When CSC first announced the RX1E, I was super excited about the prospect of an electric motorcycle that could hit highway speeds while priced at a fraction of most big name e-motos today. And so, when I was swinging through LA recently, I made sure to stop by CSC’s Azusa headquarters and give the bike a test. Now I’m even more excited than ever about this new addition to CSC’s lineup.
At just $8,495, the CSC RX1E comes in swinging with a very nice spec sheet at a reasonable price point. For comparison, you’d have to pay 50% more to get an entry level Zero electric motorcycle that has similar performance specs.
There’s a lot going on here. The bike has liquid cooling for the motor and controller, belt drive, ABS braking in the front and rear, included storage cases and bash bars, reverse gear, a windshield, both a center AND a side stand, and a good-sized glove box in the faux tank. Half of these are features you normally find on much higher priced motorcycles, and the other half are features you generally have to pay many hundreds of dollars extra for.
But the unassuming CSC RX1E gives you everything you’d ever need in an around-the-town motorcycle, all for a reasonable price.
Check out my first ride on the new bike in my video below, then keep reading for my complete thoughts on this new entry into the affordable electric motorcycle market.
CSC RX1E video review
CSC RX1E tech specs
Motor: 8 kW continuous, 18 kW peak-rated swingarm-mounted motor
Top speed: 80 mph (130 km/h)
Max range: 112 mi (180 km)
Battery: 96V 64Ah (6.16 kWh)
Charge time: 6 hours on Level 1 (110VAC wall plug)
Curb weight: 465 lb (211 kg)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes with Bosch ABS
Extras: liquid-cooled motor and controller, belt drive, three included storage cases, included crash bars, LED and analog gauges, windshield, side and center stands, USB charging port on instrument panel
Adventure look, city utility
So the first thing you notice about the CSC RX1E is the adventure-style setup. It’s got an upright stance, big cargo boxes, a bash guard and a windshield. All of these tend to scream “safari”, not “city.”
But all of those features actually make it a great urban runabout, which is what the bike is primarily designed for. Sure, it’s got adventure styling and matches the look of CSC’s popular ICE-powered RX3 and RX4 adventure bikes. But this baby is more than likely going to be sticking to commuter duty for most riders.
And that’s where it will absolutely excel. The upright seating position and tall bars make it super comfortable. Your legs aren’t tucked up underneath your body, you’re not crouched forward and you aren’t hugging the tank. Instead, you’re sitting up tall with a good view of the road, holding onto reasonably high bars and planted solidly on a comfortable saddle.
The suspension is also great for a city, especially one that doesn’t have the best streets. I pulled into CSC’s showroom on a borrowed LiveWire One, which gave me a unique chance to do some of the same route on both bikes. The LiveWire blows the CSC RX1E out of the water when it comes to power, but the RX1E was much more comfortable to ride, especially on speed bumps and other road irregularities.
Those lockable storage boxes are also just as useful as they seem. I normally ride with a backpack to carry all of my camera and audio gear that I use on rides, plus a few extra pieces of gear (tools, rain poncho, emergency kit, etc). But with the tail box, I could fit everything inside with room to spare. I didn’t even crack open the side boxes, that’s how much room I had in the top box.
But if you’re doing grocery shopping, running errands or picking up a takeout order for the whole office, you could probably fit it all in those three cases. And anything else can be stuffed in the faux “tank”, which has its own glovebox.
For anyone who doesn’t like the look of the boxes, you can pull them off with just a few bolts. But considering that’s an expensive option on other bikes, and with all of that added utility, it’s frankly amazing that they come standard.
Respectable performance
I’d call the performance specs decent, especially for a city bike that can handle freeway jaunts. This isn’t a powerhouse, but Sport mode definitely has good pickup. The bike comes with a rated top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), but one of the CSC mechanics told me they got it up to a GPS-verified 88 mph (143 km/h) on the freeway in a full tuck.
The 18 kW peak-rated motor has good acceleration, and it pulled me up canyon roads without a thought. Does it compare to an Energica or a LiveWire? Absolutely not. Those bikes will have you holding on for dear life. But again, that’s not the type of ride the CSC RX1E is designed for.
If you’ve ever ridden an Energica, Zero, or LiveWire, you’ll know that when you punch it, those bikes are simply gone. You’re down the road before you know what happened.
The CSC RX1E, on the other hand, has a more muted but actually quite comfortable throttle response. Even if you crank it full throttle from a dead stop, you get that first quarter to half a second of easy throttle ramping up to full power. It doesn’t dump it all at once like an on/off switch, which is quite rare among lower cost electric motorcycles. Low-cost electric motorcycles can sometimes be a bit more jerky, since good throttle ramping requires careful programming – something often overlooked on cheap motorcycles. But the RX1E really nails the throttle response for a comfortable profile that doesn’t leave you feeling lacking. It’s both responsive and comfortable at the same time.
As far as range goes, the bike has a claimed 112 mile NEDC range, but CSC will tell you right away that the real-world range is closer to 80 miles with mixed riding. If you’re on the freeway the entire time, you’ll of course get less. But if you’re doing 30 mph around town, you might even get more.
When it comes time to recharge, you unfortunately don’t have a J-1772 charge port. That means you can’t use public charging stations when you’re out and about. Instead, the CSC RX1E comes with a charger not unlike an electric bike or Sur Ron, just a bit bigger. You plug it into a normal wall outlet in your garage and the other end goes into the bike.
With over 6 kWh, the battery is too big to be removable. A removable battery is nice for apartment dwellers that don’t have ground-level outlets for recharging, but they don’t make much sense past 4-5 kWh. At that point you’d be trying to muscle a 60+ pound battery around. But with 50% more battery (and thus 50% more range) than bikes like the SONDORS Metacycle, the lack of a removable battery is simply the price you pay for more range.
So much value
Compared to the competition, the CSC RX1E comes in at around the same ballpark. It’s around $1k more than a Metacycle but goes 50% further. It’s comparable to a Ryvid Anthem but again, goes further (even if it can’t compete with the awesome look of the Anthem). And its about $4k less than a comparable entry-level Zero motorcycle with similar specs, despite coming with several features not found on those bikes.
Just look at what you get. The bike comes with anti-lock brakes in the front and rear, which many low-cost electric motorcycles skip out on. There’s a small radiator to liquid-cool the motor and controller, letting you push the bike harder than air-cooled alternatives. And then, there’s those included accessories like the storage boxes, bash guards, and windshield. Oh yea, and don’t forget the reverse gear. Not even a $22k Energica has that, and the $25k Zero DSR/X I rode recently only JUST added a reverse feature. The CSC RX1E’s reverse is much easier to use though. It’s a single physical button on the bars, unlike Zero’s reverse gear which requires navigating several clicks through the bike’s on-screen menu.
The only downside here that I can reasonably see is the lack of a local dealership network. But even with that, CSC goes pretty far toward negating the issue entirely. I’ve toured their parts warehouse in California and it is absolutely massive. They sell mostly Chinese imported motorcycles, with the RX1E being no different. But they don’t bring in bikes without also bringing in a huge supply of spare parts for everything. If you ever have a problem, they will have a replacement part out to you by Fedex in a day or two.
I even had the chance to test that a few years ago when I got a City Slicker that eventually had an issue with its rear pulley bearing. They sent me a new pulley immediately and the lead mechanic talked me through the replacement process over the phone. I probably could have just taken it to a shop, but doing it myself helped me learn the motorcycle better. Also it helped that the City Slicker was so light that I could just gently lay it on its side instead of needing a motorcycle lift.
Anyway, the point is that CSC has proven that they’re there to take care of issues if they ever arrive, and that helps give me back most of the confidence that I’d normally get from having a local dealer nearby.
Summing it up
Alright, it’s about time to bring this first-ride review to a close. Basically, my takeaway from this test ride is that the RX1E is punching way above its weight class, which is ironic because it’s actually kind of a heavy bike (465 pounds) that feels much lighter than it really is.
I did a mixture of city riding and canyon carving, and the bike excelled at both. In fact, it was so comfortable and easy to ride that I was actually pushing much harder in the canyon turns than I normally do. The bike carries its weight low and feels so responsive that I just had more confidence pushing myself more than usual.
For pleasure riding, it was a blast. For utility riding, it was a dream. It’s fast. It’s peppy. It’s fun. It has the gear I want and the features I need. I wouldn’t mind if it were $1,000 cheaper, but I can’t even say that it isn’t worth it. Dollar for dollar, it comes in at higher value than nearly any other electric motorcycle I know of.
If you’re looking for a starter electric motorcycle that won’t break the bank, this very well could be it.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
The PV5 is more than just an electric van. It can do it all. After revealing the PV5 Chassis Cab, Kia showed how it can turn into a food truck, a camper, and plenty of other setups you wouldn’t expect.
Kia launches the PV5 Chassis Cab
Kia’s electric van can do it all. The PV5 is a mid-size all-electric van and the first from Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business.
The PV5 Passenger and Cargo variants are already rolling out across Europe and South Korea, with more markets planned over the next few months.
At SOLUTRANS 2025 in Lyons, France, on Monday, Kia revealed another new version: The PV5 Chassis Cab. As Kia’s first electric chassis cab model, it marks a significant step toward the company’s goal of becoming a leader in light commercial electric vans by 2030.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Like all PBV vans, the Chassis Cab is built on the flexible E-GMP.S platform. Depending on the configuration, the PV5 Chassis Cab offers up to 1,005 kg (2,200 lbs) of max payload and eight cubic meters of cargo space (High Box).
Kia reveals the PV5 Chassis Cab at SOLUTRANS 2025 (Source: Kia)
The PV5 Chassis Cab “combines compact efficiency with the carrying capacity of larger vans to offer customers across Europe a responsible, flexible solution for daily operations,” Kia Europe’s CEO, Marc Hedrich, said during the launch event.
Kia developed the new Chassis Cab model with European converters as the most flexible PV5 variant yet. The Dropside can be used for farming or construction equipment, the Tipper for waste collection.
An interior setup for the Kia PV5 Chassis Cab (Source: Kia)
It also supports three types of Box Vans for e-commerce deliveries, as well as a refrigerated option for grocery delivery.
To showcase its abilities, Kia converted one into a food truck and will offer drinks and “brioches aux pralines roses,” a traditional pastry from Lyon.
The PV5 Chassis Cab will be available with two battery packs: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh. The driving range will vary based on the setup, but Kia said, for reference, the L2H1 Cargo delivers a WLTP range of up to 297 km (185 mi) with the standard battery and 416 km (258 mi) with the long-range battery.
With DC fast-charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the electric van can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes, getting you back on the road.
Kia also introduced the Kia Business Solutions Ecosystem, its new suite of connectivity and charging services for fleets.
The interior of the Kia PV5 Chassis Cab (Source: Kia)
The new Kia Android OS infotainment system is at the center with AI Assist, regular OTA updates, and readiness for the PLEOS app market. Drivers can manage and sync profiles on the 12.9″ touchscreen.
Kia’s new Chassis Cab variant follows the PV5 Cargo Long Range, which set a new Guinness World Record in September for “The greatest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van with maximum payload on a single charge.”
The Kia PV5 Cargo Long Range sets a new Guinness World Record (Source: Kia)
Using the 71.2 kWh battery with 665 kg (1,466 lbs) payload, Kia’s electric van traveled 693.38 km (430.84 mi) on a single charge.
On Friday, Kia opened its first dedicated PV5 production hub in South Korea. The new EVO Plant East is a 98,433 square-meter site with an annual production capacity of 100,000 units. Kia will build PV5 Passenger, Carog, Chassis Cab, and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) models at the facility.
The entire hub will be about the size of 42 soccer fields. Once complete, it will be able to crank out 250,000 electric vans a year.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Save up to 41% on Navee’s smart e-scooters, like the flagship ST3 Pro at its second-ever $660 low, more from $315
Navee has officially launched its Black Friday Sale, which is not only seeing up to 30% initial discounts across its lineup of e-scooters, but is also offering a bonus $100 sitewide savings using the code BFVIP at checkout. One notable returning low price during this sale is on the flagship ST3 Pro Smart Electric Scooter at $659.99 shipped, after using the promo code BFVIP at checkout, beating out its Amazon pricing by $100. It carries a $950 MSRP, but we usually see it keeping down between $760 and $850 on average, with today’s rate having only appeared once before back during July’s Prime Day event. Now, you’re getting a second chance to score $190 off the going rate (and $290 off the MSRP) for the lowest price we have tracked since it hit the market in January. Head below to learn more about this scooter that I cannot stop raving about after going hands-on in our review, as well as the massive lineup of deals we’re seeing across the brand’s e-scooters.
There’s so much to love about Navee’s ST3 Pro electric scooter, from its significant commuting power to its wide array of smart features, including Apple Find My, proximity locking, and more. Of course, the first thing I and others have immediately noticed is its damping arm suspension system that has served me well through the streets of NYC, smoothing out rides down unpaved or pot-hole lined sections.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The comfortable deck (which comes sporting dual RGB light strips) houses a 600W motor (1,350W peak), bringing the power to tackle up to 28% inclines with ease, while also providing fast acceleration to its max 20/28 MPH speeds (which depend on your local laws). There’s also a sizeable 597Wh battery here that keeps things running for up to 46.6 miles of travel, which I have yet to fully run down during cross-borough trips and joyrides. There’s plenty more to boast about here, like the traction control system, the triple-brake system (hydraulic, mechanical, and electronic regenerative brakes), self-healing puncture-resistant tires, an auto-on headlight, a taillight with brake lighting, turn signals on the handlebars, 15 ambient lighting modes, and more. Get the full rundown of what you can expect in my hands-on review from over the summer.
***Note: The prices below have not had the extra sitewide savings factored in, so be sure to use the promo code BFVIP at checkout to score the very best deals during Navee’s Black Friday Sale!
Apple Find My, smart locking, damping arm suspension, triple braking system, and more
You can also find the brand’s latest e-scooter releases (with no starting discounts), as well as a kids-friendly model on Navee’s main Black Friday Sale page here.
Get up to 85 miles of pedal-assisted cargo carrying on Heybike’s dual-battery Hauler e-bike at a new $1,099 low
Heybike is now offering its Hauler Dual-Battery Cargo e-bike at $1,099 shipped, with it also coming with an $89 dual rear side basket bundle and a Black Friday gift pack for FREE. Normally going for $1,899 at full price, we usually see this model dropped down to $1,599, with occasional falls lower to $1,499 or $1,399. The deal here is going lower than ever, as $800 is cut from the tag for the lowest price we have tracked, while the single-battery model is now sold out.
EcoFlow’s next 48-hour flash sale drops DELTA Pro 400W solar bundle to new $1,599 low
As part of its ongoing early Black Friday Sale, EcoFlow has launched its final early Black Friday 48-hour flash sale before it kicks into its second phase on November 20, with up to 67% discounts on four offers – two power station bundles and two dual expansion battery bundles. The standout for folks wanting more versatile charging options is EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Portable Power Station with a 400W solar panel at $1,599 shipped, beating out its Amazon pricing by $300. This bundle would normally run for $4,898 at full price here, while it keeps down at $3,999 at Amazon when in full, though Prime members have had the opportunity to score it under $2,000 for months now. Discounts over the year have only taken the costs on this bundle down as low as $1,799 up until today, with this greater 60% markdown taking $2,400 off the going rate (67% taking $3,299 off the MSRP) and landing it at a new all-time low price. Head below to learn more about it and the other offers lasting through November 19.
Get more clearing power for seasonal debris with Greenworks’ 80V 700 CFM cordless blower at $175
Amazon is offering the Greenworks 80V 700 CFM Cordless Leaf Blower with 2.5Ah battery at $174.99 shipped. Dropped down from its usual $250 full price, we only saw it dipping to $200 up until July, when discounts grew and we saw more savings. While it did go as low as $165 during last month’s Prime Day event, you’re still looking at a solid 30% markdown here, cutting $75 off the going rate for the third-lowest price we have tracked – just $10 above the one-time low.
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $326 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,325)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $449 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Heybike Ranger S Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Best new Green Deals landing this week
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Waymo is significantly accelerating its rollout. After years of slow and methodical expansion, the Alphabet-owned company is now moving at a faster speed, announcing today that it is bringing its autonomous driving technology to five new major cities, starting with Miami.
This comes just days after the company finally unlocked driverless freeway rides for passengers in its core markets.
For a long time, the criticism of Waymo was that while its technology was impressive, it couldn’t scale. It took them years to go from a geofenced area in Chandler, Arizona, to covering the full metro area of Phoenix and expanding to San Francisco.
But that narrative is officially dead.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
In a press release titled “Safe, routine, ready: Autonomous driving in new cities,” Waymo confirmed it is launching operations in Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.
The company says operations start today in Miami, with the other four cities following in the “coming weeks.”
Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s co-CEO, commented on the expansion:
“Safe, routine, ready… We’ve built a generalizable Driver, powered by Waymo’s demonstrably safe AI, and an operational playbook to reliably achieve this milestone.”
It’s worth noting the distinction here between “operations” and “commercial rides.” Waymo says it is starting operations (likely testing) now, with plans to “open our doors to riders next year.” This aligns with their recent strategy in Austin and Atlanta, where they tested for a few months before opening up the app to the public.
Waymo’s Expansion Timeline
With today’s news, Waymo’s map is getting quite a bit more crowded – albeit with some asterisks. Here is the current breakdown of where the service is live and where it is coming next:
Live Commercial Service (Bookable now)
Phoenix, AZ: Fully public. Includes freeway access.
San Francisco, CA: Fully public. Includes freeway access.
Los Angeles, CA: Fully public. Includes freeway access.
Austin, TX: Commercial operations active (partnership with Uber).
Atlanta, GA: Commercial operations active.
Imminent Launch / Testing Operations
Miami, FL: Operations started Nov 18, 2025. Rider access in 2026.
Dallas, TX: Operations starting late 2025. Rider access in 2026.
Houston, TX: Operations starting late 2025. Rider access in 2026.
San Antonio, TX: Operations starting late 2025. Rider access in 2026.
Orlando, FL: Operations starting late 2025. Rider access in 2026.
The inclusion of three more Texas cities (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) alongside Austin means Waymo is effectively aiming to cover the “Texas Triangle,” a massive transportation corridor.
It is made possible by Texas’s relaxed autonomous-driving laws.
I sure hope we are going to start the calls of “Waymo can’t scale” fade away.
In the next few months, Waymo will be operating driverless in 10 of the biggest cities in the US.
No one else is doing that in North America right now. There are companies in China that have similar deployment capabilities, but that’s about it.
Tesla shareholders will try to tell you that the automaker is right on Waymo’s heels. Still, Tesla is currently operating something it calls “Robotaxi” that requires a safety driver inside at all times.
Even if Tesla is set up to scale faster, it is still not at square one when it comes to operating an autonomous vehicle ride-hailing service.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.