Prices for full-suspension electric moped-style e-bikes have been dropping over the last few years, but the Fucare Libra is now pushing them to all-time lows. At just $1,199, does this full-suspension e-bike have what it takes?
That’s exactly what I wanted to find out, so I tested one myself.
The Fucare Libra falls somewhere between a typical step-through electric bike and a moped-style electric bike. We often consider moped-style e-bikes to have small diameter yet wide tires, long bench seats, higher top speeds and less-than-optimal pedaling geometries.
The Fucare Libra checks the boxes for moped-style wheels, rear bench seat, coilover rear suspension and high speed. But it still has a traditional bike seat and actually feels decent for pedaling.
That puts it somewhere in the gray area between e-mopes and e-bicycles. But whatever you call it, the Libra offers some serious bang for your buck with higher performance and a modest $1,199 sticker price.
Check it out in full living color in my video review below. Then keep reading for the complete details.
Extras: Large color LCD, headlight and taillight, included padded rear rack and fenders, 7-speed gearing, front suspension and rear suspension, kickstand
This is one seriously fast e-bike, though it’s not quite as fast as it claims. Sure, you can get it up to 31 mph (50 km/h) based on the display (though that requires unlocking the top speed in the settings). But the speedometer on the Fucare Libra seems to run a tad bit fast, on the order or 2-3 mph high at the top end.
That means that you’re probably doing closer to 28 mph instead of an honest 31 mph. While that’s a bit of a bummer, it means the bike might slide in under questionably legal Class 3 operation (if we pretend like the throttle doesn’t get it up to full speed by itself, which it does). So perhaps there’s a silver lining in there somewhere.
Even if you lose a couple of mph compared to the displayed speed, it’s still darn fast for an e-bike. Zipping along at 28 mph (45 km/h) is thrilling for just about anyone. And as we’ve often discussed, many people actually feel safer at higher speeds since they can keep up with traffic instead of getting passed by it.
The powerful rear hub motor puts out 1,000 watts of peak power, meaning you’ll have good hill climbing in addition to just a high top speed. And with 80 Nm of torque coming out of that motor, no one can accuse this bike of looking more powerful than it is.
The 720 Wh battery isn’t particularly large but rather somewhere around average for these types of e-bikes. A couple of years ago, I might have said that was a pretty big battery, but these days, it’s par for the course on fast moped-style e-bikes.
You’ll get an honest 25 miles (40 km) or so from the Fucare Libra’s battery on throttle-only operation, and you can eke out even more range if you feel like pedaling. Don’t expect to see their advertised 60 miles (95 km) of range unless you’re planning to do most of the pedaling yourself, though. At least it’s comfortable to pedal, in case you wanted to try for that 60 miles!
The Fucare Libra’s surprisingly comfortable pedal operation was great to see, and of course, it will be important if you plan on being part of the power generation. But since most people will probably make ample use of the throttle, I’m not sure that will be a huge concern for many riders.
The bigger comfort priority is likely the suspension. The rear suspension is nice to have, but I found the front suspension fork to feel kind of cheap. It had a bit of flex to it when applying hard front braking, which is a telltale sign of a lower-budget fork. The last Fucare e-bike tested had a higher quality suspension fork, though it was also a more expensive hardtail model.
When you’ve got a nearly 30 mph e-bike priced at $1,199, I guess you’ve got to save money somewhere.
Another area for savings appears to be the brakes. They work fine, but they aren’t hydraulics. Instead, we’re looking at typical mechanical disc brakes. For a fast and heavy e-bike like the Fucare Libra (a whopping 80 pounds or 36 kg), I generally like to see hydraulic brakes that offer stronger repeated stopping power.
The only other complaint I had was that the frame area surrounding the battery is a bit wide and I would occasionally rub my ankles on it depending on how I had my feet positioned on the pedals. It’s the kind of thing where I’d certainly get used to it if the bike were my daily driver, but hopping from one bike to another makes it noticeable. You can see what I mean in my video review at the top of the article.
Aside from the heavy weight, slightly wide frame, and lack of hydraulic brakes, I find it hard to nitpick at much else. I mean, this is a rocket of an e-bike with full-suspension for just $1,199, for crying out loud!
I’d have loved to see some passenger pegs included so I could actually comfortably carry a kid on that padded rear rack. But I’ll just go ahead and say “thank you” for giving me that padded rear rack at all, especially at this price!
Being able to throttle up to fast speeds in a cool-looking bike with multiple color options just isn’t something we see very often in this price range. And there’s even the added cool factor of Fucare offering a limited-edition “Chameleon” color, which is basically a sparkly light blue. (It’s the bike in these pictures.) It sounds odd, but it looks really good. It’s only an extra $100, but it is limited to 50 units. Each one comes with an individually-numbered plate on the side to designate which of the 50 units it is.
I’m not saying these are going to become collectors units worthy of Leno’s garage one day. But it’s still pretty neat having an individually numbered vehicle as part of a limited edition run. And even when those are out, the yellow and gray colorways aren’t bad either.
So in closing, while I could have used some slightly higher quality components on the bike, it’s really hard to complain about much of anything at this price. The Fucare Libra offers seriously good performance for a budget-level price. It doesn’t have the amazing community of a SUPER73 or the monster power of an Ariel Rider, but it’s got something the others don’t: affordability.
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Rivian will power its DC fast-charging network with renewable energy company RWE’s Champion Wind farm in Texas.
The two companies just signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from RWE’s repowered Champion Wind in Nolan and Mitchell counties, west of Abilene.
The 127-megawatt (MW) Champion Wind is getting new turbine nacelles and blades, which will extend the wind farm’s lifespan. Originally commissioned in 2008, the wind farm is expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025. When the wind farm is back online, it’ll be capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 billion miles of renewable driving every year for Rivian, or the equivalent of powering 36,000 homes annually in Texas.
This wind power is set to support Rivian’s DC fast-charging Adventure Network with renewable energy. Rivian has set a specific goal to enable 7 billion miles of renewable driving.
Paul Frey, Rivian’s VP of propulsion, charging & adventure products, said, “Champion Wind is a powerful enabler for Rivian drivers to become active participants in building a cleaner grid every time they charge their vehicle. This project shows the potential to meaningfully decarbonize the grid and support a more circular economy through reuse and recovery of existing infrastructure, all while maintaining highly competitive economics.”
Siemens Gamesa is supplying 41 turbines with new nacelles and blades on existing towers. The nacelles and blades are being manufactured in the US. In addition, as part of the repowering project, six new Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 3.1 MW each will also be added to the wind farm.
The decommissioned wind turbine blades from Champion will be repurposed. RWE is working with REGEN Fiber, an Iowa-based company that recycles wind turbine blades to make reinforcement fibers for the construction industry. Those fibers are then used in concrete to add strength and durability, extending the lifespan of infrastructure.
RWE is the third-largest renewable energy company in the US.
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Rivian R1T (left) and R1S (right) electric vehicles (Source: Rivian)
Rivian is bringing back its “All-Electric upgrade offer” from now until November 30th, but with some changes to the program.
Earlier this year, Rivian offered $1k-$5k off a new Rivian if you trade in an old gas car, from April to June. The offer was available for specific vehicles, and with a sliding discount scale based on which Rivian vehicle you order.
Now the program has come back, but with quite a few changes from the previous version.
As of today, October 31, if you buy a new Rivian R1T or R1S new inventory vehicle from the R1 Shop, you can get a $3,000 discount if you also prove that you own or lease a qualifying gas-powered vehicle.
This is simultaneously simpler, more lenient, and more restrictive than the previous offer, in various ways.
First, the discount is a flat $3k (or $4,100 CAD), rather than having a scale based on what model you order, which is more streamlined.
Second, the discount applies to every gas or hybrid vehicle owner – you don’t have to trade in your vehicle, and you’re not limited to a specific list of vehicles. Just prove that you own or lease a gas car (copy of registration, proof of insurance, etc), and you get the discount.
However, third, it’s more restrictive as to what vehicles you can purchase. The current offer applies only to Rivian new inventory vehicles in the R1 Shop, and excludes demo vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, or custom build vehicles. It also does not apply to Rivian’s base Dual Standard models, but everything else is fair game.
In order to qualify, you need to place your order between today and November 30, and you must take delivery of the vehicle before December 31. Check out all the specifics of the offer on Rivian’s site here.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian is clearly trying to round out its yearly numbers with this offer, as the market for pricy cars is somewhat soft with increased interest rates. It just slightly lowered its annual delivery guidance, now planning to see roughly similar deliveries this year than last.
But its R1 vehicles just got a huge refresh to help the company with costs and to offer new features. The R1S is still one of the most popular high-priced vehicles in the US, and the company’s products earn universal acclaim from owners.
The interesting thing is that Rivian had a similar offer earlier this year, before the refresh, to help clear out inventory of older vehicles. It didn’t see it fit to offer the discount last quarter, perhaps buoyed by the updated model, but after a rough Q3 of deliveries it now brought the offer back.
Rivian is still guiding to reach a slight gross profit in Q4, though we’re sure we’ll hear more about that in its upcoming quarterly earnings next week.
If our coverage of Rivian has helped inform you about the brand, feel free to use our Rivian referral code to get 6 months of free charging or 750 Rivian Rewards points with your purchase.
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Hyundai’s new low-cost EV is getting a bold design upgrade. The Hyundai Casper EV Cross was spotted for the first time in public, revealing new design elements.
Although we knew a rugged “Cross” variant was headed to Europe, this was the first time the domestic model was spotted with an upgraded design.
The Inster EV is Hyundai’s overseas version of its domestic Casper Electric model. In Korea, Hyundai’s Casper EV starts at around $20,000 (27.4 million won). Hyundai said its new EV can be bought for under $8,000 (10 million won) with subsidies.
In Europe, it starts at under $27,000 (25,000 euros). The Cross variant is built for “those looking for an EV with a more adventurous look,” Hyundai said.
Although it offers the same versatility as the standard model, the Inster EV Cross gains rugged design elements, including new front and rear bumpers, black claddings, skid plates, a roof rack, and more.
Hyundai Inster EV Cross (Source: Hyundai)
Here’s our first look at the Hyundai Casper EV Cross
After a rugged new variant with the Casper EV logo was spotted in Korea for the first time, a Cross model is expected to debut shortly.
The new video from HealerTV reveals added design elements, including the roof rack and more aggressive black trim.
Hyundai Casper EV Cross spotted for the first time (Source: HealerTV)
The reporter notes that the Hyundai Casper EV Cross has a “much more mechanical and futuristic feel than the existing model.”
It almost appears “robot-like” with an added off-road feel. The Inster EV Cross gets up to 223 mi (360 km) WLTP driving range. In Korea, the Casper Electric is rated with up to 195 miles (315 km) driving range.
Hyundai Casper Electric (Source: Hyundai)
Although Hyundai Casper (Inster) EV is not expected to launch in the US, the low-cost model was spotted driving in California for the first time this month.
In the meantime, off-road fans can get in line for Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which will be available with a rugged XRT trim. The 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT model was also recently caught testing ahead of deliveries.
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