e-Coast launched as ‘hassle-free’ electric beach cruiser bike with belt drive
Priority Bicycles has just released an eye-catching electric version of the company’s Coast cruiser bike. Known as the e-Coast, the new e-bike is designed to be as “hassle-free” as possible, including weather protection, hydraulic disc brakes, and a Gates carbon belt drive.
New York-based Priority Bicycles is one of the rare pedal bicycle companies that puts just as much effort into its electric bike designs. Instead of white labeling generic e-bikes, Priority has launched nicely refined and high-end e-bikes sporting mid-drive motors and quality components.
Since the new e-Coast is designed to target more budget-friendly shoppers, this e-bike comes with a 500W rear hub motor instead of a mid-drive motor. But the rest of the bike is still replete with the same type of components we have come to expect from Priority.
The e-Coast is based on the company’s pedal version of the bike, but features several modifications as part of its electric upgrade.
As the company’s CEO and founder David Weiner explained:
After the success of our traditional Coast model, we began working to bring an electric version to customers who seek the beach cruiser aesthetic with the mobility of an e-bike. We purposely designed The e-Coast to be like a seafaring vessel; it is the perfect marriage of beach cruiser comfort, extended travel distance of an electric bicycle, and the hassle-free maintenance Priority is known for. It always feels good to be an innovator and bring something to market people have never seen before, especially for riders who want to focus more on enjoying the sand and water and less about how it’s creating wear and tear on their ride.
That hassle-free design can be attributed to three main areas. First, the bike is built to be weather-resistant by using non-corroding hardware and materials. Beach cruisers are often ridden in areas with significant salt spray, and so non-corroding hardware is a major differentiator to keep a quality bike working well for years.
Next, the Priority e-Coast comes with a Gates Carbon Drive, which is a carbon-fiber reinforced belt that replaces a chain on a traditional bike. A belt drive is essentially maintenance-free and lasts for longer than chains. There’s no need to oil it and it is actually more efficient over its entire lifespan than a chain (since chains may start out slightly more efficient but reduce their efficiency as they age and wear).
Lastly, the e-Coast is outfitted with hydraulic disc brakes. This is another nearly maintenance-free component that removes the need to adjust the brakes due to the stretch in mechanical brake cables. Hydraulic brakes also give stronger stopping power with less force needing to be applied to the brake levers.
That extra stopping power is a nice thing to have on a bike like this, which can be set into Class 3 mode with a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist. That requires user reprogramming though, since the bike ships in Class 2 mode with a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) on both throttle and pedal assist. Riders are recommended to check with their local e-bike laws before unlocking the full 28 mph top speed.
The e-Coast sports a pair of 26″ balloon tires and holds its battery in back as part of a rear cargo rack. That 500 Wh removable battery offers a range of between 20-60 miles (32-96 km), depending on how fast you ride and whether or not you’re doing more power-hungry throttle riding or just cruising along with battery-sipping pedal assist.
The new bike is priced at $1,799 for launch when using the code LAUNCH200. But that promotion only lasts a week, and the model is expected to increase to its MSRP of $1,999 after February 5.
Electrek’s Take
This is a beautiful e-bike, even if it does carry the battery in a rear rack. I get it, there’s just not a lot of place to hide a big battery on a beach cruiser.
I love low-maintenance bikes, and the combination of hydraulic disc brakes and a belt drive is incredible. If they had given me an internally geared hub then that would have been the trifecta, but of course most beach cruisers are typically single-speed. I can’t imagine this is going to be a comfortable pedaler at 28 mph, but it’s probably going to be a pleasure to pedal in the mid-speed range. Single-speeds are usually geared somewhere for the middle speed range so they aren’t too daunting to get rolling but can still provide some reasonably comfortable pedaling at higher speeds.
The price seems a tad loftier than what I’d expect, but then again there are some nice parts on here and some very high-quality construction. The price puts Priority right between the more affordable entry-level e-cruisers from Electric Bike Company and the costlier e-cruisers from Pedego, so they might be a nice Goldilocks solution for those wanting higher-end parts without spending a fortune.
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Tesla is rumored to be planning a new battery factory to produce LFP cells in the US with China’s CATL, the world’s biggest battery manufacturer.
Over the last few years, CEO Elon Musk has said multiple times that Tesla plans to shift more electric cars to LFP batteries in order to overcome nickel and cobalt supply concerns.
Iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which don’t use nickel or cobalt, are traditionally cheaper and safer, but they offer less energy density, which means less efficiency and a shorter range for electric vehicles.
However, they have improved enough recently that it now makes sense to use cobalt-free batteries in lower-end and shorter-range vehicles. It also frees up the production of battery cells with other, more energy-dense chemistries to produce longer-range vehicles.
The main issue is that LFP battery cell production is currently almost entirely concentrated in China. Therefore, it creates a logistical problem for electric vehicles produced in other markets.
Furthermore, in the US, it creates a problem for automakers trying to take advantage of the new federal tax credit for electric vehicles, which requires that the batteries of electric vehicles be produced in North America in order for buyers to get the full $7,500 credit. It creates a demand to bring LFP production to North America.
Ford has recently announced a plan to partner with CATL, the world’s biggest battery cell manufacturer, to build LFP battery cells at a $3.5 billion factory in Michigan.
Now Tesla is rumored to be doing the same thing. Bloomberg first reported the rumor:
The EV maker discussed plans involving Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. with the White House in recent days, said the people, who asked not to be identified revealing private conversations. Tesla representatives sought clarity on the Inflation Reduction Act rules that the Biden administration is finalizing this week, according to some of the people. Rohan Patel, the company’s senior global director of public policy, was among those involved with the discussions, one of the people said.
The report is light on detail, but it states that Tesla is looking at a similar structure to Ford’s own deal with CATL. Texas has also been rumored to be a possible location for the new factory.
The LFP cells would enable Tesla buyers to get the full tax on the base Model 3, which is about to lose the incentive because its cells currently come from CATL’s Chinese factories.
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Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace is joining forces with BAE Systems to develop a battery system for its ES-30 electric plane.
Heart partners with BAE to develop electric plane battery
Heart Aerospace is paving the way for sustainable electric air travel to become the norm with its leading-edge zero-emission aircraft.
We first covered the company in 2021 after it made waves with its ES-19 electric airplane. The aircraft was designed to carry up to 19 people up to 250 miles (400 km), perfect for short-distance travel.
The innovation was enough to attract an investment from the third largest US air carrier, United Airlines, in July 2021. United committed to purchasing and deploying 100 ES-19 electric aircraft to its fleet as it works to erase emissions from its fleet “without relying on traditional carbon offsets.”
Air Canada, the largest airliner in Canada, invested $5 million into Heart last year in addition to ordering 30 of its newest model, the ES-30.
Heart introduced the ES-30 last year, an electric plane driven by four electric motors and a battery system. The electric aircraft will have a fully-electric zero-emission range of up to 200 km (124 miles) and 30-minute fast charge capabilities. Hybrid reserve turbogenerators allow travel of nearly 500 miles (800 km) at 25 people max.
To advance the ES-30 battery system, Heart is partnering with BAE Systems, best known for its leading defense and aerospace solutions. The battery system will be the “first of its kind” for a conventional takeoff and landing regional aircraft, operating with zero emissions and significantly reduced noise.
The collaboration will utilize BAE Systems’ over 25 years of experience electrifying heavy-duty industrial vehicles. Chief operating officer at Heart Aerospace, Sofia Graflund, said:
BAE Systems’ extensive experience in developing batteries for heavy-duty ground applications, and their experience in developing safety critical control systems for aerospace, make them an ideal partner in this important next step for the ES-30 and for the aviation industry.
Heart Aerospace says it already has 230 orders and another 100 options for the ES-30 electric aircraft. In addition, Heart says it has a letter of intent for another 108 planes. The ES-30 is scheduled to enter service in 2028.
Heart Aerospace is aiming to double the all-electric range of its aircraft by the late 2030s with close to 250 miles (400km) range. In addition to offering zero emissions, electric airplanes feature lower costs (electricity compared to jet fuel) and less maintenance due to engine repair.
Electrek’s Take
Although 124 miles may not seem like much, it will be perfect for regional air travel while building a base for the future of zero-emission air travel.
The 30-minute fast charge feature is perfect for turning around flights quickly in between loading passengers and luggage.
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