaps they also want the other advantages that come with nicer e-bikes.
For example, the included torque sensor makes the pedal assist smooth and intuitive feeling. When you press harder on the pedals, you get more power from the motor. It’s as simple as that.
There’s no throttle to feather; everything is foot-controlled.
Well, not everything. You’ve still got those hydraulic disc brakes at your fingertips. But there’s no shifter to mess with, since this is a single speed. That can go in either the pros or cons column, depending on whether you like the simplicity of a single-speed or prefer the gear ratios that come with a multi-speed transmission.
For me, single-speeds are great, lightweight, and simple solutions. But I also live in a flat city, and so your mileage may vary.
Speaking of mileage, the company says you’ll get up to 100 km (62 miles) of range from the Tenways CGO800S. That’s probably a bit higher than most people will get, but it really depends on what pedal assist level you keep it in.
If you’re blasting around in the highest power level, you’ll be lucky to see 35-40 miles. If you keep it in level 1 all the time, you could realistically reach 62 miles of range.
But since most people don’t have the self-control to only use the lowest (and slowest) power level, don’t expect to ever really see 62 miles of range.
Even so, the rest of the promises check out. The speed really gets up to 20 mph (32 km/h). The bike comes with included accessories like a rear rack and a fender set. The LED lights work and they work well. Though on that note I’ll say that the turn signals feel a bit gimmicky to me.
They’re barely distinguishable on the rear of the bike since they are built into the single tail light. You’ve got to be really close to make out that one turn signal is on and realize what it is.
Sure, having turn signals is a nice addition. And I may use them from time to time. But I’m definitely still going to use hand signals too. I wouldn’t rely on those little rear turn signals – and of course the lack of front turn signals also makes hand signaling a necessity.
Another nice addition that is almost a bit overkill is the screen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful. But there’s just so much going on, especially when you get into the settings. I turned off the password feature since it was a bit annoying to me. But password protecting your e-bike is a neat idea, and some riders might enjoy the extra security. I’ll go with a beefy lock any day of the week, but the feature is still a nice addition, in theory.
And I can’t deny that the screen is quite attractive. It’s nicely designed and the colors pop. So nice work there, Tenways.
For $1,999, you’re getting a lot of nice parts like those hydraulic brakes and Gates carbon belt drive.
Even so, the lower power and limited top speed don’t quite match the price, if you’re looking for bang-for-your-buck performance-wise.
So in this case, I’d say that it’s worth it if your main requirements are the quality construction and easygoing ride. But if performance is more your thing, you can find bikes with bigger motors and batteries for less cash.
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Yadea, which has claimed the title of the world’s largest electric vehicle maker for seven years running, has just announced a new electric motorbike powered by the company’s innovative HuaYu sodium-ion battery technology.
Yadea has long dominated the electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler market globally, but has generally relied on both lithium-ion and lead acid batteries to power its vehicles in different markets.
The newly unveiled electric scooter uses Yadea’s recently introduced sodium battery technology, offering what the company says is outstanding performance in range, charging speed, and safety. Using the HuaYu Sodium Superfast Charging Ecosystem presented by Yadea, the battery can reach 80% charge in just 15 minutes, providing greater convenience for riders.
Yadea’s sodium battery has successfully passed more than 20 safety tests, many focusing on its resistance to fire and explosions under extreme conditions like punctures and compression.
Yadea’s new sodium battery offers an energy density of 145 Wh/kg and a lifespan of up to 1,500 cycles at room temperature, with the company rating it for a five-year useful lifespan. It also includes a three-year warranty for added assurance.
With excellent low-temperature capabilities, the battery retains over 92% of its discharge capacity at -20°C, making it well-suited for colder climates.
Sodium batteries present major advantages
Most electric vehicles used in the West, especially electric two-wheelers, rely on lithium-ion batteries for their high energy density. But sodium-ion batteries offer many benefits over traditional lithium-ion batteries.
Sodium is an abundant element on the planet and is easily accessible, unlike lithium, which is concentrated in specific regions and often expensive to extract. This abundance can make sodium-ion batteries cheaper to produce, reducing costs for EV manufacturers and potentially making electric vehicles more affordable.
Lithium mining also has environmental challenges, such as water depletion and habitat destruction. Sodium, on the other hand, can be sourced from seawater or common salts, offering a more sustainable and environmentally friendly option.
Sodium-ion batteries are less prone to overheating and thermal runaway compared to lithium-ion batteries. This makes them inherently safer for electric vehicles, reducing the risk of fires and improving consumer confidence in EV technology.
Sodium-ion batteries perform better than lithium-ion in cold climates. Lithium-ion batteries struggle with capacity retention in freezing conditions, but sodium batteries maintain efficiency, making them ideal for EVs in colder regions.
Sodium batteries still have challenges to overcome
While sodium-ion batteries are promising, they currently have a lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries, meaning they store less energy per unit of weight.
For EVs, this translates to shorter driving ranges for the same-sized battery. That’s especially important in electric two-wheelers like motorbikes and electric bicycles, which don’t have much extra space for storing bulky batteries.
However, advancements in cathode materials and battery architecture are quickly closing this gap, which Yadea has demonstrated. These sodium-ion batteries still can’t match the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, but as they continue to improve their energy density, the technology’s other major advantages provide encouraging signs for larger adoption in the industry.
Yadea’s status as a major electric motorbike maker also means that its adoption of sodium-ion battery technology could help lead the entire industry towards this battery chemistry, bringing safety and performance benefits along with it.
Last year I had the unique opportunity to visit one of Yadea’s global manufacturing sites.
To see inside the company’s massive and highly-automated manufacturing processes, check out the video below!
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At CES2025, the impressively built-out John Deere exhibit was all about automation. Autonomous job sites, autonomous farms … but it was this new, battery electric, autonomous lawn mowing robot that stole the show.
The self-driving Deere mower robot was positively dwarfed by the giant farm machinery surrounding it, but it continues to prove that humans will pack bond with anything as more than one burly-looking and grizzled man asked what its name was. (It’s Howard. I’ll fight you.)
For his part, Howard packs a 21.4 kWh battery pack that runs a suite of electric motors that includes a drive motor and three cutting blade motors spread across a 60 inch cutting deck – but it’s not the electric motors that make John Deere’s little robot mower cool, it’s the way it works.
See, instead of using “just” GPS data or “just” repeating a pre-recorded run, Howard can do something in between. The way it was explained to me, you would ride the stand-up mower around the perimeter of the area you wanted to mow, select a pattern, then hop off, fold up the platform, and let it loose. Howard mows just the way you would, leaving you to focus on edging, planting, or (let’s face it) schmoozing with the clients.
It’s exactly the sort of help landscapers are looking for.
But that should come as no surprise, of course. John Deere, perhaps more than most companies, knows its customer. “We’ve been in the turf business for 60 years — it’s a core part of Deere,” says Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer at John Deere, explaining things beautifully. “The work that’s being done in this industry is incredibly labor intensive … they’re not just doing the mowing work. They’re doing the tree trimming, maintaining flowerbeds and all these other jobs. The mowing is table stakes, though, for them to get the business. It’s the thing they have to do in order to get the higher value work.”
Tim Lewis, lead engineer with the commercial automatous mower, told Lawn & Landscape that the industry in general has a high turnover rate as well, making it difficult to hang to people who know where one job ends and another begins. “There’s a lot of nuances it takes to do these jobs effectively,” he explains, “so “Autonomy can help with that.”
The John Deere autonomous commercial mower (there’s no snazzy alphanumeric, yet) leverages the same camera technology as other Deere autonomous machines, but on a smaller scale (since the machine has a smaller footprint). With two cameras each on the front, left, right, and rear sides of the little guy, he has a 360-degree view of the world and enough AI to lay down a pattern, avoid an obstacle, and shut off if it thinks it’s about to mow down something (read: someone) it shouldn’t.
John Deere will have Howard on display through tomorrow at CES in the LVCC’s West Hall. If you’re in town, be sure to go say hi.
John Deere CES2025
SUOURCE | IMAGES: John Deere; Electrek.
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