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I know, I know. Electric motorcycles are usually quite pricey. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles, e-motorcycles usually carry a few thousand dollar premium. Their long list advantages usually makes it worth it, though that still might not ease the sting of sticker shock. But if you know where to look then you’ll find a surprising number of affordable options on the market in North America. All of the electric motorcycles featured here are either already rolling on America’s roads or are expected to become available in the coming months.

And while we’re at it, let’s put terms like “low-cost” and “affordable” into perspective. In the same way that $17,000 for a bicycle is expensive while $17,000 for a house is pretty darn cheap, remember that all of these terms are relative.

So when we consider what makes a low-cost electric motorcycle affordable, we’re comparing to the current leaders of the industry, such as a $23,000 LiveWire One, a $24,000 Zero SR/F or a $26,000 Energica Experia. Considering those prices, the rest of the electric motorcycles on this list are downright budget-friendly.

$2,795 CSC City Slicker electric motorcycle

We’ll start with a bike that was actually one of my first low-cost electric motorcycles, the CSC City Slicker.

I first threw my leg over one of these bad boys in late 2018 and put about six months of riding on it. The bike hasn’t changed much, but when I reviewed the 2020 version last year it had only gotten better.

Keep in mind though that the City Slicker is true to its name — this is a city-optimized electric motorcycle. Some might even call it a scooter in the shape of a motorcycle.

It tops out at 46 mph (75 km/h), which may seem slow, but it still works great in the city. This of course isn’t an interstate vehicle – I did one exit on the freeway and considered those couple of miles as my contribution to scientific-testing. But for local riding, it’s a great little urban vehicle.

The City Slicker can ride 2-up (as my wife can confirm), puts out around 4 kW of peak power, and gets around 30 miles (50 km) of range before you have to lug its removable battery inside for charging (or leave it on the bike if you’re lucky enough to have a garage to charge in).

The dealer fees push the final price closer to $3,200, but the company ships for free all over the US from their Azusa, California, headquarters.

Micah Toll taking a spin on a CSC City Slicker electric motorcycle

And while they aren’t full motorcycles, CSC also offers a couple different seated electric scooters known as the CSC Monterey and CSC Wiz. Both are worth checking out!

If you’re into a more utility-oriented electric scooter, you’ll want to take a look at the Wiz. It’s super affordable at just $2,245.

The Wiz gets up to around 43 mph and is another perfect city commuter vehicle, especially considering it comes with an included rear cargo box.

If style is more your thing, the CSC Monterey is a beautiful scooter with styling that was stolen borrowed from the classic Honda Cub.

It’s a bit slower with a top speed of around 32 mph, but it turns heads everywhere it goes! It’s also an absolute steal at $1,945. There are plenty of electric bicycles that cost more than that!

Both the Wiz and the Monterey can seat two passengers, though you might end up a couple miles per hour short of the top speed when riding 2-up.

I reviewed the CSC Monterey (video below) and I also reviewed the CSC Wiz, so you’ll want to take a gander at those reviews to get my complete thoughts.

CSC RX1E

While we’re talking about CSC, I’ve got to mention the CSC RX1E. This adventure-looking bike is really more of an urban commuter, though it’s got the performance to hit the highways too.

I had the chance to test one near LA, and it was so much more impressive than I was expecting. I did a mix of highway and city riding, and the bike performed admirably in both cases.

There’s also more to the bike than meets the eye. I’m talking, ABS, included luggage racks, belt drive, roomy glove box in the “tank” area, and more. It’s the only one on this list with a liquid-cooled motor, which is part of what helps it hit a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) without stressing the motor too hard or overheating. It’s got a range of 112 miles (180 km) at slower speeds thanks to that 6.4 kWh battery, and it can pretty much handle any commute you can throw at it.

At its current price of $8,495 (or $7,995 with a current $500 off sale), it gets you similar performance to an entry-level Zero motorcycle but at a fraction of the price.

It’s also got that super comfortable adventure bike setup, even though it’s really more of an urban commuter. Basically, this is a pretty awesome e-moto with surprisingly good value.

Check out my video review below to see the bike in action.

Ryvid Anthem

The Ryvid Anthem might not be available yet, but it is expected to roll out this coming summer. Riders can already put down a deposit towards the $7,800 purchase price, or get to the front of the line for a Launch Edition of the bike by paying in full already.

The Ryvid Anthem is quite different from most of the bikes on this list. Not only does it have an eye-catching design, but the mechanics are just as innovative as the appearance.

ryvid anthem electric motorcycle

The frame uses a unique folded metal design, there’s a removable battery feature that lets you bring the pack inside for charging, and the bike’s seat can even be adjusted up and down by as much as 4 inches — even while riding!

The performance specs put it in classic commuter territory with a top speed in the 70’s of mph, though there’s a higher torque gearing option that drops the top speed slightly in favor of quicker acceleration.

I rode around LA for a couple days on an Anthem prototype with the company’s founder Dong Tran, which you can read about here or check out my test ride video below.

Volcon Grunt

Volcon is a brand-new electric powersports company founded late last year in Austin.

They have a couple of side-by-side electric UTVs planned for later this year and next year, but they’ll be launching their first electric motorcycle in the next few months.

The Volcon Grunt debuted at $5,999, though the price increased to $7,999 earlier this year. But there’s good news — the price is back at $5,999 for a limited time as part of a year end sale.

The Grunt is an off-road electric motorcycle sporting a top speed of 60 mph (96 km/h). Its 35 kW (50 hp) motor is quite powerful for all sorts of dirt riding, and the bike’s fat tires will feel right at home in loose terrain.

Volcon also announced a dealer expansion into Latin America, so the bike will be available south of the US border soon, too.

And if you’re looking for a Grunt for your kids, the company also created a 35 mph (56 km/h) version known as the Runt.

Huck Cycles electric mopeds

Huck Cycles builds bikes that are somewhere between mopeds and electric motorcycles. They have classic moped styling and inspiration, yet can reach speeds approaching 55 mph (99 km/h), so I’m tempted to just lump Huck’s bikes in together with other small electric motorcycles.

Huck Cycles is a North Carolina-based and veteran-owned moped company that was founded in early 2020. They build their electric mopeds locally, starting from the ground up with their own frame design.

huck cycles electric moped

Last year they moved into a larger 5,000-square-foot production facility and have been rapidly expanding production including new models like the Huck Overland and Huck Stinger.

The company highlights its customization process, which ensures that nearly no two bikes produced are the same. Depending on how you outfit the various models, prices range from around $6,000 to $8,500 or more.

ONYX RCR

The ONYX RCR is another electric moped that qualifies as an electric motorcycle thanks to its 60 mph (96 km/h) top speed.

The bike takes on a distinctly retro vibe and incorporates genuine wood panels into its design.

I had the chance to visit ONYX’s southern California factory where they assemble the bikes. There I witnessed the build process in action and had the opportunity to do some fun canyon road riding, which you can see in the video below.

Recent updates to the design added even more range and a whole host of fancy new features and components. For around $5,700 (or a current sale at $5,400), it’s worth a look!

Zero FXE

The Zero FXE replaced my previous favorite of Zero’s budget lineup, the FXS. The FXE comes with a new body design but incorporates much of what we knew and loved in the FXS. It may be one of the most expensive bikes on this list at $13,000, but it’s worth a look.

The Zero FXE is fully highway-capable with a top speed of around 85 mph (137 km/h).

In my experience it likes to sit closer to the mid 70s when cruising, but it can do that top speed if you really punch it. The bike is something of a supermoto mashed together with a commuter bike, and that makes it great for more than just cruising around town. You can do some light trail riding on it (which I did on its FXS ancestor), though you’ll want the more off-road optimized FX if you want to get really down and dirty.

The bike has a modest 7.2 kWh battery giving it a city range of 100 miles (160 km) and a mixed range of 75 miles (121 km). Cruise a constant 70 mph though and you’ll be lucky to get 40 miles (64 km) of range, so don’t expect this to be a great touring bike. But as a commuter motorcycle that can ride in the left lane for short jaunts, that range isn’t so bad. Again, that’s viewing it under the lens of riding to work – not canyon carving.

You can check out my test ride on an FXE here, or watch the video below.

Kollter ES1

Kollter is a fairly entrant to the US but offers a few interesting models, chief among them being the ES1.

I had the chance to test this one out too and you can read about the full test ride experience here.

The bike actually has some slightly Zero FXE-ish knock-off vibes, though at an obviously lower price. The ES1 Pro carries an MSRP of $6,995. There’s also an off-road model that offers more FX-ish vibes.

With 70+ mph speeds, the Kollter ES1 can hang out on the highway, though it may be limited to the right lane depending on the scenario.

It doesn’t have quite as nice styling as the bikes it imitates, but it has great value for an around the town e-moto that is fast enough for short hops on the highway.

Just don’t spend too long on the highway or your range will suffer. The bike comes with a city range rating of 65 miles (105 km), so you can imagine how short the highway range must be.

Check out my video review of the Kollter ES1 Pro below.

If you’re a fan of electric motorcycles then you’ve surely heard of the SONDORS Metacycle by now.

The bike made waves upon its announcement in early 2021 and its bombshell low price of just $5,000. The price has since been increased to $6,500, but that still keeps it in the low-cost end of the electric motorcycle pricing spectrum.

The low price doesn’t mean low performance. SONDORS says the bike will offer an 80 mph (130 km/h) top speed and 80 mile (130 km) range, though in my testing I found that the top speed is reachable only when engaging a turbo boost button, and max cruising speed is closer to 60-70 mph (96-112 km/h).

Even so, it’s a great ride for around the city or short hops on the highway. I had it up to max speed on California highways during my test ride and it felt just as good at the top end as it did at the bottom end. But with a smaller 4 kWh battery, it’s a good idea not to ride too fast for too long or you’ll be looking for a charging outlet quickly.

A range test performed by the company put the real-world range when measured at higher speeds at closer to 60 miles, though many early owners have reported much lower ranges at high speed.

sondors metacycle electric motorcycle

Any way you slice it, the 4,000 Wh battery pack isn’t terribly large, but is also bigger than most small-format electric motorcycles like the CSC City Slicker. And an expected 3 kWh auxiliary battery will be provided as an option to fill that negative space in the frame, offering more range. A storage compartment and a Level 2 charger will also be made available as accessory plugs for the frame window. There’s no estimated delivery date for those accessories though, so don’t think you’ll be able to add them in the next few weeks.

You can check out my test ride article on the Metacycle, or watch my video below.

NIU NGT electric scooter

I’m not sure if this one technically belongs in this list since it’s a scooter, but this is my article, so screw it!

I just reviewed the NIU NGT and this is one awesome smart scooter. The 3,500 kW peak-rated Bosch hub motor gives the bike 125cc-ish performance and tops out at just shy of 80 km/h (50 mph).

The electric scooter also comes with one of the best phone apps I’ve seen, giving you tons of information about your scooter remotely, plus offering GPS tracking and anti-theft features.

The pair of 2.1 kWh batteries provide a stated range of 140 km (87 mi), though in highest power mode, I end up getting more like 100 km (62 mi) of range.

All in all this is a great option if you’re looking for something more utilitarian in the scooter format. Priced at around $4,500 in the US, it costs more than some e-scooters but also offers a nicer package with more features and definitely more range. Though if you don’t need 60-80 miles of range for city commutes, there are lower range versions that cost significantly less.

More to come!

There you have it, the current best options in the US for low-cost electric motorcycles.

We had expected to see entries of other low-cost Asian electric motorcycles into the market in 2022, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the coming wave of motorcycles from China, such as the Sur Ron Storm Bee and VOGE ER10.

Even so, 2023 could be a big year for entries from even more local startups as well as new Asian imports arriving on American shores.

Are there any other electric motorcycles you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Why OPEC+ is accelerating oil production as prices are tanking and tariffs hammer markets

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Why OPEC+ is accelerating oil production as prices are tanking and tariffs hammer markets

The Phillips 66 Company’s Los Angeles Refinery in California.

Bing Guan | Reuters

The oil price outlook is being hit with more bearish forecasts on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping and market-hammering tariff announcements. Businesses and investors worry that a trade war and lower global growth lies ahead.

Goldman Sachs on Thursday reduced its December 2025 forecasts for global and U.S. benchmarks Brent crude and WTI by $5 to $66 and $62 a barrel, respectively, “because the two key downside risks we have flagged are realizing, namely tariff escalation and somewhat higher OPEC+ supply.”

The bank also cut its forecasts for the oil benchmarks in 2025 and 2026, adding that “we no longer forecast a price range, because price volatility is likely to stay elevated on higher recession risk.” Analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence predict that in a worst-case scenario, global oil demand growth could be slashed by 500,000 barrels per day.

OPEC is still holding a lot of the cards, energy analyst says

JPMorgan, for its part, raised its recession odds for the global economy to 60% for this year, up from a previous forecast of 40%.

Markets were therefore stunned when OPEC, which produces about 40% of the world’s crude oil — along with its non-OPEC allies that together comprise OPEC+ — chose not only to go ahead with its previously held plans to increase oil production, but also to nearly triple the expected increase figure.

Eight key OPEC+ producers on Thursday agreed to raise combined crude oil output by 411,000 barrels per day, speeding up the pace of their scheduled hikes and pushing down oil prices. The group — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman — was widely expected to implement an increase of just under 140,000 barrels per day next month. 

The news pushed oil prices 6% lower. 

OPEC+ bullishness and appeasing Trump

RBC’s Helima Croft on eight key OPEC+ producers raising combined crude oil output

The statement added that “the gradual increases may be paused or reversed subject to evolving market conditions.”

Another likely reason for the group’s move has to do with another T-word: the man in the White House, who during his first term in office and from the very start of his second, has loudly demanded that the oil producer group pump more crude to help bring down prices for Americans. 

“First of all, this is partly about appeasing Trump,” Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Friday. 

“Trump will be putting pressure on OPEC to reduce oil prices, which reduces global energy prices, to help offset the inflationary impact of his tariffs.”

OPEC officials have denied that the move was made to appease Trump. 

Compliance and market share

Meanwhile, as compliance is a major issue for OPEC+ — with countries overproducing crude beyond their quotas, complicating the group’s efforts to control how much supply it allows into the market — the move could be a way to enforce that, according to Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy and MENA research at RBC Capital Markets.

“We think a desire by the OPEC leadership to send a warning signal to Kazakhstan, Iraq, and even Russia about the cost of continued overproduction underlies the decision.”

Helima Croft

head of global commodity strategy and MENA research at RBC Capital Markets

What happens next?

OPEC+ appears confident about the market turning a corner in the coming months on the assumption that oil demand will increase in the summer and the tariff wars will be resolved in the coming months, said Nader Itayim, editorial manager at Argus Media.

“These countries are largely comfortable with the $70, $75 per barrel band,” Itayim said.

We'll be lucky to get one rate cut from the Fed in 2025, Allianz's Mohamed El-Erian says

What comes next depends on the trajectory of the tariffs and a potential trade war. Oil dropping into the $60 range could force pauses or even a reversal in OPEC+ production increase plans, analysts say – although that is likely to be met with resistance from countries like Iraq and Kazakhstan that have long been itching to increase their oil production for their own revenues. 

Whatever happens, the group maintains the flexibility to adapt its plans month by month, Itayim noted. 

“If things don’t quite go the way they imagine, all it does take, really, is a phone call.”

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Tesla Semi suffers more delays and ‘dramatic’ price increase

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Tesla Semi suffers more delays and 'dramatic' price increase

According to a Tesla Semi customer, the electric truck program is suffering more delays and a price increase that is described as “dramatic.”

Tesla Semi has seen many delays, more than any other vehicle program at Tesla.

It was initially unveiled in 2017, and CEO Elon Musk claimed that it would go into production in 2019.

In late 2022, Tesla held an event where it unveiled the “production version” of the Tesla Semi and delivered the first few units to a “customer-partner”: PepsiCo.

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Tesla Semi PepsiCo truck u/Tutrifor
Tesla Semi Image credit: u/Tutrifor

More than 3 years later, the vehicle never went into volume production. Instead, Tesla only ran a very low volume pilot production at a factory in Nevada and only delivered a few dozen trucks to customers as part of test programs.

But Tesla promised that things would finally happen for the Tesla Semi this year.

Tesla has been building a new high-volume production factory specifically for the Tesla Semi program in a new building next to Gigafactory Nevada.

The goal was to start production in 2025, start customer deliveries, and ramp up to 50,000 trucks yearly.

Now, Ryder, a large transportation company and early customer-partner in Tesla’s semi truck program, is talking about further delays. The company also refers to a significant price increase.

California’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) awarded Ryder funding for a project to deploy Tesla Semi trucks and Megachargers at two of its facilities in the state.

Ryder had previously asked for extensions amid the delays in the Tesla Semi program.

In a new letter sent to MSRC last week and obtained by Electrek, Ryder asked the agency for another 28-month delay. The letter references delays in “Tesla product design, vehicle production” and it mentions “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics”:

This extension is needed due to delays in Tesla product design, vehicle production and dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics. These delays have caused us to reevaluate the current Ryder fleet in the area.

The logistics company now says it plans to “deploy 18 Tesla Semi vehicles by June 2026.”

The reference to “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics” points to a significant price increase for the Tesla Semi, which further communication with MSRC confirms.

In the agenda of a meeting to discuss the extension and changes to the project yesterday, MSRC confirms that the project went from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks while the project commitment is not changing:

Ryder has indicated that their electric tractor manufacturer partner, Tesla, has experienced continued delays in product design and production. There have also been dramatic changes to the product economics. Ryder requests to reduce the number of vehicles from 42 to 18, stating that this would maintain their $7.5 million private match commitment.

In addition to the electric trucks, the project originally involved installing two integrated power centers and four Tesla Megachargers, split between two locations. Ryder is also looking to now install 3 Megachargers per location for a total of 6 instead of 4.

Tesla Semi Megacharger hero

The project changes also mention that “Ryder states that Tesla now requires 600kW chargers rather than the 750kW units originally engineered.”

Tesla Semi Price

When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.

However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2023. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.

New diesel-powered Class 8 semi trucks in the US today often range between $150,000 and $220,000.

The combination of a reasonable purchase price and low operation costs, thanks to cheaper electric rates than diesel, made the Tesla Semi a potentially revolutionary product to reduce the overall costs of operation in trucking while reducing emissions.

However, Ryder now points to a “dramatic” price increase for the Tesla Semi.

What is the cost of a Tesla Semi electric truck now?

Electrek’s Take

As I have often stated, Tesla Semi is the vehicle program I am most excited about at Tesla right now.

If Tesla can produce class 8 trucks capable of moving cargo of similar weight as diesel trucks over 500 miles on a single charge in high volume at a reasonable price point, they have a revolutionary product on their hands.

But the reasonable price part is now being questioned.

After reading the communications between Ryder and MSRC, while not clear, it looks like the program could be interpreted as MSRC covering the costs of installing the charging stations while Ryder committed $7.5 million to buying the trucks.

The math makes sense for the original funding request since $7.5 million divided by 42 trucks results in around $180,000 per truck — what Tesla first quoted for the 500-mile Tesla Semi truck.

Now, with just 18 trucks, it would point to a price of $415,000 per Tesla Semi truck. It’s possible that some of Ryder’s commitment could also go to an increase in Megacharger prices – either per charger or due to the two additional chargers. MSRC said that they don’t give more money when prices go up after an extension.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the 500-mile Tesla Semi ends up costing $350,000 to $400,000.

If that’s the case, Tesla Semi is impressive, but it won’t be the revolutionary product that will change the trucking industry.

It will need to be closer to $250,000-$300,000 to have a significant impact, which is not impossible with higher-volume production but would be difficult.

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BP chair Helge Lund to step down after oil major pledges strategic reset

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BP chair Helge Lund to step down after oil major pledges strategic reset

British oil and gasoline company BP (British Petroleum) signage is being pictured in Warsaw, Poland, on July 29, 2024.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

British oil major BP on Friday said its chair Helge Lund will soon step down, kickstarting a succession process shortly after the company launched a fundamental strategic reset.

“Having fundamentally reset our strategy, bp’s focus now is on delivering the strategy at pace, improving performance and growing shareholder value,” Lund said in a statement.

“Now is the right time to start the process to find my successor and enable an orderly and seamless handover,” he added.

Lund is expected to step down in 2026. BP said the succession process will be led by Amanda Blanc in her capacity as senior independent director.

Shares of BP traded 2.2% lower on Friday morning. The London-listed firm has lagged its industry rivals in recent years.

BP announced in February that it plans to ramp up annual oil and gas investment to $10 billion through 2027 and slash spending on renewables as part of its new strategic direction.

Analysts have broadly welcomed BP’s renewed focus on hydrocarbons, although the beleaguered energy giant remains under significant pressure from activist investors.

U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management has built a stake of around 5% to become one of BP’s largest shareholders, according to Reuters.

Activist investor Follow This, meanwhile, recently pushed for investors to vote against Lund’s reappointment as chair at BP’s April 17 shareholder meeting in protest over the firm’s recent strategy U-turn.

Lund had previously backed BP’s 2020 strategy, when Bernard Looney was CEO, to boost investment in renewables and cut production of oil and gas by 40% by 2030.

BP CEO Murray Auchincloss, who took the helm on a permanent basis in January last year, is under significant pressure to reassure investors that the company is on the right track to improve its financial performance.

‘A more clearly defined break’

“Elliott continues to press BP for a sharper, more clearly defined break with the strategy to pivot more quickly toward renewables, that was outlined by Bernard Looney when he was CEO,” Russ Mould, AJ Bell’s investment director, told CNBC via email on Friday.

“Mr Lund was chair then and so he is firmly associated with that plan, which current boss Murray Auchincloss is refining,” he added.

Mould said activist campaigns tend to have “fairly classic thrusts,” such as a change in management or governance, higher shareholder distributions, an overhaul of corporate structure and operational improvements.

“In BP’s case, we now have a shift in capital allocation and a change in management, so it will be interesting to see if this appeases Elliott, though it would be no surprise if it feels more can and should be done,” Mould said.

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