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CAKE has just unveiled its latest heavy duty electric two-wheeler at CES 2023. But unlike the company’s electric motorcycles and scooters that came before it, the CAKE Åik is an electric bicycle complete with pedals. But don’t think that this e-bike isn’t ready for some hard work.

This isn’t your typical electric bike. It’s part of CAKE’s “:Work” line of heavy-hauling utility vehicles on two wheels.

The CAKE Åik is similar in concept to the CAKE Ösa electric motorcycle that has been described as a “workbench on wheels” thanks to its highly modular work platform. And just like the Ösa, it’s another model that I’ll have to hunt around my keyboard to be able to type each time.

The Åik may be a street-legal electric bicycle, but it’s like no e-bike we’ve covered before. That’s because it’s actually built for heavy duty utility and work jobs.

The aluminum frame is designed to be ultra modular to fit a wide range of utility accessories. The bike comes with an impressive gross vehicle weight rating of 441 lbs (200 kg). Subtracting out the 78 lb (35.5 kg) weight of the bike and a single battery, that still leaves 363 lbs (165 kg) of cargo capacity.

You might want to use some of that extra capacity to mount a couple spare 12 pound (5.5 kg) batteries. A single battery offers a range of up to 74.5 miles (220 km), but the Åik can actually support three batteries (sold separately) that boost the range up to 223 miles (359 km) on pedal assist. The 750 Wh batteries use 21700-size cells and also function as powerbanks that can be used to power devices and tools.

CAKE Åik AIK electric bike

Throttling around instead of helping pedal will certainly net you less range than that lofty 223 mile figure, but with 2.25 kWh of battery you’re still looking at all day operation.

If you do choose to ride by throttle assist, you’ll be able to hit a maximum speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) without your feet doing any work. The top speed without electric assist? That’s listed as “as fast as you can pedal.”

The drivetrain uses a 1,000W peak mid-drive motor with a nominal rating of 500W and a 100 Nm torque rating. It is paired with a chain drive but is belt drive compatible. All the press photos show a belt drive, and that seems to be the nicer choice.

Both the belt and chain drives dump the motor’s power into an Enviolo Extreme CVP hub that functions as a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It includes automatic shifting, meaning riders can enjoy the smoothness and low-maintenance of a belt drive while still getting effortless shifting. It also means that the bike can shift at a standstill, which is useful for cargo e-bikes that carry heavy loads.

The CAKE Åik rolls on 20″ x 3.0″ tires and features Tektro Auriga four-piston hydraulic disc brakes on large 203 x 2.3 mm rotors. There’s no suspension to be seen, so those 3-inch tires are going to be doing the brunt of the shock absorption.

The frame is a single size step-thru model that is recommended for rider heights from 150-195 cm (4’11” to 6’5″), so basically everyone.

The bike features a USB-C charging port to power your personal electronics and includes surround LED lighting.

For connectivity, the CAKE Åik features a telematics unit with GPS, Bluetooth, and GSM connections that is compatible with the Cake App, Cake Fleet Management App, and external API integration. To keep the bike yours, anti-theft features include a GPS-activated alarm and tracking, as well as security screws for both wheels and an anti-theft seat clamp so no one walks off with your saddle.

If you’re thinking, “Well this looks great, but surely it’s expensive,” then you don’t even know the half of it. The CAKE Åik starts at a healthy US $6,470 with a single battery and without the extra “:Work” series accessories. Extra batteries cost US $780 each, plus another couple hundred bucks for the docks and wiring to run them in parallel (though you could also just swap them in one at a time).

If that seems pricey, well, it is. But it’s also probably not meant for you. CAKE is largely targeting commercial customers with its “:Work” line, as the company’s CEO Stefan Ytterborn explained:

With Åik joining the :work series lineup, we’re now offering a complete assortment of electric two-wheeled solutions for any business in need of a transportation solution. Our range is optimized for artisanal needs, from the fastest deliveries in town through to surveillance work in the backcountry.

CAKE Åik AIK electric bike

Electrek’s Take

It’s great to see CAKE expanding its product line so widely, from full motorcycles to mopeds to kids e-bikes and now adult utility e-bikes. But hot damn is that an expensive bike!

Sure, you’ve got that European design and manufacturing. But where is the rest of that cost coming from? They saved a few bucks with the lack of suspension, though I can see the argument that a rigid frame will be much more durable over the years.

Price tag aside, it really does look like a great bike. For a business that uses a vehicle for eight hours a day, five days a week and 52 weeks a year, a high quality e-bike is necessary to withstand that kind of punishment. It’s like the difference between the truck your neighbor bought to do grocery shopping and the truck a towing company buys.

Without seeing the Åik in person yet or testing it myself, I can’t say for sure that it’s built to that level. But that certainly seems like the target CAKE is aiming for here. Here’s to hoping they put one under me so I can give it a test. Perhaps I need to sign myself up for DoorDash soon…

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Tesla hires celebrity ambassador despite Elon Musk saying they don’t pay for endorsements

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Tesla hires celebrity ambassador despite Elon Musk saying they don't pay for endorsements

Tesla has hired a celebrity ambassador, a departure from Elon Musk’s policy of not paying for celebrity endorsements.

Musk has often bragged about the fact that Tesla doesn’t pay for celebrity endorsements in contrast to other automakers who hire celebrity brand ambassadors to promote their cars.

Much like advertising, Musk seems to be abandoning this strategy.

Tesla announced that it hired Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji, whose performance at the Paris Olympics this summer went viral, to be the automaker’s brand ambassador in Korea.

Kim said about her new partnership with Tesla:

I’m very excited to work with Tesla, who have recognized me. I hope to convey a positive message together with Tesla.”

Here are a few pictures released to announce her new partnership with Tesla:

Kim’s agency said that her relationship with Tesla started from CEO Elon Musk tweeting about her viral performance at the Olympics:

“The relationship between Kim Ye-ji and Tesla developed after Elon Musk mentioned her. The company said that Kim is Tesla Korea’s first brand ambassador.”

She is not only Tesla Korea’s first ambassador, but she is the first known paid celebrity ambassador for Tesla globally.

The policy change is not entirely surprising since the policy of Musk not paying celebrities to endorse Tesla’s products was often attached to the automaker’s strategy not to advertise.

Musk went as far as to say that he “hates advertising,” and Tesla started advertising last year.

The change in strategy coincidently, or not, came after Musk bought Twitter, a company relying on advertising, and Tesla even started to advertise on Twitter, now called X.

Tesla sales in Korea haven’t been amazing, but the country’s auto market greatly favors domestic brands. The American automaker does fairly well for a foreign brand with the Model Y becoming the best-selling imported vehicle in Korea during the first half of 2024.

Although, it amounted to just over 10,000 units.

Electrek’s Take

It’s a change of strategy, and Elon certainly can’t claim that Tesla doesn’t pay for celebrities to endorse its products, but it is probably a smart move due to the fact that Koreans prefer domestic brands.

Kim could help create a deeper level of attachment to the Tesla brand, but I don’t really know. I’m just speculating.

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Kia smashes US sales record again in October with surging demand for EVs

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Kia smashes US sales record again in October with surging demand for EVs

Kia just broke its October sales record as its impressive US sales run continues. After another record-breaking month, Kia said the growth is fueled by “strong demand” for its electric vehicles.

Kia sets new October sales record in the US

Kia sold 69,908 vehicles in the US last month, up 16% from its previous October sales record in 2023.

According to Kia, higher demand for its electric models is charging up sales in the US. Kia’s electrified sales (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs) reached its highest ever in October.

All-electric vehicles (EVs) led the way, with sales surging 70% year-over-year (YOY). Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV) sales were up 65% and 49%, respectively, from October 2023.

Kia’s first dedicated electric model, the EV6, set a new October sales record with 1,941 units sold. Through the first ten months of 2024, Kia has now sold over 17,700 EV6 models in the US. Meanwhile, its first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, continues to defy expectations.

With another 1,941 models sold last month, Kia EV9 sales reached 17,911 through October. That’s even more than the EV6 despite costing +$12,000 more.

Kia-sales-record-October
2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line (Source: Kia)

Kia’s first US-made EV9 rolled out of its West Point, GA plant this summer. Although the EV9 is expected to qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit next year, Kia is matching it for now through incentives.

Next year, we will also finally see the EV9 GT, which Kia promises will have “enormous power.” Ahead of its official debut, we got our first look at the sporty electric SUV with an active spoiler last month.

2025 Kia EV9 Trim Starting Price*
Light Standard Range $54,900
Light Long Range $59,900
Wind $63,900
Land $69,900
GT-Line $73,900
2025 Kia EV9 price by trim (*excluding $1,325 destination fee)

Earlier this month, we learned that the 2025 EV9 will start at $54,900 (not including the destination fee), which is only $700 more than the 2024 model.

With prices dropping to potentially under $50,000, Kia’s three-row electric SUV is a steal. If you’re ready to experience the EV9 for yourself, we can help you get started. You can use our links below to view deals on Kia’s electric vehicles in your area.

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Exxon CEO on U.S. election: ‘Not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy’

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Exxon CEO on U.S. election: 'Not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy'

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods on Q3 results: Company transformation is beginning to manifest itself

The outcome of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 won’t affect oil production levels in the short- to medium term, Exxon CEO Darren Woods told CNBC on Friday.

Former President Donald Trump has called for unconstrained oil and gas production to lower energy prices and fight inflation, boiling his energy policy down to three words on the campaign trail: “Drill, baby, drill.”

“I’m not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy,” Woods told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday after the largest U.S. oil and gas company reported third-quarter results.

Woods said U.S. shale production does not face constraints from “external restrictions.” The U.S. has produced record amounts of oil and gas during the Biden administration.

Over the past six years, the U.S. has produced more crude oil than any other nation in history, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Output in the U.S. is driven by the oil and gas industry deploying technology and investment to generate shareholder returns based on the break-even cost of production, the CEO said.

“Certainly we wouldn’t see a change based on a political change but more on an economic environment,” Woods said. “I don’t think there’s anybody out there that’s developing a business strategy to respond to a political agenda,” he said.

While shale production has not faced constraints on developing new acreage, there are resources in areas like the Gulf of Mexico that have not opened up due to federal permitting, the CEO said.

“That could, for the longer term, open up potential sources of supply,” Wood said. In the short- to medium term, however, unconventional shale resources are available and it’s just a matter of developing them based on market dynamics, he said.

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Exxon Mobil shares in 2024.

The vast majority of shale resources in the U.S. are on private land and regulated at the state level, according to an August note from Morgan Stanley. About 25% of oil and 10% of natural gas is produced on federal land and waters subject to permitting, according to Morgan Stanley.

Vice President Kamala Harris opposed fracking during her bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She has since reversed that position in an effort to shore up support in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, where the natural gas industry is important for the state’s economy.

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