Fat tire electric bikes are all over the place these days. Full-suspension fat tire e-bikes are a bit rarer. But full-suspension fatties that can hit 30 mph (48 km/h) on throttle-only riding – that’s a unicorn right there. But that’s exactly what the KKBike K26S offers.
Despite the unfortunate name that puts too many Ks way too close together, the bike itself is actually quite awesome.
It’s something of a no-name brand, in that KKBike is one of many newcomers to the e-bike scene. That means I wasn’t expecting too much from the bike.
But despite the bar being low, the K26S hurdled so far up and over it that I can just about look the other way on the name.
To see what I mean about this surprisingly high-performance electric bike, check out my review video below!
KKBike K26S video review
KKBike K26S tech specs
Motor: 750W geared rear hub motor with peak-rating of 1,200W
Top speed: 30 mph (48 km/h)
Range: Claimed 40-70 miles (64-112 km)
Battery: 48V 17.5 Ah (840 Wh)
Weight: 73 lb. (33 kg)
Max load: 330 lb. (150 kg)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors
Extras: 8-speed Shimano drivetrain, large color LCD display, LED headlight with rock guard, thumb throttle, removable battery, plastic fenders, kickstand
High performance, medium quality
The KKBike K26S is not one of these weak-sauce fat tire e-bikes that looks like its built for off-road but is really meant to stick to the bike lane. This is an e-bike that can actually handle the trails.
Of course it’s not going to work great on super winding, technical trails with tight turns and switchbacks. It’s just not a nimble enough bike for that due to the large 4″ wide fat tires.
But the large volume tires that allow you to run lower air pressure make it great for cruising on dirt trails, fire roads, nature paths, packed sand or grassy fields. In those settings, this thing can really rip.
The combination of a powerful motor and full-suspension give it exactly what you need to actually handle rough terrain.
And if it had nice suspension but no power, it really wouldn’t be much fun since you couldn’t blast through the rough stuff.
But fortunately the KKBike K26S has both comfort AND power, which is what makes it such a hoot on the trails.
Granted, the suspension isn’t top shelf stuff. This is a $1,999 e-bike that’s on sale for $1,799. You’re just not going to get amazing suspension at this price.
But you still get some pretty decent stuff that’s fine for this type of recreational riding.
The hydraulic disc brakes are plenty grabby with what seem like overbuilt calipers. Plus they’re candy apple red, which surely adds a good few extra pounds of braking force.
And to make that braking force even stronger they come with 180 mm rotors, which is a nice thing to have on a fast e-bike like this. More on that in a moment.
The rest of the components on the KKBike K26S are all “good enough,” too.
The 8-speed Shimano shifter is basic yet acceptable (though bike snobs will surely pan it for being rather entry-level). The tires are simple Kenda fat tires, but they work just fine, even if they don’t have the same puncture protection as something higher-end. The headlight is perfectly adequate and even comes with a rock guard. And the touch points are decently comfortable.
Again, not amazing stuff, but it’s all fine for the type of recreational and leisure riding I was testing it with.
The plastic fenders aren’t my favorite and tend to flop around a lot, but I can live with it. If you don’t ride in wet stuff very often, you might even want to leave them off. I often leave plastic fenders off when they seem like more trouble than they’re worth.
The color screen was a nice addition, and it was actually quite visible in daylight — something that isn’t true of many color screens.
Can it really hit 30 mph?
Yes, the KKBike K26S hits 30 mph (48 km/h) top speeds. And to answer the next question, yes it can do so on throttle alone.
That’s not strictly legal for road use in many states in the US that rely on the three-class e-bike system. Class 3 e-bikes can only reach 28 mph (45 km/h), and they can only do it on pedal assist.
But if you’re mostly getting this bike for off-road use, then it doesn’t really matter. It’s a free country and you can ride however you like on private land.
In practice, I rarely found myself actually needing to get up to those speeds. Even with the suspension, doing 30 mph on dirt or gravel trails is a recipe for disaster. I don’t really want to wrap myself or the KKBike K26S around a tree, and so I was usually in the teens or twenties when I was keeping the bike on the dirt.
I’m not racing here, I’m just having fun.
Is it a deal?
The $1,999 price feels reasonable to me. The bike is solid, has a decently large battery and good power, and it even has full-suspension.
At the current $1,799 sale price (with $100 coupon that is clipable on the Amazon page), that seems like a seriously good deal. We’ve seen plenty of e-bikes that cost more and deliver far less.
There’s nothing super high-end about the KKBike K26S, but it does an excellent job at giving a taste of full-suspension off-road riding. I wouldn’t take it to Whistler, or really to any bike park with actual jumps, but it’s more than enough for little bunny hops on your local trail.
And for anyone hoping to soak up a few potholes on their way to work, it’ll handle that just fine too.
What do you think of the KKBike K26S? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chief executive officer of Twitter Inc. and Square Inc., listens during the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, Florida, on Friday, June 4, 2021.
Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Block shares jumped in extended trading on Thursday after the fintech company increased its forecast for the year.
Here is how the company did, compared to analysts’ consensus estimates from LSEG.
Earnings per share: 62cents adjusted vs. 69 cents expected
Block doesn’t report a revenue figure, but said gross profit rose 14% from a year earlier to $2.54 billion, beatinganalysts’ estimates of $2.46 billion for the quarter. Gross payment volume increased 10% to $64.25 billion.
Block raised its guidance for full-year gross profit to $10.17 billion, representing 14% growth from a year earlier. In its prior earnings report, Block said gross profit for the year would come in at $9.96 billion.
The company expects full-year adjusted operating income of $2.03 billion, or a 20% margin. For the third quarter, the company expects gross profit to grow 16% from a year ago to $2.6 billion, with an operating margin of 18%.
Square payment volume in the quarter grew 10% from a year earlier.
Block faces growing competition from rivals such as Toast and Fiserv‘s Clover, though its Square business still gained share during the quarter in areas such as retail and food and beverage.
Block shares were down 10% this year as of Thursday’s close, while the Nasdaq is up 10%. Last month, Block was added to the S&P 500.
Until GM builds its own, the new Chevy Bolt EV will use lower-cost LFP batteries from China’s CATL. GM will temporarily lean on CATL to power its most affordable electric vehicle.
The new Chevy Bolt EV will use batteries from China
The new Chevy Bolt EV is set to begin rolling off the production line at GM’s assembly plant in Fairfax, Kansas, later this year.
GM’s CEO Mary Barra promises the new EV will arrive with “substantial improvements,” including longer range, faster charging, and a stylish new look. It will also be the company’s first EV based on the Ultium platform to launch with LFP batteries in North America.
Although the batteries were initially expected to be made in-house, it appears that GM will import them from China, at least for the next few years.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
A new report from The Wall Street Journal claims GM will import LFP batteries from CATL to power the new Chevy Bolt EV over the next two years.
According to sources close to the matter, GM will rely on CATL for batteries until it begins producing more affordable EV batteries in collaboration with LG Energy Solutions in 2027.
2022 Chevy Bolt EUV (Source: GM)
“To stay competitive, GM will temporarily source these packs from similar suppliers to power our most affordable EV model,” a company spokesperson said. The statement added that “For several years, other US automakers have depended on foreign suppliers for LFP battery sourcing and licensing.”
Ford is licensing technology from CATL to produce LFP batteries in Michigan, which will power its next-generation electric vehicles.
GM plans to build a “next-gen affordable EV) in Kansas (Source: GM)
Given Trump’s new tariff and trade policies, GM will face hefty import costs from China. According to Sam Abuelsamid from auto research firm Telemetry, combined with other cost-cutting measures, “the new Bolt with Chinese batteries may still be marginally profitable or “close enough.” He added that “It may be that the economics work for GM to do this on a temporary basis.”
Just over a week ago, Chevy offered a sneak peek at the new Bolt EV with the first teaser images. It’s scheduled to enter production later this year and will arrive at US dealerships in 2026.
Although GM has yet to announce prices and specs, the new Bolt EV is expected to start at around $30,000 with a range of around 300 miles. It will also be the second GM electric vehicle, following the Cadillac Optiq-V, with a built-in NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.
Electrek’s Take
Chinese battery makers, including CATL and BYD, are dominating the global market with lower-cost and more advanced tech.
According to new data from SNE Research, CATL and BYD widened their lead in the first half of 2025. CATL held the top spot with a 37.9% market share while BYD was second at 17.8%.
The combined market share of South Korean battery makers, LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI, fell to 16.4%, a 5.4% decline from the first half of 2024.
Although the deal may work out in GM’s favor, it still highlights the significant gap between US auto and battery makers and their Chinese counterparts.
Meanwhile, GM’s current most affordable electric model, the Chevy Equinox EV, is expected to be among the top three best-selling EVs in the US this year, behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. GM calls it “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV” with starting prices under $35,000.
Will the new Bolt EV see the same demand? With prices expected to start at around $30,000, it will be one of the lowest-priced electric vehicles in the US.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Despite a full lineup of electric models rolling out, Cadillac now plans to keep offering at least one popular gas-powered SUV.
Cadillac XT5 SUV will keep a gas engine in the US
GM’s luxury brand was supposed to go all-electric by the end of the decade. Although it already walked back its commitment last year, Cadillac has now confirmed which popular gas SUV will stick around a while longer.
The Cadillac XT5, the brand’s best-selling vehicle outside of the Escalade, will continue to be sold in North America.
The news was first reported by The Detroit Free Press, which cited a recent memo from GM to UAW workers. Although Cadillac had planned to end XT5 production at the end of the year, GM informed workers that it will continue to be built until the end of 2026.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
The current Cadillac XT5 will continue to be sold until the 2027 model year arrives in the US, which will still feature a gas engine.
Cadillac Optiq EV (Source: Cadillac)
It could arrive as a potential hybrid, similar to the XT5 sold in China, which features a 2.0L turbocharged engine combined with a 48V electric motor. No fully electric version was mentioned.
GM will continue Cadillac XT5 production in Spring Hill, Tennessee, alongside the Lyriq and Vistiq electric SUVs.
2026 Cadillac Vistiq electric SUV (Source: GM)
Cadillac claims to be the leading luxury EV brand in the US with a full lineup of electric SUVs. However, that doesn’t include Tesla. The luxury brand now offers the entry-level Optiq, mid-size Lyriq, three-row Vistiq, and even larger Escalade IQ and IQL electric models.
In the first half of the year, nearly 25% of Cadillac vehicles sold in the US were electric. The XT5 was Cadillac’s second-best-selling vehicle, with over 12,700 units sold. The Escalade was its top seller with over 24,300 models sold through June.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.