Connect with us

Published

on

It’s not that we haven’t seen our fair share of some weirdly named e-bikes before, but there’s something confusing about an electric bike named after an engine. I know that technically motors and engines can be the same thing, but it still feels weird to associate engines with e-bikes in American English. I’ll give Engwe a pass on the confusing and barely pronounceable name for the Engwe Engine Pro electric bike for the sole reason that it’s actually quite a good deal when you consider the performance to dollar ratio here.

Engwe Engine Pro tech specs

  • Motor: 1,000W peak-rated geared rear hub motor
  • Top speed: 24 mph (38 km/h)
  • Range: Claimed 62 miles (100 km) on pedal assist
  • Battery: 48V 16Ah (758 Wh)
  • Weight: 83 lb (37.8 kg )
  • Max load: 300 lb (136 kg)
  • Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes on 160mm rotors
  • Extras: 8-speed Shimano drivetrain, large LCD color display, LED headlight and tail light, thumb throttle, mag wheels, full-suspension, removable battery, rear rack, fenders, kickstand

Engwe Engine Pro video review

Check out my real-world testing in my video review below. Or keep scrolling if you prefer to read… nerds.

Big, heavy and bulky – but fun!

Right away we have to address the elephant in the room, which is the e-bike itself. It’s as heavy as an elephant.

This thing is over 80 pounds of aluminum, steel, copper, magnets, rubber, and lithium. That’s a lot of bike to pick up.

Yes, it folds into a nice and compact bundle of metal, but it’s still a deadlift to get it off the ground. Like most e-bikes, though, the fairly low battery and the wheel-mounted motor help keep the weight low, and thus you don’t notice how heavy it is while you’re riding.

engwe engine pro electric bike

Once you get past the weight, though, things really start looking up. With 1,000W of peak power, the Engwe Engine Pro is ready to blast off as soon as you blip that left-side thumb throttle. The pedal assist is there to support you as well, though I generally give a little throttle on starts even when I plan on using pedal assist since there’s a bit of lag from when you start pedaling and when the power kicks in.

For comfort, Engwe gives us front and rear suspension, plus a set of 4-inch fat tires. I love the 20×4 tire size because it’s a good compromise between wide tires for comfort and all-terrain riding. Larger 26×4 tires roll a bit nicer and give a better ride over obstacles, but they are just so massive and heavy that they can sometimes feel unwieldy. The smaller diameter 20″ wheel size is a nice middle-ground, in my opinion.

For that suspension, the front fork is nicer than the rear shock. The fork is hydraulic and works pretty well for our recreational type of riding. The rear shock isn’t terrible, it’s just not too fancy. But combined with the front suspension and the fat tires, I don’t think anyone can complain about lack of comfort built into this design.

I did a mix of street of trail riding on the Engwe Engine Pro and found that the bike works well in both worlds. It’s not very efficient at either with those fat tires, but the big 758 Wh battery makes up for the lack of efficiency by simply shoving more battery cells in there. There’s two ways to solve the range problem and Engwe chose the “more battery” method.

As usual, the company follows the typical route of giving us some pie-in-the-sky range that no one will likely achieve in real life. In this case, they label the bike with a 62 mile (100 km) range. And as usual, that’s probably technically true if you’re sticking to the lowest power pedal assist mode. But don’t be fooled into thinking that you’ll get 62 miles of range on every ride.

If you’re like me and want to cruise at a solid 20-25 mph and blast around on throttle or in high power pedal assist levels, then you’ll get considerably less. The company says that at full power you may get around 22 miles (35 km) of range, which feels realistic to me based on my experience.

engwe engine pro electric bike

But the real kicker here is the price. For $1,699 you’re getting a lot of mileage. Not in terms of miles, but in terms of stuff. And the $1,369 price on Amazon is even more of a killer deal (or even just $1,299 if you clip the $70 coupon on the Amazon sales page)!

You get 1,000W of peak power, full suspension, hydraulic disc brakes (though on measly 160 mm rotors), a big ol’ rear rack, included fenders, LED lights, and a color display. The list just keeps on going!

There’s some serious value here, at least in terms of bang for your buck on the bike itself. I have no idea how well Engwe’s customer service and support stacks up against the more traditional US-based e-bikes companies. It could be fine, but they just haven’t been around for as many years to build up a reputation. In fact I had a small issue with the gearing and customer support helped me out immediately. But then again I’m an e-bike reviewer and so they’d have to be stupid not to put on a good show for me.

So there’s some tradeoff there, of course. You’re going with a company that doesn’t have a long and storied history in the US. But what did you expect? You can’t get way more performance like this for less cash than the competitors without giving something up.

Pound for pound, though, the Engwe Engine Pro gives you some great performance and some very nice features for your hard earned dough. If you don’t need a folder or full-suspension, this might not be the bike for you. But if you want it all in one package (and you want that package to fit in your trunk), then this might be the ticket.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Tesla and Rivian are settling their battery tech theft lawsuit

Published

on

By

Tesla and Rivian are settling their battery tech theft lawsuit

Tesla and Rivian have been embroiled in a lawsuit in which the former accused the latter of having stolen battery technology by poaching Tesla employees.

It sounds like the two automakers are finally about to settle the lawsuit, which has been going on for 4 years.

In 2020, Tesla filed a lawsuit against Rivian over allegedly stealing trade secrets by hiring former Tesla employees and encouraging them to bring documents. Rivian has denied the allegations.

When Tesla filed the lawsuit, it wasn’t clear what trade secrets Tesla was claiming Rivian had stolen. However, we noted that the employees listed in the lawsuits were two recruiters, an EHS manager, and a manager of Tesla’s charging networks.

The automaker claimed that these employees brought “documents consisting of highly sensitive trade secret, confidential, and proprietary engineering information” when they went to work for Rivian.

A year later, Tesla expanded the lawsuitclaiming more specifically that Rivian was “stealing the core technology for its next-generation batteries.”

At first, the companies tried to settle out of court, but it didn’t work out, so the lawsuit was moved to court last year.

Over a year later, we now learn that Tesla had notified the court that it expects to file to get the lawsuit dismissed after reaching a conditional agreement with Rivian. The company didn’t disclose the details of the settlement (via Bloomberg):

Tesla didn’t disclose specifics about the agreement in a court filing, but told a California state judge that it expects to seek dismissal of the case by Dec. 24 upon satisfactory completion of the terms.

Neither Tesla nor Rivian have commented on the reported settlement.

While Tesla has claimed that it somewhat open-sourced its patents, we have previously noted that it’s not exactly the case. Tesla claims to let other companies use its patented technology as long as they themselves don’t sue them over patent rights.

And in this specific case, Tesla alleges that Rivian has specifically hired employees to steal technologies. Again, Rivian has denied the allegation.

Electrek’s Take

The terms are unknown, but in similar cases, it often involves things like some level of access to make sure that no proprietary technology is being used or has been used.

The lawsuit is not exactly clear, but based on the timeline and the allegations of “next-gen batteries”, Tesla could have been talking about its 4680 battery cells, although those are cells. It could also be the structural battery pack.

Rivian is expected to use a taller 4695 battery from LG Energy Solutions for its next-generation vehicles.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Kempower, Proviridis partner on novel electric semi truck charging solution

Published

on

By

Kempower, Proviridis partner on novel electric semi truck charging solution

French infrastructure specialists Proviridis have partnered with EVSE manufacturer Kempower to deliver a novel, underground charging solution for electric semi trucks designed to easily integrate into existing truck depots.

By installing its high-powered charging cabinets underground and integrating the charging cables into a solid metal pipe, Kempower and Proviridis have been able to make room for high-powered charging points in an existing truck depot that didn’t have enough space to install either conventional EVSE or overhead “drop lines.”

For the pilot, the metal pipe is painted in a striking yellow color to make it easier to see while maneuvering the lot, and keeping the dispensers themselves more protected than conventional concrete bollards. The 600 kW power cabinet is positioned a few yards away – a typical space-saving Kempower solution – and connected to the charge points by underground cable.

Proviridis believes their solution provides enough of a competitive advantage that fleet buyers looking to electrify will be eager to give it a try.

“The product is durable across a wide spectrum of temperatures and conditions, requires minimal ventilation, and can cater for a wide range of customer needs,” explains Olivier Verdu, Technical Director at Proviridis. “These are features which perfectly place the Kempower solution for this type of charging configuration in a logistics environment.”

Electrek’s Take

While traditional charging equipment can cause up to 20% of an existing truck depot’s parking capacity to be lost, the Kempower products have already gained recognition for the efficient size footprint of its overground Satellites. If this underground version proves to be even better, you can expect to see a lot more Kempower installations near you.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kempower.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

For a limited time, save $500 on a Centris folding eBike from Buzz Bicycles

Published

on

By

For a limited time, save 0 on a Centris folding eBike from Buzz Bicycles

In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, eBike specialist Buzz Bicycles is offering an exclusive discount for Electrek readers on its Centris Class 2 Folding Bike.

Table of contents

Buzz Bicycles is back with an exclusive new deal

Buzz Bicycles has been a mainstay on Electrek for a few years now, as we have covered several of its electric bikes, which suit riders of all skill levels and help them “Buzz through life.” Buzz is an omnichannel eBike brand that prioritizes direct-to-consumerism and has found success in its mission to deliver ultimate transportation solutions at an excellent value for its growing base of eBike enthusiasts.

The company strives to deliver riders a “Wow moment,” which is usually brought on as they feel the pedal assist function kick in. This feature delivers all you need to conquer hills and longer rides while enjoying new adventures with friends.

The Buzz team has utilized decades of industry experience into its portfolio of eBikes, all conceived and designed in Dayton, Ohio. The company, which operates under the United Wheels umbrella alongside brands like Huffy Bicycles, Niner Bikes, and Batch Bicycles, has adopted an ethos that the freedom of riding should be fun and accessible for everyone, no matter what adventure lies ahead.

By leveraging the global presence of its parent company, Buzz Bicycles can make good on its promise to deliver affordable eBikes that are comfortable, powerful, and safe, much like the Centris Folding eBike, which is as versatile and compact as it is fun. The exclusive deal Buzz Bicycles is offering on the Centris makes it even more fun. You can take advantage of it below.

But first, you’ll want to learn about the capabilities of this foldable eBike to truly understand its value, as well as what accessories are available to level up your purchase.

Buzz Bicycles

The Buzz Centris is an easy to ride foldable eBike for all

The Buzz Centris is a Class 2 Folding eBike built for comfort and convenience no matter where you take it. At full size, the Centris’ step-through frame offers a low step-over height of just 16 inches, perfect for riders of all sizes, enabling easy transitions from ground to saddle for its riders.

When you’re not riding, the Centris from Buzz Bicycles folds neatly to 34 inches in length and 22 inches in height, making it easy to store at home or to carry in a vehicle on the way to your next ride. Furthermore, the assembled bike only weighs 68 pounds, making it easy to transport.

You can easily navigate tougher terrain on the Centris thanks to the eBike’s 20″ x 4″ knobby tires and front suspension. The bike is powered by a 48V, 500-watt-hour (Wh) battery pack that can propel it to a top speed of 20 mph for an all-electric range of up to 40 miles on a single charge.

Additionally, this folding model from Buzz Bicycles comes equipped with both a front and rear rack, offering versatile cargo-carrying options so you can customize your ride with a variety of Buzz accessories.

Like all Buzz eBikes, the Centris is tested and deemed compliant with the UL2849 standard. This standard covers the entire electric bicycle system, including the motor, battery, controller, and charger, offering the highest safety standards for added peace of mind.

The Centris Class 2 folding bike from Buzz is available in two colors: Gloss White or Matte Black. This $1,199 eBike is currently reduced to $899 – and you can score an additional $200 off with this exclusive promo, but only for a limited time.

With the purchase of any Buzz eBike, including the Centris, you are guaranteed the following:

  • 10-year limited warranty (lightweight aluminum frame protected for full 10 years)
  • 2-year limited warranty (electrical components covered by 2-year warranty for peace of mind)
  • 6-month limited warranty (additional bike components protected by a 6-month warranty)
Buzz Bicycles

Are you interested in the Centris from Buzz Bicycles? You’ve come to the right place. Starting today, while supplies last, you can take advantage of an additional $200 off the sale price by using promo code “ELECTREK200. That’s a $500 discount in total!

Don’t wait, because this deal only runs through 11:59 PM on December 8, 2024.

We highly recommend perusing Buzz’s entire lineup of products. They are designed for commuters and casual riders, with technology and features that help you quickly feel comfortable riding. If you are new to the world of E-transportation, Buzz Bicycles is the brand for you. 

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending