US Special Operations tests American-made electric motorbikes for military use
Light electric vehicles have seen growing interest from militaries all over the world. Now the latest electric motorbike receiving its draft card comes from North Carolina-based electric moped builder Huck Cycles.
Huck Overland enlists
The company recently shared news that its Huck Overland model is currently being evaluated by the US Military as well as various government and private agencies.
It’s something of a return to form for Huck’s founder and owner Brett McCoy, an Army veteran who served in the airborne infantry.
According to the company, two Huck Overlands models have recently been trialed in various live fire exercises and tested for uses in search and rescue, border and perimeter patrol, air deployment, medical evacuations with rolling gurneys, covert operations, remote deployment and mobility caching.
The Huck Overland is an electric motorbike (or what some may consider a ‘noped’ due to its lack of pedals) that was inspired by the classic Honda Motra, itself a popular recreational mini-bike from the 1980s.
Far from a heavyweight electric adventure bike, the 145-pound (65 kg) Huck Overland is a smaller and more agile vehicle. The silent electric motorbike comes with a 3 kW nominal and 6 kW peak-rated motor putting out up to 8 horsepower, and carries a 3 kWh battery rated for 40 miles (64 km) of range.
With multiple operational modes, Huck’s bikes are technically rated to reach speeds of “45+ mph,” with that plus sign likely doing some heavy lifting. Private owners have reported exceeding that 45 mph figure with room to spare.
The $5,800 bike is normally sold for personal use and was actually intended for the hunting, fishing and outdoorsman market – hence the name Overland. But the company has since found that the light electric motorbike has proven popular in big cities for use as a commuter motorcycle. The bike ships as a street legal motorbike with a VIN and manufacturer’s certificate of origin, allowing riders to register it if they want to use it for on-road use.
As founder and CEO Brett McCoy explained to Electrek:
I’ve been shocked at how many people in larger cities like NYC, LA, and Miami have jumped on this model as a daily commuter. Apparently, the rugged Mad Max look is in for city riders too.
Electric motorcycles and e-bikes are rapidly becoming a common tool employed by militaries around the world. Earlier this summer we reported on other lightweight electric motorbikes that were adopted for use by the Ukrainian military. Those bikes were mounted with NLAW rockets to help Ukrainian defenders take out Russian tanks from a nimble, mobile platform. Ukrainian snipers have also used electric motorbikes to quietly get into firing position and then quickly bug out.
That may be one of the latest examples of e-bikes entering active duty, but it’s far from the first.
Back in 2018 we learned that Norway’s armed forces began testing fat tire electric bicycles in border guard patrols.
Patrol duties were also tested by the New Zealand Defence Forces in 2020 when they began trialing UBCO’s electric utility bikes.
Australian soldiers have been testing out stealth electric bikes since last year, and we also saw the first application of helicopter-mounted electric motorcycles late last year in an application designed for quick insertion of special operators on low-signature electric dirt bikes.
Multiple special forces units in Europe and the Middle East have also tested high-power electric mountain bikes for field use, with paratroopers even air-dropping electric dirt bikes onto the battlefield.
I may not be able to compete with helicopter-mounted electric motorbikes, but I was at least using e-bikes in uniform before it was cool. Back in the early 2010s when I served in the IDF, my e-bike was my main method of transportation and I was quite a sight zipping through the city with an M-16 on back.
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Environment
Baidu- and Geely-backed JiYue brand unveils ROBO X EV that goes 0-100 km/h in under 1.9 sec
JiYue, a Chinese EV brand focused on delivering all-electric “robocars” to the masses, has unveiled its latest model, and it’s quite a deviation from its previous EVs—but in the best way. Earlier today, JiYue launched the ROBO X supercar, designed for high-speed racing. By high speed, we mean 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 1.9 seconds. My mouth is watering.
JiYue has only existed since 2021, when parent tech company Baidu announced it was expanding from software development into physical EV production, joining forces with multinational automotive manufacturer Geely.
The new “robotic EV” marque initially launched as JIDU with $300 million in startup capital before garnering an additional $400 million in Series A funding, led by Baidu, in January 2022.
In August 2023, Geely took on a larger role in JIDU alongside a greater financial stake as the brand reimagined itself as JiYue, inheriting the JIDU logo and its flagship model, the 01 ROBOCAR.
In December 2023, Baidu and Geely unveiled a second model called the JiYue 07. It was born from JIDU’s ROBO-02 concept, which debuted in 2023 and was designed to compete against the Tesla Model 3 in China.
The 07 finally launched in China earlier this year with 545 miles of range. With an all-electric SUV and sedan on the market, JiYue has unveiled an exciting new entry in the form of a performance supercar called the ROBO X. Check it out:
JiYue’s new ROBO X EV is available for pre-order now
JiYue showcased its new ROBO X hypercar in front of the crowd at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show earlier today. Similar to previous models but with a unique spin, JiYue described the ROBO X as an AI smart-driving supercar that, for the first time, blends artificial intelligence and autonomous driving into a high-performance, race-ready EV.
When we say “high performance,” we mean a quad motor liquid-cooled drive system that can propel the ROBO X from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in under 1.9 seconds. JiYue called the new ROBO X a “performance beast” with “the perfect balance of excellent aerodynamic performance and high downforce.” JiYue CEO Joe Xia was even bolder in his statements about the ROBO X:
For the next 20 years, the design of supercars will bear the shadow of Robo X. This is the best design in the history of Chinese automobiles today, and it is a landmark presence.
Fighter-style airflow ducts bolster the EV’s aerodynamics, efficiency, and overall posture. Per JiYue, the two-seater ROBO X is expected to deliver a maximum range of over 650 km (404 miles).
The new supercar features falcon-wing doors, a carbon fiber integrated frame, and a professional racing HALO safety system offering 360° of support. The interior features an AI smart cockpit with SIMO real-time feedback to give drivers an immersive racing experience.
Furthermore, JiYue said the vehicle will utilize parent company Baidu’s Apollo self-driving technology, which could make it the first electric supercar to apply pure-vision ADAS technology that enables track-level autonomous driving.
Following today’s unveiling of the ROBO X, JiYue has officially opened up pre-orders in China for RMB 49,999 ($6,915). That said, reservation holders will need to be patient as JiYue shared that it doesn’t expect to begin mass production of the ROBO X until 2027.
What do you think? Will people be talking about the ROBO X for the next 20 years?
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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 the launch of the Lectric XPedition 2.0, Yamaha e-bikes pulling out of North America, LiveWire unveils an electric scooter concept, PNY readying its cargo e-scooters for pilot testing, Royal Enfield’s first electric motorcycle, and more.
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Crude oil futures were on pace Friday for loss for the week, as a supply gut and a strong dollar depresses the market.
U.S. crude oil is down more than 2% this week, while Brent has shed nearly 2%.
Here are Friday’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.56 per barrel, down 14 cents, or 0.2%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has shed about 4%.
- Brent January contract: $72.36 per barrel, down 20 cents, or 0.28%. Year to date, the global benchmark has lost nearly 6%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.99 per gallon, up 0.46%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen more than 1%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.70 per thousand cubic feet, down 2.98%. Year to date, gas has gained more than 4%.
The International Energy Agency has forecast a surplus of more than 1 million barrels per day in 2025 on robust production in the U.S. OPEC revised down its demand forecast for the fourth consecutive month as demand in China remains soft.
A strong dollar also hangs over the market, as the greenback has surged in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.
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