Rad Power Bikes, the largest electric bicycle company in the US, is currently running a major sale with some of the best prices it has ever offered on many of its popular e-bike models.
The most affordable model for sale is the RadMission, a single-speed urban e-bike designed for city riders.
RadMission for $499
The RadMission normally carries a $1,199 price tag, but it is currently on sale for just $499. That’s a whopping $700 off!
The bike offers a 500W motor, has a 500Wh battery with around 20-40 miles of range on throttle or pedal assist, and hits a top speed of 20 mph.
It’s a no-frills bike because of its lack of a shifter, suspension, and even a kickstand. But it has everything else most urban riders need, including decent power, good city tires, built-in LED lights, and a choice of several colors across two frame styles.
Despite being the “simplest” e-bike in Rad’s lineup, it’s one of my favorites. Check out my review to see why.
RadCity 3 and RadCity 4 for $1,399
For urban riders who want to add a bit more to their bikes than the RadMission offers, the RadCity 3 Step-Thru and RadCity 4 Step-Over e-bikes are both marked down from $1,599 to $1,399.
Both these models hit the same 20 mph top speed as the RadMission but add in suspension, gears, fenders, a rear rack, and an LCD screen, giving riders more features as standard equipment.
These are the last bikes in Rad’s lineup to offer the larger direct drive motors, as the company has switched all of its other models to geared motors.
RadRover 6 Plus for $1,299
If the RadMission sale wasn’t so good, I might say this was the headliner event. And it may still be. The RadRover 6 Plus is normally priced at $1,999 but is marked down to $1,299 during the sale.
That makes this 750W fat tire electric bike with dual displays, hydraulic disc brakes, front suspension, and 7-speed gearing one of the best-priced fat tire e-bikes in existence right now.
When you add in the included semi-integrated battery, fenders, lighting, and more, this is one heck of a sweet deal.
What’s happening here?
Buried somewhere in this super sale saga is a burning question, “What’s going on at Rad?”
No company does things purely altruistically, even as much as Rad is pursuing its goal of replacing more cars with e-bikes. So where’s the rub? How is the money talking?
My two best guesses are that we’re either looking at an overstock issue — perhaps as a result of heavy purchasing during the springtime parts uncertainties — or that some new models are coming and Rad is moving out the old stock.
The RadCity 3 and RadCity 4 are already fairly old, so those make sense. The RadMission is over two years old now too, so that one could stand a refresher. The RadRover 6 Plus bikes aren’t really that old, though, so those really surprise me. What’s the reason for such a generous sale? Could they be that overstocked, or is there something else going on?
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The UAW union’s Stellantis Council met yesterday to discuss the beleaguered carmaker’s “ongoing failure” to honor the agreement that ended the 2023 labor strike, and their latest union memo doesn’t pull many punches.
In an email sent out by the UAW earlier today (received at 4:55PM CST), UAW President Shawn Fain wrote, “For years, the company picked us off plant-by-plant and we lacked the will and the means to fight back. Today is different. Because we stood together and demanded the right to strike over job security—product commitment—we have the tools to fight back and win … We unanimously recommend to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight, and we all get ready to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis.”
Kia promises the new EV9 GT will have “enormous power,” but that’s not all. For the first time, the Kia EV9 GT was caught with an active spoiler, giving us a sneak peek at potential new upgrades.
The brand’s first three-row electric SUV is already making its presence known in the US, helping push Kia to back-to-back record sales months. Meanwhile, a more powerful, sporty variant is on the way.
Kia confirmed the EV9 GT will top off the electric SUV’s lineup in April. Packing “enormous power,” the high-performance GT model can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 4 secs.
With a “high-output” dual-motor (AWD) system, the EV9 GT can quickly pick up speed despite weighing over 5,000 lbs.
Kia also equipped it with other high-performance features, such as a reinforced suspension and electronic braking system, for better control and stability.
We’ve already caught a glimpse of the performance electric SUV out testing, revealing aggressive new bumpers and wheels. Now, a new design feature has been spotted.
Kia EV9 GT could come with an active rear spoiler
The latest video from HealerTV shows the EV9 GT with what appears to be an active spoiler. As the reporter noted, it could be similar to the one spotted on the Genesis GV70 Magma.
Tesla’s Model X also used to come with an active spoiler until it was dropped a few years back. Although the GT model was spotted with one, Kia could just be testing new features, so don’t get too excited yet.
Earlier this week, a video from HealerTV showed the front row of the EV9 GT, comparing it to the current GT-Line model.
Several differences can be immediately noticed, including a more aggressive, all-black design with a yellow stripe down the center of the seat.
Kia is set to launch the EV9 GT in early 2025. It will rival other performance SUVs like the Tesla Model X Plaid.
Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the GT model is expected to sit above the current GT-Line at $73,900. In comparison, Tesla’s Model X Plaid starts at $94,990 and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 secs.
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Consumer Reports and EV charging app Chargeway are working together to give drivers a better way to rate public chargers, report uptime, and address maintenance issues.
The technical collaboration with Chargeway is part of a larger effort called the EV Charging Community, which engages with a number of different EV advocacy groups including Plug In America, GreenLatinos, and Generation 180, and leverages the mobile app to rate public EV charging experiences based on various factors, with the findings reported back to industry stakeholders like EVSE manufacturers, CPOs, and utilities.
Be heard
“We are very excited to be partnering with Consumer Reports,” says Chargeway founder, Matt Teske. “From day one, Chargeway has focused on a driver first app design to provide easier EV charging experiences as well as transparency for what drivers can anticipate at (the) station they choose … we share Consumer Reports’ goal to give drivers a voice in the public EV charging reliability conversation. Now, instead of posting complaints on social media and feeling ignored, EV drivers can use the Chargeway mobile app to provide their feedback to the leading consumer advocacy organization.”
Consumer Reports says it’s already seen nearly a third of its 1,600 enrolled community members experience a problem with public charging, so it’s a real problem. “Charging stations are critical services, but when they’re out of order or barely functional, it wastes consumers’ valuable time,” explains Drew Toher, Consumer Reports’ sustainability campaign manager.
Consumer Reports points out that EV drivers who don’t use Chargeway can also enroll to be part of the community at this link.
Electrek’s Take
Chargeway founder Matt Teske is an old friend. He’s a good friend, too, so it’s great to see his top-shelf EV charging app starting to get some of the recognition it deserves. The CR tie-up and added visibility these ratings will give to industry stakeholders are only going to make things better for EV drivers everywhere.
That up there? That’s one of my early interview episodes of Quick Charge featuring a walkthrough of Chargeway+, another collab between Matt and Austin Energy. Enjoy!
SOURCE | IMAGES: Chargeway, Consumer Reports.
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