Lectric eBikes fully reveals $1,499 XP Trike as latest salvo in the e-trike wars
Lectric eBikes, the Phoenix-based electric bike maker that is known for its ultralow prices, has done it again with a new budget-friendly e-bike. This time the company rolled out an electric tricycle known as the Lectric XP Trike at far below the going market rates. But how did they do it, and what makes their e-trike so affordable? Let’s check it out.
Lectric’s CEO Levi Conlow teased the Lectric XP Trike earlier this week, but now we’ve finally gotten the complete rundown of specs.
The trike features a 500-watt rear motor with a peak power rating of 1,092 watts. It is mounted on a central jackshaft at the rear of the trike to drive the two rear wheels through a differential axle, allowing two-wheel drive. The motor itself is a hub motor, though it is implemented more like a mid-drive motor.
A cursory look at the trike shows that it’s actually quite similar to Lectric’s already quite popular $999 Lectric XP 3.0 folding e-bike. You could almost say it’s a very similar bike, yet with a larger battery, hydraulic brakes, and an extra wheel.
In fact, it sort of has two extra wheels, in the sense that the rear end is similar to a trike conversion style setup that allows the front of a more typical e-bike to be combined with a trike assembly in the rear. That likely helped expedite the design process and allowed Lectric to quickly bring an electric trike to market after the last major e-trike launch, the RadTrike from Rad Power Bikes. Sticking with more standard parts that could be adapted into a three-wheeler also helped Lectric keep the cost down while maintaining a similar strategy to the Lectric XP 3.0 e-bike.
It’s a different design but one that still follows Lectric’s playbook, as the company explained:
We took our award-winning XP series e-bikes and added a bigger battery, hydraulic brakes, and a third wheel to create the industry’s first fully foldable and fully-assembled electric tricycle. This 65 lb three-wheeler is purposefully designed with convenience and fun top of mind.
At just 65 pounds (29.5 kilograms), the Lectric XP Trike’s folding frame will be a manageable lift for many people.
The frame folds in both the center and at the handlebars to fit into tight places. That handlebar folding mechanism will likely be the most useful for lowering the height of the trike to fit in SUVs and other rear-opening vehicles, though the center fold may help the smaller bundle fit into tighter closets, etc.
Folding also allows the electric trike to arrive fully assembled, meaning riders simply need to unfold it, inspect the bike and ride.
The electric three-wheeler is powered by a 48V and 14Ah battery with 672 Wh of capacity. Lectric claims that riders can travel as far as 50 miles (80 kilometers) on a single charge, though that high efficiency is likely helped by the slower 14 mph (22 km/h) top speed. A slower top speed might sound like a downer, but it is an important safety consideration for three-wheelers that can feel tippy at higher speeds.
It’s hard to say how wide the rear wheels are set on the Lectric XP Trike, but narrower wheels can compound the tipping feeling, making it important to keep speeds reasonable. Don’t expect to fly at 20-28 mph (32-45 km/h) like the rest of Lectric’s e-bikes! But at least you have both pedal assist (5 levels) and throttle to choose from.
To bring you down from top speed, the XP Trike has hydraulic disc braking and also includes a parking brake to prevent the trike from rolling away when parked on an incline. Hydraulic disc brakes are normally seen on faster and more expensive e-bikes, but the XP Trike’s massive weight capacity of 450 pounds (204 kilograms) means that it will likely need to make full use of those powerful hydraulic stoppers when fully loaded. Fortunately, the motor is rated for a peppy 65 Nm of torque to help get that weight rolling when filled to the max.
Features like the included parking brake and a new upgradable two-part seat with back rest are news to us since the teaser was shared earlier this week.
The trike rolls on a trio of 20″x 2.6″ tires that provide slightly more cushioning than most narrower street tires, perhaps offering a bit more off-road readiness than a purely urban e-bike, but not nearly as much as that provided by larger fat tires.
Since most riders will surely stick to manicured paths, the tire size is likely appropriate for the target market.
The introductory price of $1,499 will include a cargo package consisting of a front and rear basket, though it looks like that might just be a promotion for the launch. Pre-orders will open on February 17, with the XP Trike expected to begin shipping in April.
Electrek’s Take
Wow, you can’t help but be blown away by the price here.
I’m also glad to see that the company has an upgradeable saddle and a parking brake since those were two things that appeared to be missing to me when I first saw the teaser earlier this week. The included rear cargo basket also adds a ton of value to this already value-packed deal.
I definitely hope the XP Trike can live up to its wildly high weight rating of 450 pounds (204 kilograms). I imagine the company had to test at well over that amount to be able to claim that number, but it just seems quite high.
The biggest difference between this e-trike and the more expensive e-trikes is that it looks like they started with a similar base to their XP 3.0 bike instead of redesigning a ground-up trike. That’s definitely a quick way to get to a viable product and keep costs down, but I’ll certainly want to test this one out myself to see how it handles. Trikes can feel tippy when the weight is higher up, and the rear wheels aren’t very wide, so I’ll be curious to see how it feels in the rear and how stable the trike is. The wheels are only 2 inches taller than on a RadTrike, but the cargo seems to be higher also.
I might have liked to see some suspension or a multispeed drivetrain instead of the single speed, but it’s hard to complain about leaving too much off when the price is this low. And at these slow speeds, I can get by with both no suspension and a single-gear ratio.
There’s no denying it – the XP Trike brings affordable electric tricycles to folks that can’t afford several thousands of dollars for the higher-end e-trikes. And it does it with some good components thrown in too. The last thing a retiree wants to be doing is spending time on their hands and knees adjusting mechanical brakes, so seeing components like hydraulic disc brakes makes me very happy. I am curious to see how they implemented a parking brake, though, since those can be tricky on hydraulic brake setups.
Here’s looking forward to hopefully trying one of these soon to see how it stacks up to other e-trikes I’ve tested, like the RadTrike.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
A federal court judge in Michigan has placed the once-promising electric truck brand Bollinger Motors’ assets into receivership following claims that the company’s owners still owe its founder, Robert Bollinger, more than $10 million.
Bollinger Motors first came to fame in the “draw a truck, get a billion dollars” stage of the EV revolution that saw Nikola rise to a higher market cap than Ford for a brief time. Robert Bollinger wasn’t able to capitalize quickly enough to get his trucks into production, though – and a late stage pivot to sell the brand to Mullen Automotive and launch a medium-duty commercial truck doesn’t appear to have been enough to save it.
Now, Automotive News is reporting on some of the more convoluted details of the Mullen purchase deal, with Robert (for ease of distinguishing the man from the brand) claiming that Mullen Automotive owes him more than $10 million for a loan he made to the company in 2024.
Just how Robert ended up giving Mullen Automotive $10 million to take his eponymous truck brand off his hands is probably one of those capitalistic mysteries that I’ll never understand, but Mullen’s response was perfectly clear: they didn’t even bother to show up to court.
Bollinger claims that at least two suppliers are also suing Mullen for unpaid debts. As such, the Honorable Terrence G. Berg has put the Bollinger brand into receivership, and its assets have been frozen in preparation for everything being liquidated. Worse, for Bollinger, the official court filings reveal a company that is really very much doing not awesome:
The testimony and evidence—which Defendant’s counsel conceded accurately reflected Defendant’s finances—showed that Defendant is in crisis. For months Defendant has owed more than twenty million dollars to suppliers, contractors, service providers, and owners of physical space. These debts are owed to parties who are critical for Defendant’s functioning. CEO Bryan Chambers testified that Defendant was locked out of its production facilities on May 5, 2025, and that the owner of the production facilities was seeking to permanently evict Defendant. The Court heard that Defendant had been prevented from accessing its critical manufacturing accounting system for a short time at the end of April 2025, before making a partial payment to restart services.
US DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
I’m not sure if you caught all that, but Bollinger’s CEO has been locked out the company’s facilities and getting evicted, the company is more than $20 million in debt, and that debt is owed to people Bollinger absolutely needs in order to keep going.
You can read the full court decision, which I’ve embedded here, below. Once you’ve taken it all in, feel free to rush into the comments to say you told me so, since I really thought hoped the Bollinger B1 had a shot. Silly me.
Bollinger v. Bollinger case
SOURCES: Automotive News, Justia, Yahoo!.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Mammoth Solar, a 1.3 gigawatt (GW) solar farm in northern Indiana, is now powering into its biggest construction phase yet, cementing its place as one of the largest solar projects in the US.
The solar farm is set to increase Indiana’s solar capacity by more than 20% once it’s fully online. And with construction ramping up this month, developer Doral Renewables has given Bechtel Full Notice to Proceed on the design, engineering, and construction of three major phases of the project: Mammoth South, Mammoth Central I, and Mammoth Central II. Together, these phases will generate 900 MW of clean energy.
That’s enough electricity to power around 200,000 homes with clean energy, helping Indiana shift away from fossil fuels while boosting the local economy.
Construction is already underway, and over the next two years, Bechtel will install around 2 million solar panels, with about half of them made in the US. The company is also handling all engineering, procurement, and construction work, using its digital project management tools and autonomous tech to keep everything on track.
At the peak of the buildout, Mammoth Solar is expected to create over 1,200 jobs, with at least 15% of those set aside for apprenticeships.
Bechtel says its success will hinge on strong collaboration with local trades and vendors. The company is working closely with craft professionals and is committed to being a reliable community partner throughout construction.
Once the solar farm is complete in 2027, Doral Renewables plans to roll out agrivoltaics across the site. That means livestock grazing and crop cultivation will happen right alongside energy production, giving farmers in the area a way to keep working their land while supporting clean energy development.
Read more: Solar adds more new capacity to the US grid in 2024 than any energy source in 20 years
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
BYD is about to launch an even smaller EV, but this one’s a little different. It’s BYD’s first kei car. You know, those tiny vehicles that dominate Japan’s city streets? BYD’s mini EV was just spotted out in public, giving us our first real look at the upcoming kei car.
BYD’s first mini EV was spotted in public
Last week, rumors surfaced that BYD was developing its first kei car, which would compete with top-selling models from Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, and other Japanese brands.
Kei cars, or “K-Car,” as they are sometimes called, are a class of ultra-compact vehicles that cannot be longer than 3.4 meters (134″). To put that into perspective, BYD’s smallest EV currently, the Seagull (called the Dolphin Mini overseas), is 3,780 mm (148.8″) long.
The mini vehicles are ideal in Japan because they are so small, making it easy to get around tight city streets. They are also more affordable and efficient than larger vehicles.
BYD’s mini EV was spotted for the first time during a road test this week by IT Home (via CarNewsChina), revealing a familiar look. It has that boxy, compact look of a typical kei car with sliding side doors.
According to reports, BYD is developing a new platform for the model. It will reportedly include a 20 kWh battery, good for 180 km (112 miles) WLTC range. By using its in-house Blade LFP batteries, BYD is expected to have a cost advantage.
BYD’s upcoming mini EV is expected to start at around 2.5 million yen, or about $18,000. That’s about the same as the Nissan Sakura (2.59 million yen), Japan’s best-selling EV last year.
既出ですがBYDの日本向けEV軽自動車と言われているフロントとリアからのスパイショット。 pic.twitter.com/CcV5pihpWc
— 主夫まぬか (@syufumanuka) May 16, 2025
Last year, around 1.55 million kei cars were sold in Japan, accounting for roughly 40% of new vehicle sales. Honda’s N-Box was the top-selling kei car (EV or gas) for the third straight year.
As Nikkei reported, some are already calling BYD’s electric kei car “a huge threat.” A Suzuki dealer said, “Young people do not have a negative view of BYD. It would be a huge threat if the company launches cheap models in Japan.”
BYD already sells several electric cars in Japan, including the Atto 3 SUV, Dolphin, and Seal. Last month, the company launched the new Sealion 7 midsize electric SUV, starting at 4.95 million yen ($34,500).
Although Japan isn’t really an EV hot spot, with sales falling 33% in 2024 to just under 60,000 units, BYD sees an opportunity.
By making virtually every car component in-house, including batteries, BYD can offer EVs at such low prices while still making a profit. BYD’s cheapest and best-selling electric car, the Seagull, starts at under $10,000 (69,800 yuan) in China.
With new smart driving and charging tech rolling out, BYD’s electric cars are getting smarter and even more efficient.
Can BYD’s mini EV compete with Japanese brands? At the right price, it may have a chance. Check back soon for more on the upcoming kei car. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest.
Source: Sina, CarNewsChina
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway