Aventon significantly expanded its market reach when the company rolled out its first Aventure e-bike in 2021. Now the brand has updated the hot-selling e-bike with key upgrades. And of course we made sure to get an early look at the bike to tell you exactly how it looks, feels, and rides. Check out my complete review of the Aventon Aventure.2 below.
The e-bike includes a number of upgrades, but perhaps the most important is the inclusion of a new torque sensor.
For those that have had the pleasure of riding an e-bike with a well-designed torque sensor, you’ll know that it seriously improves the riding experience. When you press on the pedals, you get near-instantaneous pedal assist response. It’s fast, it’s intuitive, and it just feels better.
But that’s not the only upgrade. The Aventon Aventure.2 comes with several new pieces of kit including a rear rack as standard equipment, upgraded taillights with built-in turn signals, and a new pedal-assist layout with four power levels.
You can check it all out in my review video below, but you’ll want to keep reading afterward for even more detail.
Aventon Aventure.2 video review
Aventon Aventure.2 tech specs
Motor: 750 W continuous-rated rear geared hub motor (1,130W peak-rated)
Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle, 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist
Max load: 250 lb. (113 kg) rider + 55 lb. (25 kg) cargo
Frame: 6061 single-butted aluminum
Weight: 77 lb. (35 kg)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
Extras: Color LCD display with speedometer, wattmeter, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, tripmeter, left side thumb throttle, included front and rear fenders, included rear rack, integrated headlight and tail lights with turn signals, torque sensor, kickstand
Real quick, I want to start with the packaging. I know this is an e-bike review, not a box review. But Aventon deserves credit for replacing nearly every single piece of plastic and foam packaging normally included in e-bike packaging with more sustainable alternatives from recyclable material.
Plastic sleeves are replaced with cardboard. Foam is replaced with expanded fiberboard blocks. Even the plastic cable ties are replaced with kraft paper rope. It’s frankly incredible. Bravo.
Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled e-bike review.
How well does this adventure e-bike ride?
The Aventure.2 is a big bike, there’s no tip-toeing around that. But it doesn’t feel quite as big as it looks. Somehow the e-bike retains a level of grace that doesn’t seem to fit its big and brawny appearance.
That translates into a fat-tire e-bike that actually works quite well on the road too, even if it was designed to handle the trails as well.
But off-roading is where this e-bike shines, and it’s also where that new torque sensor makes the biggest difference. Getting rolling on a big, heavy e-bike like these fat-tire e-bikes can be tricky, especially if you’ve forgotten to downshift (or just didn’t downshift far enough before stopping).
A torque sensor gives you near-instant motor response when you step on the pedal, instead of the laggy response of a cadence sensor that can take a pedal revolution or two to kick in. That’s a game-changer off-road where tricky terrain can compound a rough start.
The top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) likely won’t have too much of an impact on most off-roaders since you rarely ever get the chance to go that fast on trails. But back on the road, rolling away from a stop sign or a green light is easier than ever with the new sensor setup and the higher speed makes this a serious commuter contender for anyone who regularly shares the road with cars.
If you do most of your commuting in the bike lane though, go easy with the Class 3 speeds. This is a big and heavy e-bike to come barreling down on other riders.
There are also four new levels of pedal assist selectable on the color LCD screen, and a color-coded label makes it easier to see which level you’re in at a quick glance.
For on-road riders that enjoy fat-tire e-bikes for their ability to nearly erase potholes, you’ll be happy to see two other inclusion: a rear rack and turn signals.
The rear rack is no longer behind a paywall but instead comes as standard equipment. And don’t get me started on how awesome these turn signals are. In the past I’ve ribbed e-bikes with turn signals when those signals were so close together that they failed to serve their indicator purpose. But with Aventon’s signature taillights mounted on either side of the rear wheel as integrated frame lighting, the turn signals are actually far apart and quite apparent in their role as directional indicators.
I still think riders shouldn’t completely rely on e-bike turn signals since most drivers are not expecting to see a blinking indicator on a bike. So I generally still use hand signals, but it’s nice to have a turn signal setup that gives you the best chance of drivers correctly interpreting your intentions.
I also really like how Aventon gives you plenty of options for frames. Not only is there a step-through AND a step-over option, but both are available in two frame sizes.
Not everything here is rosy though. I was a bit bummed to see Aventon stick with the same 48V 14Ah battery size. That 672 Wh battery is fine, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not as big as I would have liked. It will give you plenty of range if you’re sticking to lower pedal assist levels, such as Aventon’s real-world range rating on Level 1 at 60 miles (96 km).
The 30-mile (48 km) range rating on throttle-only riding isn’t bad either, but riders who generally go faster off-road will likely burn through that battery even quicker. If they could have found a way to stuff one more row of cells into that battery for a 17.5Ah setup and an 840Wh capacity, I’d be over the moon. But as it stands, the Aventure.2 still gets great range on pedal assist on the road and respectable range off-road or on throttle. Though that doesn’t mean I can’t still beg for more.
The only other downside for me is just that the bike is kind of huge. It’s big and heavy. But that’s what you get with an adventure e-bike. You’re not going to traverse the same terrain on a 20″ folding e-bike, so you’ve got to pack more in to go explore rougher and tougher places.
All told, you’re getting one hell of a bike here for a more than reasonable price of $1,899. Punchy hydraulic brakes, a good suspension setup with comfort-enhancing fat tires, awesome LED lighting in the front and rear, and a torque-sensor to boot! There’s just so much to be happy about with the Aventon Aventure.2 that I almost feel bad complaining about the average-size battery or heavy weight. Almost, but not quite. I’ll still complain. But I’ll do it while wearing a huge smile on my face as I sling sand and rocks around my local trails on this fun and adventurous e-bike.
Oh and by the way, if you want a deal on Aventon’s original cadence sensor-based Aventure, that model is now on sale for $1,499. That’s a freakin’ steal!
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Along with Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-based ultralight aircraft company Whisper Aero has secured a $500,000 grant to help advance the company’s innovative electric jet motor concept off the drawing board and onto the testing phase.
Earlier this month, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced plans to award $500,000 to Tennessee Tech and Whisper Aero through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative.
“We look forward to using these award dollars to place students in internships working directly with Whisper Aero leaders,” said Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham. “By learning from an electric propulsion innovator like Whisper Aero, our students will gain invaluable perspective and can take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it right here in Tennessee.”
The grant will see a Whisper Aero glider fitted with a pair of the company’s eQ250 electric-powered jet “propulsors” for UltraQuiet flight. Tennessee Tech faculty and students will carry out copper-bird ground testing to ensure the safe integration of engines, batteries, and controllers, and kickstart Tennessee Tech’s new Crossville Mobility Incubator.
Whisper Aero’s main claim to fame is its innovative UltraQuiet WhisperDrive (above). It’s effectively an electrically spun ducted fan jet engine that uses a large number of stiff composite fan blades inside a lightweight, acoustically treated duct. With so many blades, the Whisper Aero propulsor can push more air than a conventional prop while spinning much more slowly. As such, the “blade passage frequency” moves up to more than 16,000 Hz – outside the range of most human hearing but not, supposedly, high enough to freak out the beagles.
The Whisper Aero ultralight is effectively an Aériane Swift3 glider fitted with a pair of Whisper’s eQ250 propulsors, each capable of up to 80 lbs. of thrust. The Ultralight has a wingspan of over 40 ft with a maximum L/D of 35:1 and can be stressed to a design loading of +6/-4g, making it capable of some pretty impressive acrobatic feats.
The Swift3 glider is designed for a low speed, low power cruising speed of 45–55 knots with “just” 6.5 hp. Power-off glides from a few hundred feet showed a low sink rate, and a climb rate of 1,250 ft/min with full self-launching power (in other words: the Whisper glider doesn’t have to be towed by a launch vehicle, like a conventional ultralight glider).
Quiet cool
Dual WhisperDrive fans deliver ~160 lbf of thrust; via Whisper Aero.
Range under full power is about 109 miles with current battery tech, but it’s expected that range under the latest EPiC 2.0 energy batteries would rise to nearly 170 miles.
Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power System, said, “EPiC 2.0’s leap in energy density and thermal performance has enabled a significant increase in range, a clear validation of our next-gen cell technology. We are impressed by what the Whisper team continues to achieve in advancing electric aviation.”
The press release concludes explaining that flight tests are expected to show that the Whisper Aero glider can be flown, “a few hundred feet away from neighborhoods without any disturbances, while carrying a 220 lbs. payload with full range,” which is all kind of ominous in today’s political climate, but still pretty neat from a purely tech perspective.
With support from TNECD’s Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, Tennessee Tech University and Whisper Aero are partnering to advance next-generation propulsion technology in the aerospace industry. This collaboration will enhance aerospace research and workforce development, ensuring Tennessee remains a leader in cutting-edge mobility solutions.
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A Tesla Cybertruck owner believed Elon Musk’s claims that the Cybertruck would be able to “act as a boat” and “cross rivers”, and he got his $100,000 stuck because of it.
Elon Musk has often made claims about how Tesla vehicles could float and briefly serve as a boat in the past.
We have never been taken too seriously because Tesla’s warranty states something different about taking the vehicle into water.
However, the CEO doubled down on the claim specifically for the Cybertruck.
Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy.
The CEO added that the goal is for a Cybertruck to be able to cross the water between SpaceX’s Starbase and South Padre Island in Texas, which is about 360 meters (1,100 feet).
We have been taking the Cybertruck more seriously with water because we learned that Tesla built a ‘wade mode’ for the truck to be able to go into the water. Tesla says the mode increases the ride height to the max and temporarily “pressurizes the battery pack.”
The problem is that it is activated through the off-roading mode, which is not covered under Tesla’s warranty – so we are taking everything with a grain of salt.
Whenever Tesla’s warranty contradicts what Musk says, it is better to follow to the warranty.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Truckee, California, appears not to have received this sage advice since they activated the wade mode and attempted to get into the water.
The Cybertruck owner quickly got stuck. The local California Highway Patrol (CHP) shared some pictures of the aftermath (via Facebook):
CHP Truckee helped with the recovery and commented on the incident:
Cybertruck activated “Wade Mode”… and waded a bit too far… We’re all for testing boundaries… but maybe not the waterline. Remember folks, “Wade Mode” isn’t “Submarine Mode.” If your plans include exploring the great outdoors, make sure to know your limits and the terrain.
There’s no detail on the damage to the Cybertruck, if any.
At the risk of stating the obvious, this is clearly more of a user error than a Cybertruck problem.
I think the verdict is clear: Cybertruck is far from the best electric pickup truck for off-roading.
However, in general, you shouldn’t expect a truck to get out of water on a muddy bank.
I think a lot of Cybertruck owners are new to trucking and off-roading, and they are making the truck look worse than it is at off-roading.
If you want to take your Cybertruck off-road, I recommend to first go with an off-roading guide that can help avoid some simple mistakes like this.
Also, in general, don’t take Elon Musk’s claims at face value when he says that Tesla vehicles can do something that sounds like an exaggeration. It probably is an exaggeration.
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The latest Chinese EREV to arrive in the west, the Omoda 9 SHS crossover hopes to shake things up in the hyper-competitive class with a top-shelf tech package, more horsepower than a Porsche 911 GT3, and a €39,900 price tag.
Established in 2022 as an upscale electric sub-brand by the Chinese car giant, Chery, Omoda has global ambitions – a fact that’s underscored by launch of the new Omoda 9 SHS (for “Super Hybrid System”) SUV shown here. And, with up to 535 hp in the top EU-market trim, Spanish auto enthusiast site Motorpasión reports that nothing cheaper is more powerful.
To put those 535 hp into context, Porsche’s motorsports-focused 911 GT3 supercar generates “just” 502 from its 4.0L flat-six engine. The Omoda’s 535, meanwhile, are generated by a single electric motor powering the SHS’ front wheels and a pair of electric motors at the rear – good enough to rocket the SUV from 0-62 mph (100 kmh) in just 4.9 seconds.
Under the hood
Omoda 9 SHS under the hood; via Omoda.
The SHS version of the Omoda packs a 34.46 kWh battery pack that lets Omoda 9 SHS go 145 km (a little over 90 miles) on pure electric power. Once the battery is depleted, the 1.5 liter turbocharged ICE unit (shown, above) kicks on, providing an additional 935 km of driving for a combined 1,100 km of “range” from a full tank and battery.
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That said, this is a PHEV/EREV with more than enough all-electric range to handle all but the most extreme of edge-case daily driving needs – and, as such, Omoda expects the 9 SHS it to be used more like an EV. To that end, it’s capable of DC fast charging at up to 65 kW, charging from 20% to 80% in under 30 minutes.
Omoda execs, for their part, seem pretty proud of themselves. “The OMODA 9 represents a significant advancement for our brand, embodying modern living with its beautiful design, intelligent engineering, and usable technology,” says Victor Zhang, UK Country Director for OMODA. “Our SHS technology demonstrates the progress in hybrid vehicles, offering performance, range, and seamless integration into daily life. We believe the OMODA 9 delivers the comfort, power, and quality that today’s drivers expect.”
To meet those expectations, the Omoda 9 SHS offers drivers a dual 12.3″ curved screen display, a 540° rear-view camera, and a Sony sound system with HD speakers integrated into the front seats’ Nappa leather headrests. Those leather seats also feature fully electric adjustment, as well as heat, fan, and massage functions.
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